Cat weight loss: slow and safe
Enter current weight, target weight and your food. For cats we calculate especially carefully.
Start with
Start with
251 g per day
- Never less than
- 201 g per day
- Safe pace (0.5–2%)
- 1.0 oz–3.8 oz per week
- To target weight
- about 7–26 weeks
- Treats up to
- 23 kcal
Look for “Calorie Content”, e.g. “3,750 kcal/kg, 375 kcal/cup”.
Weigh every 2 weeks. If your pet loses more slowly, feed 10% less, but never below the floor. If it loses more than 2% per week, feed 10% more.
Cats must lose weight slowly and never go hungry: losing weight raises the risk of fatty liver disease.
A starting point – the scale has the final say. If your cat is ill, talk to your vet.
Questions
Why must cats lose weight slowly?
Overweight cats have a higher risk of fatty liver disease while losing weight. So: slowly, about 0.5–2% of body weight per week, and never let them go hungry.
How often should I weigh my cat?
Every two weeks, ideally at the same time of day. That shows whether the amount fits.
My cat begs all the time. What helps?
Split the daily amount into several small meals. Treats count too – together no more than 10% of daily calories.
Why no plan for severe overweight?
If the target weight is 20% or more below the current weight, the cat counts as obese. Then your vet should guide the plan.
Related
- Is my cat overweight?A cat’s coat hides a lot. You can feel whether your cat carries extra weight better than you can see it: at the ribs, the waist and the belly.
- How to weigh your pet at homeYou don’t need a pet scale. A bathroom scale, a carrier or a baby scale works too, as long as you weigh the same way every time.
- How many treats per day?Treats, chews and table scraps all count. Together they should make up at most 10% of daily calories; the rest comes from the main food.
All calculators
- Dog food calculatorDaily amount for your dog – from weight and your food.
- Cat food calculatorDaily amount for your cat, wet food included.
- Dog weight loss: how much food, how fastStarting amount, floor and a safe pace for weight loss.
- Mixing wet and dry food for catsFeeding wet and dry: the amount of each food.
- Convert a pet food labelConvert a label: dry matter, carbohydrates, calories.