What Is The Best Cat Food For Weight Loss?

Cat obesity is a preventable condition that affects approximately one-third of cats all across the United States. Those same statistics show that 50% of cats aged 5-11 weigh more than their ideal weight. Much like humans, obesity in cats leads to a whole slew of potential complications, including heart disease, diabetes, and more. If you want to improve your cat's longevity, you need to make sure that you are giving them the right amount of food.

Your pet needs better food for a better life. If your cat is overweight, it might be time to start them on some weight loss cat food. This type of food is nutritious and has fewer calories, so your lovable pet can slim down safely.

Here are three weight loss cat foods for a better feline nutrition, including the best wet cat food for weight loss and best dry cat food for weight loss.

Best Wet Cat Food For Weight Loss: Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Weight Management

Purina makes an excellent, affordable cat food that specifically targets weight loss. Many owners report that their pets lose weight on this formula. This vet-recommended cat food has all the nutrition that your pet needs without all the calories. The main ingredients are turkey and liver, which pets seem to enjoy, so most people report that their cats will happily and heartily eat tins of this food.

It has 12% protein and 2% fat, which means that your pet is going to lose weight and build muscle mass on this food. It also has omega-6 acids, antioxidants, and taurine, which ensure that your cats stay healthy and active!

Hill's Prescription Diet For Weight Management

The food above does not require a prescription. However, some weight loss food does. If you have taken your pet to the vet and recommended that your cat lose some weight, you might want to ask for a prescription for Hill's Prescription Diet Metabolic Weight Management cat food. According to the manufacturer, this line of foods has a remarkable track record of success, with 88% of cats experiencing weight loss in the first two months.

There are a few different formulas available, including ones based on vegetables and tuna, as well as vegetables and chicken. These foods are low in fat, having only 2.0% in them. However, they are full of nutrition and have lots of fiber in them to aid with digestion. These formulas also help make your pet feel full and satisfied in between meals.

If your vet thinks that your cat needs weight loss cat food, consider asking if Hill's Prescription Diet would be an option!

Best Dry Cat Food For Weight Loss: Blue Buffalo Weight Control Natural Adult Dry

Blue Buffalo is one of the best cat food for sensitive stomach and is renowned for its quality foods for both dogs and cats. Their weight loss cat food is no exception. With chicken and brown rice as its leading ingredients, this food will undoubtedly taste delicious for your pet. It also includes vegetables. Perhaps more important than what this food has is what it doesn't have, and that's by-product meals, which tend to be unnecessary and unhealthy fillers.

The manufacturer has taken great care to ensure that it has a perfect balance of calories, nutrition, and tastiness. It's very high in protein and relatively low in fat. More importantly, this food has just 421 kcals/cup. Cats, in general, love this food, so it's not hard to introduce it to them and get them to eat it!

Starting Pets On A Weight Loss Diet

Many owners make an innocent mistake when switching their pets over to a weight loss diet. They remove all the old fatty food and switch everything over, at once, to the new, less caloric food. While the intention here is positive, that can have unintended consequences. 

Your pet may get an upset stomach. The cat may even reject the new food. A cat needs to eat in 24-48 hours, or else they can develop a condition called fatty liver. This condition is life-threatening because it makes cats refuse food indefinitely. Fortunately, it's easily correctible by force-feeding pets, which resumes the nutrients and lets the liver heal itself.

To avoid the potential for problems like fatty liver, please switch their food gradually over a 7-14 day timeframe. For example, for the first day, set their bowl as usual but put 10% new food in and 90% of the old stuff. See how your cat reacts to that. If they seem to like it, change the ratio to 20% new, 80% old. Monitor again. Repeat this process until you are at 100% new food and have none of the former, fatty foods in the bowl. If you're unsure about how much to feed your cat, check out our cat feeding guide here.

Weight Loss Cat Food Will Help Your Cat Lose Weight

This type of cat food works well. Pets who start on one of these foods will frequently find that their weight comes down and that they remain slimmer and healthier. In turn, that will give your pet a chance at a longer, happier life. Financially, it can also be beneficial for the owner, since many of the diseases associated with obesity, like diabetes, can be very expensive as your cat ages. Therefore, if your cat is overweight, please treat it as a real issue and buy the right foods to help them return to a happy, healthy weight!

Alternatively, if you want to make your cat's food yourself, we highly recommend our All-Natural Cat Food Recipe! 

What causes rapid weight loss in cats?

If this weight loss is unexpected, rapid weight loss in cats is usually a cause for concern. GI problems, cancer, and diabetes can all cause weight loss. With many of these diseases, you'll notice that your cat has a voracious appetite, yet still loses weight. If you see this, please take your cat to the vet to have them examined.

Can stress cause weight loss in cats?

Yes, stress and anxiety can cause weight loss. If your pet feels stressed, your pet may not be hungry. As a consequence, the cat won't go for as much food, which will make your pet lose weight. If you notice your pet not going for food as much as you would expect, examine your environment for stressors. Loud noises, other animals, dirty dishes, and more can cause your pet to have anxiety.

Is weight loss in older cats healthy?

Weight loss due to an intentional change in food formula is healthy. Weight loss with unexplained causes is often not. Check with your vet if you're not sure whether or not your pet losing weight is healthy.

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