Here’s how to get started moving your pet—and you—toward a slimmer, healthier future.  Make a plan. If you can’t see a distinct waistline below your dog’s or cat’s rib cage, it’s likely that he’s overweight. Aim for a 1 to 2% drop in body weight per week, says Phil Zeltzman, DVM, a board-certified traveling veterinary surgeon in Allentown, PA. Ask your vet if your pet is healthy enough to begin an exercise program. If so, set a goal of 15 to 30 minutes a day for dogs or 5 minutes at a time 4 or 5 times a day for cats, says Leilani Alvarez, director of the Tina Santi Flaherty Rehabilitation & Fitness Service at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Walk this way. Dog owner? For the first 2 weeks, aim to walk 5 to 10 minutes twice a day, working up to 30 minutes at a time. Start with stretches (for both of you) and end with a cool-down period of slower walking, says Dr. Zeltzman. If you have an overweight cat, have her chase a laser beam or feathers on a string. Cut calories. Confirm with your vet that your pet is eating the right formula, then cut feeding amounts by 25% and swap treats for lower-calorie options, such as bite-size pieces of carrots or apples. Make your pet work for meals by putting his dish at the top or bottom of stairs or by using interactive food-dispensing toys. Or try this strategy to get you both moving: “I had one owner whose cat followed her whenever she opened a can of food, so she’d walk all around her house, luring the cat,” says Deborah Linder, DVM, of the Tufts Obesity Clinic for Animals. More from Prevention: Your Pet’s Diabetes Danger[pagebreak] Keep your pup limber with some easy stretches. Hold each position for 10 seconds 3 or 4 times, Dr. Zeltzman advises. If your pet resists doing any of these stretches, he may have joint problems—talk with your vet. Easy dog stretchesBack: Get your dog to turn his head toward his tail so that his body takes on a C shape. Repeat on other side. Shoulders and elbows: Take one of your dog’s front paws and pull the leg forward and up. Repeat with other leg. Hips: Hold the knee of one hind leg and gently pull the leg backward until it’s almost parallel to ground. Repeat with other leg.   More from Prevention: 10 Ways To Exercise With Pets