House cats are generally not big animals, with their average weight clocking in at 10 pounds, although that can vary by breed and frame. But some cats are obese—or even morbidly obese—thanks to a poor diet and their inherently sedentary lifestyle. Research published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research has now discovered the best way for overweight cats to drop pounds, as reported by Catster.
The new diet plan is a simple one: The researchers recommend that overweight cats get to a healthy weight by gradually reducing their calorie intake over many weeks—think slow and steady—with a focus on high-fiber and moderate-protein sources.
After a week of feeding eight cats the above-mentioned diet, their diet was reduced by 20 percent, and was continually stepped down over a 16-week period. Although they only looked at neutered cats, the study found this kind of diet resulted in major body fat mass across the board. So while females weren’t even looked at (come on now!), it’s not a bad idea to keep this idea in mind if you’ve got a cat who is a bit overweight, regardless of their sex or he or she was spayed or neutered: A healthy, slow and steady approach to diet is always a good idea for any animal or human, too.
Become an Insider
