Click to Skip Ahead
If you live with a cat, you might have noticed a tendency for them to gain a little bit of weight during the winter. This observation may have made you wonder if feline winter weight gain is normal. Do all cats put on a few pounds when the temperature drops?
The answer is not necessarily. While some cats get a bit heavier during the coldest months of the year, bulking up when the days get shorter is not something all cats experience. Part of the reason for weight gain may be that cats feel biologically driven to consume more (when given the chance) during the early winter months when their ancestors would have faced the most difficulty finding prey.
Older or sick cats may struggle to maintain their weight year-round. But outdoor cats may choose to spend more time inside due to the weather, and may end up eating more, while exercising less. This could lead to weight gain in some cats during winter months.
Why Do People and Cats Gain Weight During the Winter?
In reality, both people and some cats tend to gain weight during winter. For humans, the causes are quite clear; we exercise less, stay inside more, and eat lots of delicious calorie-rich foods. During the warm summer months, we eat light meals featuring more vegetables. And since the days are longer, we’re more inclined to engage in activities like after-dinner walks.
But there’s also some evidence indicating that humans are triggered to eat more when the days become shorter. Some scientists suggest that evolution has shaped humans to eat more during the winter months as a survival mechanism.1 Supermarkets have only been around for a brief moment in the history of humankind.
For most of our history, we didn’t know where our next meal would come from; we were primarily hunters and gatherers, after all! In areas with clearly defined seasons, less food would have been available to our ancestors in the dead of winter than during warmer seasons.
It makes sense that humans are triggered to eat just a bit more when presented with the opportunity to eat during those months when food was often hard to come by for our ancestors.
Similar pressures may influence the cat’s diet. Rodent and small mammal populations decrease during the winter as mice, rabbits, and rats have less access to food and seek warmth and shelter. Eating more to weather a few days of deprivation was an adaptive survival mechanism when cats didn’t have access to regular meals.
Even though most pet cats don’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from, they may be still inclined to eat a bit too much during the winter, which often results in weight gain, particularly when a cat is allowed to eat as much as they want, often paired with insufficient exercise.
Why Is It a Big Deal if My Cat Gains a Few Pounds?
Being overweight has been proven to contribute to serious feline health issues such as urinary issues, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and mobility issues. Around 40% of cats examined by veterinarians in the United States are obese. Keeping your cat from gaining weight during the winter is incredibly important for their health. And it’s always easier to keep your cat from packing on the pounds than to convince your cat to accept the changes required to slim down.
What’s the Best Way to Keep My Cat from Gaining Weight During the Winter?
The easiest way to keep your cat from packing on those winter pounds is to regulate the amount of food they eat. Ask your veterinarian for advice regarding your pet’s optimal weight. Use the information that comes with your cat’s food to determine how much to feed your pet to maintain their weight or help them lose a few pounds. And grab a measuring cup and kitchen scales to ensure you know precisely how much you’re feeding your pet.
Increasing your cat’s physical activity can also help limit the dreaded winter weight gain. Cats, just like humans, gain weight when they consume more calories than they expend. Cats that don’t have enough opportunities to run and play often gain weight due to inactivity.
Getting your cat’s heart pumping is good for their mental and physical health. Cats that get enough exercise tend to be calmer and less prone to engage in undesirable behaviors due to frustration or boredom. A good session with a teaser toy several times per day adds activity to your cat’s day, gives them a healthy physical outlet for their energy, and meets their instinctual needs to stalk, hunt, spring, and jump. It also burns a few calories in the process.
- Improve your cat’s dietary health with our convenient calorie calculator here.
What About Weight Management Foods?
There are several weight management foods that you can try if your cat’s weight becomes a serious concern. Most major pet food manufacturers have reduced-calorie kibble and wet food options. Formulations for indoor cats and neutered or spayed pets often contain fewer calories and are great ways to prevent your cat’s weight from getting out of hand. Remember that most cats prefer to stick with one type of food and don’t always do well with diet changes. It can take more than a week to properly transition your cat from one kind of food to another. Speak to a vet about recommendations on the proper diet and amount of food for your cat’s specific situation.
In Conclusion
While some cats gain weight during the colder months of the year, it’s not a universal phenomenon. Cats may be biologically programmed to eat more when given the opportunity during the cold winter when small prey such as mice and birds are hard to find. But there are many ways to ensure your cat doesn’t pack on the pounds, including measuring the amount of food you give your cat and increasing their activity level.
Featured Image Credit: Rodica Vasiliev, Shutterstock
