Maine Coons, like other cats that you may have at home, tend to become overweight if you do not control their diet. Eating so much fat and meat a day can put your pet’s life at risk, and you should try to avoid it. To meet the objectives, you know why your Maine Coon is overweight and how you can avoid it.
You can fully know when your kitty is overweight and how you can prevent it from affecting its life. With this type of cat you have to be vigilant at all times. Because of their fur, it is difficult to see if they are overweight. It is good that you know what your pet’s symptoms are when it is overweight.
Is your Maine Coon Overweight?
It is quite difficult to identify whether your cat is overweight. Because they have a very thick coat. These kitties have a lot of fur on their belly, making it difficult to tell if they are overweight. However, by carrying it, you can check if your Maine Coon has a few extra pounds that it should lose.
One of the things that you can also see in your pet is that its fur will stick out from the rib cage. This little lump of fur that makes your Maine Coon look bigger is patchy and may be overweight. However, you should also take into account that the pet produces a lot of hair so it could also be a hygiene problem.
How to tell if your Maine Coon is overweight
In order for you to know if your Maine Coon cat is overweight, it is only fair that you examine his entire body in detail. Some things you should do to find out if your cat is overweight are:
- You have to look at your Maine Coon while you run your hand along the edges of its body. You can start by touching its hind legs, then its belly, and end on its front legs.
- It is important that you feel your pet’s stomach to know if it is actually overweight. Your Maine Coon’s belly should be slightly lower and it shouldn’t stick out.
- As you touch the edges of your pet’s body you should feel its spine, ribs and tailbone. If you do not detect any of these areas, it could be an indication that your pet is overweight.
Why is your Maine Coon overweight?
The reasons why your Maine Coon is overweight often vary by the lifestyle you give them at home. If you give your pet a lot of fat, it is obvious that this will bring complications for its life. Another thing that causes your cat to be overweight is giving it human food and not its nutritious food.
If you compare the amount of fat in human food versus croquettes, you will understand that the change is enormous. You only have to avoid giving this type of food to your pet and with this you will be taking some measures to improve their physical health.
What Happens When Your Maine Coon Is Obese?
When you have an obese Maine Coon, it could bring many complications in its life to the point that your cat would die. The average weight of an adult Maine Coon is 18 to 19 pounds, so you should avoid crossing that range. When kittens are over 20 pounds, this could make them very sleepy.
Maine Coons are usually very active cats, but their lifestyle will change when they have a few extra kilos. A fat cat loses mobility which would bring physical and respiratory problems and ultimately lead to death. Among other diseases that your obese Maine Coon could suffer from are:
- Cancer
- Kidney diseases
- Diabetes
- Blood pressure would increase
- It would bring them joint problems
Symptoms of Maine Coons overweight
If, at this point, you still doubt if your Maine Coon is overweight, you may need to guide yourself through the symptoms. In general, your overweight Maine Coon may have:
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Does not feel like playing
No matter what age your Maine Coon feels it will want to play, this could change when overweight. Your kitten will only want to sleep. He will not have intentions to climb, follow the rope or do any other activity at home.
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It is difficult for maine coons to breathe
If you see your Maine Coon asleep, you may detect that big problem in their breathing and snoring. Your obese kitty will have a hard time getting to sleep easily because she can’t breathe very well.
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Suffer from constipation
When being overweight is getting out of control in your Maine Coon, problems like constipation can come out. You may feel that your pet is having a hard time passing waste which causes a lot of pain in its body.
Also Read: Maine Coon Weight Chart: What Is The Average Weight Of A Maine Coon Cat?
What can you do to help your Maine Coon lose weight?
If you do not want to see your Maine Coon kitten overweight, the best thing you can do is help it in the following ways:
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Regulate your food
You have to regulate the portions of food that you usually give your Maine Coon in the day. If you feed your pet 3 times a day, you may need to reduce it to 2 times a day. The portions should also be much smaller so that your pet loses those extra pounds.
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Exercise it
You have to cut down on your kitty’s food and exercise it to burn calories every day. You can use a rope for your cat to run after it or buy a toy for it. Your maine coon kitten could lose 1 to 2 kilos per month if you focus on exercising it every day.
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Give it a more balanced meal
For your Maine Coon to lose that extra weight, you must focus on giving it a more balanced meal. You can eliminate the human food portions and feed your cat the kibble. On the other hand, you can also change the kibble brand in case this is affecting you.
Last Words
When you have a Maine Coon cat at home, you must be aware of its diet to avoid being overweight. These kittens are very prone to being overweight, and it is practically undetectable due to the amount of hair they have. However, there are some tips that you can take into account to discover if your pet has a few extra kilos.
You have to ensure your pet’s physical health so that it can last for many years. Fatty food causes your pet to become overweight, and you should avoid giving the fatty food to your cat if you need it to get well.
Maine coons also need exercise, so you should get used to playing with it every day. By following each of the main tips, you can prevent your Maine Coon from getting sick.