Pet Health And Care >> Cat Health >> Cat obesity

Obese Cat:

Obesity is primarily the excessive accumulation of body fat and is a very common occurrence amongst the feline species.

A number of cats will tend to look significantly bloated and although this may endear them to a number of people, it could be a sign of some internal medical complications in the cat. Obesity in cats should be taken very seriously as it is a condition that has resulted in a number of deaths every year.

Almost about 40% of all cats within the boundaries of the United States of America are obese – meaning that all 40% of them are about 20% over their ideal weight. The causes of obesity in cats primarily revolve around the incorrect diet where the amount of calories consumed exceeds the number of calories burned over the course of the day through exercise. The increasing popularity of dry food diets are also a known cause of obesity as the natural optimum diet for a cat is one that is high in protein while the dry foods are usually high in carbohydrates.

Obesity in cats could also be the result of aging as a result of the slowing down of its metabolism. Additionally, the number of calories burned will also be impacted by the amount of pain setting in to the joints, making exercise and physical activity more of a burden on the animal. Some of the common complications of obesity in cats if it is not taken seriously include shortness of breath after periods of physical intensity, skin problems, arthritis and heart disease.

Even though cats can be a very aloof breed of animal, there are a number of steps the owner can take to help reduce the amount of obesity in cats. For example, while it is easy to continuously provide your pet with a tasty treat, this should be avoided as much as possible. Make sure that you cat gets a significant amount f exercise over the course of the day. Unlike with dogs, it is highly unlikely that the animal will go on a daily walk with you, so you need to think of a more interactive experience like providing it with a toy. Instead of allowing your cat a free choice mode of feeding where the bowl remains filled throughout the day and your cat chooses when and how much to eat, you should start feeding it a limited amount of 4 to 6 meals a day.

Submitted on December 9, 2009