**GUEST POST** Is Your Cat Overeating? Here's How You Can Help! Top Tips from Closer Pets UK

Tuesday Greetings Fluffy Furiends and Cat Pawrents

Welcome to a special *sponsored guest post* at BBHQ. Today our pawesome sponsors are:

 www.closerpets.co.uk

And they are sharing some epically epic advice about how to help us cats if we get a little chubby or overweight to keep fit and trim, in today's post about:

Is Your Cat Overeating? Here's How You Can Help! 

At some point in our lives, some of us may pack a little bit of timber on, and our girth expands. I, Celestial Basil, did go through a chonky phase in 2008/2009. Mew can see me by clicking here, I called it my bulking phase, and whilst I wasn't a supurr-chubb-bub, I was a heavyweight, though I did lean down not long after that.

Amber, however, did get rather chubb'a'licious. She really packed some timber on and was like it for quite a while, although she has refused to share any evidence of her chubb-a-liciousness! MOL

Anyhoo, let's dive into the post before Amber starts getting a little hissy!

How To Stop Your Cat Overeating

Have you noticed your cat is gaining weight? Do they always seem to be side-eyeing their food bowl or meowing for more? Are they a little… ‘rounder’ than they used to be?

Our feline friends have always had a remarkably good memory when it comes to feeding time and often like to manage their own food intake. But sometimes they can overeat or gain excess weight.

Our furry companions don’t naturally eat too much, so what has changed? How can you stop your cat overeating?

This article discusses everything you need to know about overeating in cats. It will also provide some actionable tips to ensure your cat has a purrrfect life!

Royalty-free image. Image credit - https://unsplash.com/@kat_von_wood

Why is your cat overeating?

Cats don’t naturally overeat. Sure, rustle a bag of their favourite treats and they’ll appear in a (furry) flash.

But they seem to view meals differently – they seem to know exactly when enough is enough and generally have the willpower to stop there.

Until they don’t.

There are a few reasons why a cat might overeat. They include:

Stress

Our feline friends are incredibly sensitive and the smallest thing can stress them out.

Some cats lose their appetite altogether. Some will go the other way and will eat more because it’s familiar and comforting (we’ve all been there!).

Change in environment

Changing anything, from moving house to simply switching the wallpaper next to their food bowl, can cause pets to overeat. Anything out of the ordinary can cause a change in cat behaviour.

Boredom

Boredom affects everyone in different ways. One way for anyone to alleviate boredom is to eat something, just for something to do.

Cats do it, and – hands up! – their humans do it.

Medical issues

Medical issues such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes or certain medications can disrupt a cat’s appetite, so they eat too much.

But if your cat is overeating without an obvious cause, it may be worth looking into with your vet.

How to stop your cat from overeating

The good news is you can generally stop your cat from overeating using some simple tips.

As you’re providing the willpower on behalf of your kitty, there’s every reason that one or more of these tips could stop your cat overeating for good!

Food choice: Choose a high-quality cat food lower in calories

Cats are known for being picky eaters. Quality is everything – especially if you feed them ‘complete’ cat food with everything in it.

Meals made from better quality ingredients and fewer filler ingredients will not only taste better, but will also provide more nutrition from better quality sources. Win-win!

Stop free feeding: Switch to a regular feeding schedule

Cats are creatures of leisure, and some therefore love being able to eat graze whenever they like. Others prefer set mealtimes and a regular routine.

If you currently free feed your cat and let them lunch whenever they wish, try them on set mealtimes. This allows you to control their portions and monitor them.

If you’re not around during the day, use an automatic cat feeder. Divide the portions before you leave home, set the timer and the feeder will take care of the rest.

Some automatic cat feeders are designed specifically for wet food, so if your cat prefers wet to dry, you can still use this method to monitor their food intake.

If you have multiple cats, a microchip cat feeder might be the perfect solution. This ensures that only the cat with the correct microchip can access the food. It’s also a great method for cats who require weight management or medication at set times.

Minimise stress: Give them a life they understand

Minimising stress is essential for everyone – four legs or two. As cats are so susceptible to worry, we need to minimise it as much as possible.

Keep environmental changes modest, try to maintain a routine, introduce them to any changes you make so they understand it’s not a threat and provide somewhere safe and warm for them to hide or sleep.

Create a routine: Comfort in predictability

Have you noticed how cats like to sleep at the same time, wake at the same time, eat and drink at the same time and sit on your lap at the same time (usually during that important Teams call!)?

They’re creatures of habit. The comfort of routines and knowing exactly what will happen and when makes them feel comfortable. Work with that.

The routine can include when you/they wake up, your morning routine, mealtimes, when you play, when you have lap time and everything your cat does on an average day.

Water: Fresh, clean water at all times

Anything you can do to encourage your cat to drink more is a good thing. They’re incredibly smart, but sometimes even they miss the obvious.

The lack of water can lead to medical complications, which can add stress and can result in an overeating cat.

Nobody wants that, so make sure there is always fresh water around. If your cat turns their nose up at a water bowl, try a cat water fountain instead. That’s sure to work!

Make time for fun and exercise: Who doesn’t love to play?

Making time for fun and exercise will destress you as much as your feline companion.

You’ll both benefit from playing, chasing, hiding or watching your friend destroy their latest toy or hunt a feather on a string.

Play is one of the joys of having a cat in the family and taking time out each day to play is good for everyone.

Plus, it helps your little loved one burn off those excess calories and get back into a condition you’ll all be happy with!

Stop your cat overeating

In many ways, our cats are like us. They like routine, they like as much predictability in their life as they can manage and they like to minimise stress as much as possible.

Also, like their humans, cats can turn to food if they aren’t happy.

It’s our job as pet parents to ensure our cats have the healthiest life possible. The good news is that by following our top tips, your cat’s overeating should be a thing of the past!

Many thanks to Closer Pets UK for sharing this totally terrific post with us today, and do check out their furbulous website, as they have some pawsitively pawesome products!

And if mew need to refer back to any of the info, we'll be putting a purrmanent link on our Tops Tips for Cat Pawrents page, on the top menu.

We'll be back tomorrow with the Midweek News, so do join us then, and get ready to see Melvyn strutting his stuff on the BBHQ catwalk.

In the meantime...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

BBHQ Disclosure:

*sponsored guest post*

 Please be advised that we did receive remuneration for sharing this post with mew today.

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another post! 

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

Top Tips For Cat Pawrents ~ Part IV ~ Ideas To Keep Your Cat Hydrated and Cool In Hot Weather **PLUS** Fudge Makes Frozen Tuna Treats ~ What's The Verdict?

Welcome to 

Top Tips For Cat Pawrents

Today we're re-sharing Part IV of our Top Tips series.

If mew're new to being cat staff, then maybe there are a few things mew haven't thought about, and we're here to point mew in the right direction, so mew get the lowdown on top tips which we've gathered from over 25 years experience. And whether mew're a single cat pawrent or multi-cat pawrent, there could be something here for mew.

At BBHQ, there have always been 6 cats living here, so we're quite the experts on living in a multi-cat household, and before that when the P.A. lived in the city, she only had one kitty, so we have insight on that too.

And for those seasoned and veteran cat staff and our friends and regular readers, do feel free to add more tips and suggestions on today's subject in the comments as...

We're cats helping cats!

This week's 

 is all about 

Ideas to Keep Your Cat Hydrated and Cool ~ Especially In Hot Weather

As the U.K. is in the midst of a ten-day heatwave we thought we'd share a couple of tips we use at BBHQ to keep as cool as pawsible as most homes in the U.K. don't have air conditioning. Plus we're sharing ideas to help your kitty stay hydrated and how to encourage water consumption.

From our experience, it's always a good idea to have multiple bowls available in different locations around the home. Though obviously not where they would pose a trip hazard. And the amount of bowls available is really dependent on how many kitties mew have.

Keeping the water fresh is also a good practice to get into. A daily bowl and water change is ideal, as who wants to drink yesterday's water in a dirty bowl or dish? Not us.

And mew may have to try the bowl/s in different places, though ideally not placed in high traffic areas of your home. The quieter, the better is what we've found at BBHQ, and while we do have a couple of water fountains running, there are also two bowls available, which increases to three when it gets hotter.  

We've found at BBHQ, we cats like different options. We like to make our own choices and to explore all the alternatives. For instance, Smooch loves the ceramic water fountain, while Parsley likes the ceramic bowl in the laundry, Pandora likes the same as Parsley, Melvyn likes the fountain in the catservatory and Amber drinks from all of the aforementioned. Fudge loves the kitchen tap - see below - although he's straight to a clean bowl that's just been filled.

Water Fountains

Does your kitty love to drink from the tap/faucet? As we just said, Fudge loves to drink from the tap; check him out on Instagram.

And given Fudge's love of standing next to the kitchen sink waiting eagerly for the water to flow, we've been lucky to review several water fountains over the years to see if he prefers those to the tap, and mew can check them out here:

Felaqua Connect Smart Water Fountain

Petsafe Streamside Ceramic Water Fountain

The Drinkwell Butterfly Fountain

Miaustore Ceramic Water Fountain

Catit Senses Flower Fountain

Water fountains are an excellent way to boost your kitty's H2O levels, and given the amount available on the market today, mew're literally spoilt for choice. 

Though if your kitty does suffer from chin acne, this can be caused by plastic bowls; therefore, mew'd need something that was either stainless steel or ceramic. Plus, mew can get ones with filters and ones without, the choice is entirely up to mew. 

Obviously, the water fountains without filters are probably a more convenient option for some, and there are no ongoing purchases after buying the fountain. We've found from purrsonal experience that some with filters can become expensive.

They do need regular cleaning as with all water fountains, including the pump and filter changes if necessary, plus regular top-ups. Most are dishwasher safe, although we wash ours in the sink in hot, soapy water. 

If mew don't have a lot of time or hate to faff about with things, we would suggest sticking with a clean bowl daily. Keep it simple.

Another thing to try if mew think kitty isn't drinking enough.

Do mew live in a hard water area? Do mew like the taste of your tap water?

 Because if not, then maybe your cat doesn't really like it either. 

We use Brita filter jugs at BBHQ to filter ours, as it has a really metallic, coppery taste; old house, old pipes. 

It may be worth a try to use filtered or even bottled water to encourage more fluid intake.

An article we read ages ago somewhere suggested that mew could even add ice cubes to the water when it's really hot to promote drinking, although do make sure your kitty doesn't try to eat them. Mew could also just put the empty dish or bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it down before filling, and this would gently chill the water.

If it's scorching outside, it might be an idea to keep your kitty indoors until it's cooler later in the day/evening. 

When it gets supurr scorchio at BBHQ, we keep all the blinds closed throughout the day, and the windows on the cooler side of the house in the shade remain open a touch to let the air circulate. We have fans running everywhere, and the catservatory is off-limits, as that gets far too hot.

If your kitty doesn't seem well in the heat, or mew're worried, call your vet, don't wait. It's better to make the call and talk to a qualified professional as dehydration and heatstroke can affect cats too, as well as our K9 furiends. 

Fudge Makes Frozen Tuna Treats

Fudge decided that he'd like to try the frozen tuna treats that we've seen online; these are supposed to be a good way to keep cool in the heat.

So he got in the kitchen and rustled up a batch.

What we used:

One fish-shaped ice cube tray

One small tin of tuna flakes in spring water - do make sure it's really low sodium/salt 

1/2 cup of water - ours is filtered

Small bowl + fork + teaspoon

Our tuna was a no-drain variety, so we emptied it straight into the bowl. Fudge had to sample some tuna at this point just to check it was yummy enough.

We added 1/2 cup of filtered water and then blended to break up the larger chunks.

Using a teaspoon, we began to fill the fish shapes. Fudge had to sample the consistency at this point.

Once the tray was filled, and a sprig of catnip was applied for garnish. Fudge signed it off, and it was placed in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Our Verdict:

Melvyn really enjoyed them, though Fudge wasn't too sure after all that effort; we think it was a bit cold for him. And while Melvyn was lapping it up, we wouldn't advise leaving your kitty alone with one, as it could be a choking hazard. 

It's ok while they're just licking the treat, but then Melvyn wanted to eat it as it began to melt. So the P.A. broke it up into smaller pieces, (yes Helicopter Mum! LOL). Check out the video on YouTube, or watch it below and let us know what your thoughts are.

Or have mew made these before? If so what was your experience?

Another thing we do at BBHQ to keep cool in the heat

Also, another nifty idea for keeping cats cool in the hot weather is using pet cooling gel mats.

We've had several cooling mats from various sellers on amazon over the years, and they are good. Although do be aware that they warm up and retain the heat after a while, so it's always a good idea to check them often when your kitty or K9 is sitting or reclining on one. That's why we have multiple gel mats, so they can be easily swapped out for a nice, fresh cool one.

BONUS TIP For Our Visiting Furiends In Hot Weather

If pawsible, try to leave a bowl of fresh water outside for visiting cats, strays, ferals, and even your garden wildlife, especially hedgehogs.

We also have little water dishes for the insects. Check out our post here to see how easy we make it for them to hydrate. 

And for the birds which may come to your garden or patio/terrace/balcony if mew have one, don't think mew need a fancy birdbath; we have found over the years that they prefer a large plant dish to have a splash about in. We have 2 dishes; one is approx 20" in diameter, and the other is about 16" or 50cm & 40cm. They're about 2" - 3" deep or 6 - 7.5cm. Also, a great idea is to place a couple of small rocks or stones in the dish so that smaller birds can access the water safely.  

Don't furget to clean out and often refill, as the water can go green really quickly.

The larger birds at BBHQ do like to use the pond, and the P.A. made sure that one corner was shallow enough for the birds to drink and bathe. Plus if any hedgehogs accidentally fell in, they'd be able to climb out.

Also, try to be mindful if mew have a pond, water feature or outdoor fountain etc... of what chemicals/water treatments mew use in it, as some things are not pet, bird or wildlife-friendly. 

We use a really good one here. If mew want to know more, let us know in the comments.



To catch up on previous posts in this series, visit our dedicated Top Tips page

We do hope mew enjoyed today's post, we'll be back tomorrow with a sponsored post so do join us then to see some epic custom BBHQ goodies! 

Until next time...

Wing Commander Basil and The B Team

Disclaimer: We are not vets, animal medical professionals, animal doctors or have any formal qualifications in animal health. If mew are worried or concerned about anything at all, purrlease take your feline furiend to your purrsonal veterinarian or other health care provider and seek expert advice and assistance immediately.

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com

Paid Music license for video: Sounstripe Track: Yacht Party Artist: PALA 

Welcome to The BBHQ Midweek News Round-Up ~ Melvyn's Very Whiskery Wednesday, Smooch Finds A Hotspot and Pandora's New Day Bed

 Epic Greetings Furiends

Welcome to the BBHQ midweek news round-up!

We've had some lovely weather the last week and have achieved quite a lot in the garden. Although we did hit a bit of a glitch on Monday. The P.A. cleared all the pots and furniture off the pond patio with the intention of pressure washing it, as over the winter months it tends to get a bit green with moss, algae and general dirt.

So after sweeping up all the debris and setting up the pressure washer, the P.A. turned it on and nothing happened - OH DEAR! After several Youtube videos on how to fix it, changing the fuse, trying every socket in the summer house, trying different extension cables, then checking the manufacturer's website for more info and applying all the tips and fixes offered, it still didn't work.

This is quite annoying as it was only purchased last spring and has only been used twice to do the patios last year. Anyhoo dad is now trying to find out exactly when we purchased it so hopefully it will be within the year's guarantee and we can swap it for a new one. We'll keep mew posted, but needless to say the patios are still dirty! 

First up in the news this week

Melvyn's Very Whiskery Wednesday

Melvyn was keen to share a close up of his whiskers today.

He said the lighting was just purrfect for enhancing the epic magnificence of them, and who are we to argue with that! 

Next up in the news

Smooch Finds A Hotspot

We put the clocks forward on Sunday and it was such a glorious day that dad got the sun chairs out in the courtyard later on in the afternoon.

And while the P.A. and dad got some warms Smooch found the purrfect hotspot on the back of the raised bed.

This is one of the warmest garden spots at BBHQ, and in the summer it bakes. In fact, it gets so hot that mew couldn't possibly sit out, the P.A. has always said it would be a great spot to have a small swimming pool, but then she hates cleaning the pond so I don't think that will ever happen, plus the rising cost of energy it will never happen now!

Finally this week

Pandora's New Day Bed

We don't know if mew remember this bed we made in 2018, I know we did a post about it and I think it was originally made for Amber, but we can't find it.

Anyhoo, we made this cute bed and it was lovely for a while, but then it started to look a little chatty, so last summer the P.A. stripped it back to the frame ready to recover.

And finally, she's made time to begin the remodel.

Pandora is just checking it out for comfort.  

What do mew think so far?

The P.A. has just got to finish putting in the upholstery tacks to keep the pom-pom trim in place and then she's making a matching snuggle mat for the top so it can be washed. But the really great thing is the fabric she used was a lightweight, quilted double bedspread from a charity shop and it cost £2.95, plus it was brand new, what an absolute bargain. 

She's also made some small chair cushions for two farmhouse kitchen chairs she's just repainted in a light pink, and there's quite a bit left to make other stuff too. We love a bargain a BBHQ! MOL

That's us done for today, Amber will be back on Friday with another fab book just for mew, and if mew missed Monday's post click here to catch up on our latest Colouring with Cats post.

Fudge went mountain climbing on his Sunday Selfie, and we also shared a water fountain review on Caturday, click here if mew missed that.

Epic purrs

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another post! 

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com