Did you know that nearly half of the cats in the US are obese? This doesn't mean just a little overweight, but seriously fat! If your kitty is one of them, he's at risk for feline diabetes, arthritis, and other life-threatening health issues.

Why are our kitties getting heavier and heavier? Pure and simple, we're just feeding them way too much. You can't argue with the fact that you'll gain weight if you take in more calories than you use. This is true whether you're a person or an animal. It used to be that we had to work hard to get our food. Kitties did too. Their food didn't just magically appear in their dishes; they had to go out and hunt for it. They got plenty of exercise hunting. Portion control played a role here too, as a mouse is only so big. If he wanted more to eat, he had to hunt for it.

Most of us leave dry food out all the time for our buddies. This is called "free choice feeding." We all think our babies will starve if they don't have food available to them all the time. But the truth is that free choice feeding is probably the single biggest cause of feline obesity. Your furball won't appreciate this, but throw that feeder away! Start feeding him two or three times a day instead. Cut back on his portion size too. Feed according to his target weight, not according to what he weighs.

Dry food is extremely high in carbohydrates, since it's mostly grain. Your kitty was meant to eat meat, not grain. The extra carbs are stored in his body as fat. Plus carb-rich food causes his blood sugar to stay higher for longer, causing insulin resistance. And he's well on his way to feline diabetes at this point. Most dry foods are low in protein. For this reason, feeding a high-quality canned food is healthier for your furball. And many kitties lose weight when they're changed over to canned food.

Don't get hung up on the recommended feeding instructions on the bag or can. It's a known fact that if you feed your kitty the amount recommended on the bag, he'll eventually get too heavy. A kitty that's been spayed or neutered needs only 75-80% of the amount of food an intact feline needs. Remember that spaying or neutering will NOT make your furry friend fat. He'll only get fat if you feed him too much. If your buddy doesn't get much exercise, he needs less food, too. And like humans, as your buddy gets older, his metabolism slows down, and he's more prone to gaining weight. So you may need to adjust his food intake as he ages. Regardless of what the bag says, if he's gaining weight, feed him less!

We love our furballs, and we think we need to show our love with food, which is why cat treats sell so well. Most of these treats have a high carb level, and flavoring that encourage your kitty to eat when he's not hungry. Sound familiar? If your kitty is roaming around restlessly and meowing, this is normal behavior for a feline. It doesn't mean he's hungry. Never give him a treat to make him be quiet. All you're doing is rewarding him for vocalizing, and he'll do it more. Give him your attention instead.

Most kitties seem to spend all their time sleeping. If you want your buddy to lose weight, you need to increase his activity level. This can be hard to do, as it's hard to take your kitty for a run like you would with a dog. Plus cats are often left alone for hours, and there's nothing else to do but sleep.

You may want to consider adopting a kitten. Once they get used to each other, they'll probably run around playing and chasing each other. If this isn't feasible, try to find some toys that will get him moving. He'd probably enjoy playing with a fishing pole-type toy. A video with chirping birds or rustling mice may get him up and stalking the TV set.

You need to monitor your buddy's weight so you can adjust his food intake if he starts gaining weight. Get a good scale, and weigh him at least once a week. Preventing weight gain is much easier than taking off unwanted pounds later.