myKotty The main reasons for obesity when it comes to our mustached friends are bad cat diet and lack of exercise. Most commonly it happens due to owners fault. Current domestic animals digestive system does not differ much from their ancestors that were burning energy mostly to hunt prey. That is why the owners duty is to make a balanced diet and provide enough exercise for the cat.
How to recognize cat obesity?
Contrary to common beliefs simply weighing the cat is not enough to check if overweight or obese because every animal has different skeletal and muscle structures. Therefore the easiest method is the looks method that can be done during playtime or a bath. An overweight cat would have hardly palpable and the lower stomach line will be on the same or lower level as the chest. Furthermore, the abdominal cavity would be wider than the chest. In the case of an obese cat, those characteristics would be even more visible and his limbs would optically shorten.
What are the reasons for cat obesity?
The most common reason for obesity is the wrong cat diet. There might be too manycarbohydrates in the animals diet or cat food might simply be of bad quality. Often the reason is also unlimited access to it – a full bowl attracts the cat for bigger lunches. It could also be caused by environment and cat age. Domestic cat activity level that is not going outside usually decreases. A similar thing happens with age – cats between 5 and 10 years old are significantly less active than younger ones.
It is good to know that cat males are more often obese than females. The case is similar toshort-haired European-type cats. Diseases limiting physical activity might also be a reason for it, prescribed medicine and also lack of workout after castration (though not the castration surgery by itself).
Why is cat obesity dangerous?
Cat obesity might lead to numerous illnesses. The most common are diabetes mellitus,cardiovascular and heart disease, fatty liver or hepatic insufficiency, renal failure and musculoskeletal disorders – joint degeneration, and even spinal discopathy. Limited cat activity connected to obesity also affects the urinary tract because such cats less often use the cat litter box and their skin because limited moves might make daily care harder. Obesity and the wrong cat diet is the reason for colorectal diseases, increased risk of cancer and decreased immunity. Obese cats are also more likely to get stressed.
How to get rid of cat obesity?
Curing overweight and obesity when it comes to cats should begin with performing exams,mainly blood and urine ones. After eliminating suspicions of other diseases there is a necessity to create a diet that would be balanced and not leaving the cat hungry. The best way is to leave the cat diet making to the vet that shall make it fitting to animal health and needs. The next step would be to introduce physical activity into his everyday life. It isextremely important in case of domestic cats that do not go outside at all – they have to be granted a sufficient amount of activities. A good idea would be to organize a few playtime sessions per day. During the diet, it is important to get rid of the snacks in between the meals. Prepare smaller portions a few times a day and obviously do not give him food from the human table.
How to prevent cat obesity?
The most important is to eliminate bad behavior and prevent obesity when we notice that thecat is overweight. Every family member should respect the rules of regular cat feeding and avoid giving him snacks. Depending on our capabilities take care of constant access to designated dry food portions or give him multiple smaller meals per day (of wet food). When the cat would try to force us into giving him food – try to get him into playing. Remember to be consistent about it.
