Sunday, August 21, 2011

How To Help Your Cat Slim Down

As a volunteer for my local shelter, I see a lot of cats, both young and old. Our primary concern is finding warm, loving homes suitable for a needy cat. Our secondary concern is for the overall health of the animals. This becomes especially important for those not adopted right away.

Cats, as with other pets, can face malnutrition due to mistreatment or simple ignorance. Many pet parents like to indulge their animal with extra portions or the food we people find tasty. Unfortunately, these behaviors do more harm to the animal than good.

CAT BREEDERS

At the shelter, we look at many different ways to help cats shed excess weight. One approach is the diet, where we moderate portion sizes and scale back on fattier meals, opting instead for leaner meals where our budget can flex.

Another approach is in the area of exercise. One of our favorite ways to get the cats moving is with cat trees and cat toys. These can provide endless hours of fun as well as lots of comfort to each animal.

Cat trees are available in a variety of styles and sizes to fit most any budget. At the shelter where we have high ceilings, we opted for tall units which rest on the floor but use the ceiling to help stabilize the structure.

Each cat tree offers vertical areas for cats to scale and climb or leap. The horizontal spaces are for hiding or resting. Many cat trees also have hanging toys like mice or ropes. Cats love to track these moving parts, pouncing as though they were prey.

We also try to get each animal out of their enclosure and containment room and out into the open general spaces. This provides them another outlet for exercise and exploration. Often only different types of stimulation are needed to help bulky cats slim down.

How To Help Your Cat Slim Down

As a long-time pet owner, Julie is passionate about supporting animal health and wellness. As a board member of her local rescue league, she understands the value proper mental and physical stimulation offers indoor cats in particular. Julie's Siamese cats, Sissy and Missy, enjoy the indoor life thanks to cat towers and cat trees from Ace Cat Furniture.

CAT BREEDERS

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