Feline obesity is on the rise and some vets refer to the problem as
epidemic. While studies on the actual extent of obesity in pet cats
vary, ranging as high as 52 percent in some countries, according to the
Winn Feline Foundation, the cause for concern is real. Obesity can
increase the risk of serious medical conditions in your cat including
diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease, arthritis, cancer and heart and
respiratory disease.
Is your cat fat?
Veterinarians
advise that the best way to tell if your cat is overweight is to feel
the ribs. Touch the sides of your cat and see if you can feel each
individual rib. You don’t want to see ribs jutting out, but you
do want to feel the ribs underneath the skin and a small layer of fat.
If you can't feel your cat's ribs or follow them up to the spine, your
cat is overweight. If you still are not sure after conducting this
examination, weigh your cat.
Causes
Free feeding or leaving food out all day for your
cats is cited as a major cause of cat obesity, though genetics can play
a role. Also, while keeping your cat indoors helps ensure its safety,
it generally results in a lower level of activity.
Solutions
Ultimately
prevention is better than treatment, but your cat may be overweight
already. If so, it’s time to plan a visit to the vet. Before you
go, make note of when you feed your cat, how much it eats, the types of
food, and any special treats or ‘people food’ it gets.
Your
vet can provide you with commercial low-calorie food, which will help
the weight loss. However, even so, these foods are still most effective
when you add exercise. While your local pet supply store can arm you
with lots of toys to entertain your cat – cats love following the
laser light or the fishing pole - some of the homegrown ones are just
as effective. Of course if your cat is alone, you may want to consider
a cat pal or even two. There are lots of homeless cats these days and,
let’s face it, who doesn’t like to exercise with a friend?
The
ultimate solution will undoubtedly take some work and patience, but in
the end a trimmer cat means a healthier cat and that means lots of
years to enjoy your pal.
Barb Kohn
is a communications consultant. She has a passion for the welfare of
animals and has volunteered with many San Francisco Bay Area rescue and
shelter organizations, including Homeless Cat Network, Peninsula Fix
Our Ferals, Pets in Need and Furry Friends Rescue. She also is the
National Cats Examiner for the Examiner.com.
