How to Prevent Cats from Winter Weight Gain

The top thing every cat enjoys is sleeping. In the animal kingdom, cats belong to a group of animals that sleep the longest. Experts explain this long-term sleeping habit as a reflection of their hunting lifestyle. Namely, cats spend a large amount of energy through hunting activities, and that is why they need a lot of sleep and snooze. However, our pet cats do not hunt as they did in the wilderness, especially if our pet cat is indoor one. In spite of that, they have still retained their sleeping habits. Cats spend almost two-thirds of their lives while sleeping. Their need for long sleep begins increasing when the nights are getting longer. Therefore, winter is the most critical period for many cats, because their activities are lessening, and their appetite stays the same as in the most active months. For this reason, the majority of cats are getting weight during the winter months. According to veterinarians, the solution to this problem is simple – encourage a cat to play. But, how? We all know that cats are hard to motivate, because they follow their own affinities and pleasures. To help us prevent the cat from winter weight gain and motivate it for play, the article “Exercising with Your Cat: A How-To Guide” gives us some interesting ideas.

A lot of cats will grow out of this fascination with string as they age, but not all of them do. It wouldn’t hurt to try with your older cat. Just remember to put the string and ribbons away after the games. Many an emergency intestinal blockage could have been avoided if the string had not been left out for the cat to swallow.

Another favorite is the beam of light. If you already have a smallish flashlight, you can try to get your cat to chase it around. Laser pointers are even better, since the small beam of light appears to be a little bug, and cats love to chase bugs. Stay low with the light, or you may have your cat trying to climb the shelves to catch it and end up with broken knick-knacks on the floor. Also, be sure to avoid flashing the beam directly into your cat’s eyes.

Keep the fun novel for your cat by trying stuff you already have around the house. Empty boxes with holes cut into them make great “caves” and scratching toys, and crumpled paper, especially the tissue type that makes lots of noise, is great for batting around. Paper bags are fun for crawling into, too, but avoid the plastic bags; you don’t want to risk an accidental suffocation. Also: plastic rings, empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls, stuffed animals, etc. Just be careful none of the household “toys” can become choking hazards.

Scratching posts and cat trees entice cats to climb, which uses their muscles and naturally wears down the points of their claws. If you have the space, set up a cat obstacle course in your home so that your cat can jump from place to place to get to the next perch.

Finally, if your cat really needs to lose some weight, there are exercise wheels — like the wheels made for hamsters — made just for cats.

The most important thing in preventing our cat from winter weight gain is to understand the obstacle and help a cat to reduce its weight before it gets obese. Introducing slight changes in a cat’s diet like reducing dry food and increasing canned, cutting off traits, and decreasing the total amount of food, will help the cat to stay fit. However, these changes should be taken carefully and gradually. Cats are creatures of habit, and they are not naturally inclined to changes. They prefer stability, consistency, and routine. Therefore, all changes should be gradually introduced to our cat, even play. If the cat welcomes spring without any additional kilo, then our strategy works perfectly.