Has your cat recently started to turn their nose up at food? Or is your cat still eating normally, but they still seem to be losing weight. There are many reasons a cat might be losing weight, and luckily there are just as many ways to help them gain it back. As long as your cat’s weight loss problem isn’t health related you have a good chance of getting your cat back to their normal weight. Read on to learn more about how to fatten up a skinny cat, or if you are just looking for a quick way to put a few pounds on your cat we recommend you try Tomlyn Nutri-Cal Supplement (Buy Online).
Why do Cats Lose Weight
Stress
One of the primary reasons a cat might start to lose weight is due to stress, anxiety or depression. When a cat is under excessive psychological stress they might start eating less, which can lead to weight loss and a whole range of behavioral changes.
The best way to deal with stress related weight loss is to find out what situations are triggering the problem in the first place. If your cat is stressed at meal time they might not feel safe in the area they are eating. One way to make a cat feel safer while eating is to move their bowl to a location that is free of noise and any other animals that might cause a disturbance.
Health Problems
A number of health problems can cause a cat to lose weight. Some of the most common diseases that can eventually lead to weight loss are cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, and hyperthyroidism. If you think your cat is suffering from any type of health problem take them to a veterinarian immediately. Once your veterinarian diagnoses the problem, you can ask them for advice on ways to manage your cat’s weight while they work with you to treat the underlying health issue.
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Age
As cats age, you will most likely start to see a slow change in their body composition. When a cat enters their senior years it is not uncommon for them to lose a few pounds in the process. One of the major causes of weight loss in elderly cats is a loss of lean body mass.
When a cat approaches a certain age the muscles in their body begin to break down in a process called sarcopenia. This decline in skeletal muscle mass can lead to diminished strength. and it will also contribute to a certain degree of weight loss. One way to combat this is to feed your cat a high protein diet and make sure they remain physically active.
Another thing that can cause an elderly cat to lose weight is poor nutrient absorption. Malabsorption of nutrients is common in older cats since their gastrointestinal system is not as efficient as it was when they were younger. One way to deal with this is to feed an older cat a food specifically designed for seniors.
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How to Get a Cat to Eat More
Wet Food
If you are feeding your cat a dry food diet, you might want to switch them over to wet food in order to stimulate their appetite. Most cats prefer wet foods with a higher moisture content since they are easier to chew, and they are more digestible.
Warm Food
If you are already feeding your cat wet food you might want to warm the food before you feed it to your cat. Heating the food will make the smells and the taste of the food more pronounced. Heating food can also help ensure any food that has been kept in the refrigerator is safe to eat before you serve it.
Add Flavor
In most cases, the flavor of commercial cat food leaves a lot to be desired. While most cats are willing to accept bland commercial food, other cats have a more discriminating pallet. If you want a quick and easy way to boost the flavor of your cat’s food try adding a little tuna juice to it. This one little trick can turn a picky eater into a plate cleaner in no time flat.
Encouragement
One of the more overlooked ways on how to entice a cat to eat is to provide some encouragement. This can take the form of some light petting, or you can simply speak encouraging words in a soothing voice. The key to this technique is to help reassure your cat that they are safe and that they are doing the right thing by eating their dinner.
Exercise
If you are looking for a sure fire way to build up your cat’s appetite, then exercise is your best bet. If you play with your cat shortly before dinner time the extra physical activity will help burn enough calories to get your cat to eat more than they would if they were just lying about.
Cat Supplements for Weight Gain
| Image | Name | Rating | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Tomlyn Nutri-Cal For Cats |  | |
 | Miracle Vet High Calorie Weight Gainer for Cats | | |
 | Lexelium Growth Booster for Cats | | |
 | HARTZ Delectables Bisque Lickable Treat |  |
Tomlyn Nutri-Cal For Cats
Tomlyn Nutri-Cal For Cats (Buy Online) is one of the best high calorie supplements for cats on the market. This Veterinarian recommended supplement is one of the quickest and easiest ways to add some extra weight to your skinny cat. Another nice thing about Nutri-Cal is that you can boost your cat’s calorie intake without having to go through all the trouble of changing their diet.
This supplement can be added to your cat’s regular food in order to increase the total amount of calories they eat without having to change the portion size of their normal meal. Nutri-Cal also contains a whole host of essential vitamins for cats to gain weight.
Nutri-Cal can also be fed to your cat as a snack since it comes in an easy to squeeze tube. That means you can put a little Nutri-Cal on your finger or a spoon so your cat can lick it off. This can be especially helpful if your cat either won’t or can’t eat from their bowl.
Miracle Vet High Calorie Weight Gainer
Miracle Vet High Calorie Weight Gainer (Buy Online) is a highly concentrated supplement specifically designed to help cats gain weight. This liquid formula is rich in healthy Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids.
Each one ounce serving of this high calorie nutritional supplement for cats contains 150 calories, with 130 of those calories coming from healthy fats. The remaining 20 calories of each serving are made up of highly digestible whey protein. The really great part about this liquid supplement is that it can be mixed with dry or wet food, or it can be syringe fed to a cat if you find yourself in that circumstance.
HARTZ Delectables Bisque Lickable Treat
HARTZ Delectables Bisque Lickable Treat (Buy Online) are a convenient way to provide your cat with some extra calories. These Lickable treats come in a wide range of flavors, and they have special formulations for kittens and senior cats.
The HARTZ Delectables Bisque Lickable Treat is perfect for a cat that loves to lick up juices but won’t eat all of their meat. You can either add this treat to their meal to entice them to lick their plate clean, or you can feed it to them as a snack throughout the day.
The easy to open portable packets are also perfect if you plan on taking your cat on a road trip. The single-serve packages make it easy to squeeze out some food for your cat if they are in a cage, and when you are done with the food the empty packets won’t take up a lot of space.
Lexelium Growth Booster for Cats
Lexelium Growth Booster for Cats (Buy Online) is a high calorie powder supplement that you can feed an underweight cat. Every ingredient in this supplement is clinically supported to aid in a cats growth, and all the ingredients are sourced and manufactured in the USA.
This supplement can either be mixed into wet or dry food to give your cat a calorie boost. The main ingredients in this supplement are Beef Muscle, Yeast Extract, Siberian Ginseng, Vitamin D3, L-Taurine, Zinc, Calcium, Wheat Sprouts, and Creatine Monohydrate.
Syringe Feeding a Cat
In some cases, it might be necessary to syringe feed your cat. The most common reasons you might have to do this is because your cat is refusing to eat, or they have an underlying health issue that is preventing them from eating normally.
High Calorie Gel Syringe (Amazon.com)
Whatever the case may be you can either prepare the syringe full of food for your cat, or you can purchase a prefilled syringe. Preparing your own pureed food will save you some money in the long run, but all the prep work will cost you a lot of time. On the other hand, prefilled syringes will cost more upfront, but the time savings can be worth the extra expense.
What to Feed an Old Cat to Gain Weight
One thing you should be aware of is that it is normal for an older cat to lose a little weight. Most of the weight they will lose will be due to muscle loss, which sadly is something that happens to most animals as they age. Therefore if you want to increase your senior cat’s body weight most of the weight they will gain will be fat.
As long as you don’t overfeed your senior cat then you can feed them nutritional supplements or some extra food without having to worry about them gaining too much fat. The best supplements are Nutri-Cal or any other high-calorie liquid supplements. You might also want to offer your senior cat some special treats throughout the day, and you can also increase the amount of food you give them until you see a noticeable change in their weight.
