07/10/2026
Discussions around weight loss in our pets can be daunting so we wanted to share a personal story.
This is Smokey, Dr. Sam and Gabi's own kitty, back in 2019. He was 21.4lb and slowing down. Knowing the risks of obesity in cats (arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, bladder stones, to name a few), the decision was made to put him on a diet. In one year he lost 3 pounds and in another year he was down to 14lb!
Here are some tips that worked well for Smokey:
😺 Measure food: food was measured out for the day and kept in its own container. Half was given in the morning and half in the evening. When the food was gone, that was it (maybe with a few exceptions 😬😅).
😺 Exercise: Smokey is not the most playful cat, but an effort was made to get him moving (even if just running for a treat) for a few minutes every day.
😺 Treats: kept treats to a minimum, usually in the evenings during play time.
😺 Motivation: kept track of the weight on a whiteboard, and monthly photos posted to social media helped with motivation for the humans. Use the same scale every time!
😺 Special diet: his diet was eventually changed to one specific for weight loss (Hill's Metabolic) - but not initially.
The most important thing to remember is that weight loss in our pets is very gradual. This is where many owners give up because they don't see much of a change. For Smokey this was 0.2lb per month on average (and 0.6lb when a new kitten moved into the Valerius household 😄).
If we ever recommend weight loss for your pet, know that we understand the challenges. We're happy to come up with a plan together with you, and our lobby scale can always be used for monthly check-ins.
Please feel free to share any of your own pet's journeys in the comments ❤️
