Does your cat seem thin and undernourished to you? Here are the tricks to make your cat fat and to give it more energy with food.
Underweight and inappetent cat? Something is needed to stimulate him to eat and put on weight, but often it’s not simply more tasty or appetizing foods. It is important to get to the bottom of the matter and not just think that it is just a choice of kibble. Furthermore, it is essential to exclude the presence of latent pathologies that prevent the cat from eating or assimilating any food that is administered. Therefore a visit to the vet is always recommended to rule out the presence of underlying diseases, before thinking that it is simply a lack of stimuli. If the cat is healthy but underweight then here are all the tricks to entice him to eat.
Making your skinny cat fat: what to evaluate first
Our cat seems undernourished and too thin for our tastes: but do we know what the real ideal body weight of our cat is, or is it just a subjective aesthetic question? It is better to inquire first by asking the expert for advice on what the real condition of our cat is, without paying attention only to ‘how we would like to see it’. In fact, before enticing a cat to eat even if it does not need it and risk causing health problems, it is better to know his ideal weight.
In a cat in excellent shape, the ribs and spine should feel perfect to the touch, without being too ‘exposed’ or too covered in fat to touch. The general line of his physique should be harmonious as a whole. Our trusted vet will certainly be able to help us calculate the ideal weight and we will have to be careful and scrupulous to take note of all weight changes until the next visit.
If a cat does not eat: all possible causes
Only the expert will be able to exclude the presence of some underlying diseases that prevent our cat from assimilating food correctly: consequently he will also be able to advise us on what to do to solve the problem. Here are the causes that could limit your cat’s hunger or food intake.
The worms
Have you ever thought about how important it is to deworm your cat, to prevent nematodes and tapeworms from colonizing its stomach? Excluding the main diseases, the cat could have worms either because it has never been subjected to anti-worm operations or because the pesticide product we use is not so effective. In fact, some products could prove their effectiveness against nematodes but not against tapeworms, and vice versa. Commercial praziquantel products usually prove effective for both purposes.
Hyperthyroidism
Especially with regard to the diseases of the elderly cat, it is impossible to avoid mentioning this disorder that raises the blood level of thyroid hormones. In fact, apparently the elderly cat that is in good health, moves and has the same energy as a puppy but cannot gain weight, although it eats with pleasure. This happens because the disease causes him to burn calories and therefore the cat tries to eat more to compensate for this ‘unusual’ hunger. Hyperthyroidism is not only limited to below-standard weight, it also affects the heart and kidneys.
Anorexia
As with humans, cats can also suffer from this condition. It inhibits the cat’s desire to eat. Therefore, if he refuses to eat from his usual bowl, it will be necessary to administer it through a syringe without a needle directly into his mouth (perhaps by diluting the baby food with water or broth).
Poor diet
An ideal diet for the puppy cat, but also the adult one, must be rich in proteins that the cat is able to digest. A meal that is too rich in carbohydrates and grains or non-animal proteins is not easily assimilated by the cat’s digestive system. Consequently, despite eating, our Pet does not assimilate the calories that are able to cover its natural needs. It is a good idea to always check the type of food we feed them, carefully reading the label on the back of the product. Those based on meat with vegetables are fine, while those that have too many cereals and soy are to be excluded.
Bullying
Cats can also be victims of competitions between animals within the same house. In fact, we pay attention if when we leave the food available to our skinny cat, the other animal roommates do not bully eat his meal, leaving him fasting. In fact, it is not unusual that some dynamics may arise in the home for which the weakest cat is completely overwhelmed by the arrogance of the strongest, a typical attitude of the dominant cat. Better to keep the cat bowls separate and away and prevent the more enterprising cat from starving the other. On the market there are some bowls equipped with microchips that open only when the cat with the same device approaches.
Fur balls
Those that clog the stomach and intestines are called ‘cat hairballs’. The most effective solution is probably to sprinkle his nails with petroleum jelly: this will lick his paws and the substance will make it easier to expel the hair from the intestine. We pay attention to the following symptoms: frequent dry cough, regurgitation after meals, apathy, lack of appetite.
How to make a skinny cat fat: useful tips
Carefully evaluate the possible causes that prevent the cat from assimilating food and gaining weight, let’s see what we can do to stimulate the appetite in our cat.
More frequent meals: the cat usually does not like to have a single large meal a day, but prefers to have small snacks throughout the day. So it is useless to fill the bowl in the hope that it will all end in a few bites: better to give him a little food more frequently. This will also help the cat’s digestion, so as to stimulate his hunger which will come back at every appointment and will encourage him to eat.
More caloric meals: if the meal is more energetic and caloric, we could also consider reducing the quantity, since it is important for the cat to assimilate what is necessary for its daily needs. The water that makes the food moist increases the caloric intake of the food, so the cat will consume four times the amount of calories if the meal is made up of about 75% water. Commercial products often prove to be excellent allies for convalescing cats (usually they are liver based). However, enriching the baby food with milk and cream could be dangerous since the former contains lactose, which many cats do not digest, while the latter has a high fat content.
What are the highest protein foods for a cat? In our shopping must never be missing: cooked ham, turkey breast and chicken. These meals will help to fortify his muscle mass and entice him to eat thanks to their delicious flavor. Raw fish, including canned tuna, and parmesan will also be very suitable foods because they are very high in calories.
