Cat owners have increasingly realized that fat cats are not healthy cats. Even the Guinness Book of Records no longer lists extremely fat cats due to the health risks to potential competitors.
Overweight cats seem to be constantly hungry, so many of us feed them out of sympathy, a habit that can eventually lead to «killing with kindness.» Overfeeding a cat can be considered cruel, and veterinarians agree with this assessment.
Surprisingly, overfeeding isn’t the whole story behind obesity in cats; food quality is the main culprit. Some of the most popular commercial cat foods are of poor nutritional quality and include so-called weight management foods. Just as the fast food industry is more concerned with “taste,” the same is true for a segment of the pet food industry.
Dietary causes
Severe obesity in cats is caused by feeding the cat the wrong type of food intended for herbivores. Cats are obligate carnivores. This means they need to eat meat protein to grow and maintain themselves normally.
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Animal protein foods such as chicken, turkey, fish and rabbit are what cats eat in the wild. Meat byproducts such as bones, fat, blood and lungs simply do not qualify as meat for a healthy cat.
The worst food for cats is one that is high in carbohydrates, high in corn, high in calories and has little or no protein called meat.
Although the cat occasionally eats herbs and plants to aid digestion, a cat cannot break down plant material into usable nutrition. So, if the food grows in the field, it should not be a staple in the cat’s diet.
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Ideally, a cat should be fed three to four small meals a day, preferably raw or freeze-dried foods or foods rich in good quality meat.
However, many cats live in cages where there is no one present to feed them during the day. Therefore, people often resort to using «free-fall» feeders, which allow new food to flow into the bowl as the cat eats.
Fortunately, the pet industry has recognized this problem and portion-controlled feeders and timed feeders now exist. A good option is the Smartcat Tiger Food Bowl.
Some models include a cup holder that can stand on top of the dome; alternatively you can pour the food through a hole made in the dome. Below is the wide part of the food bowl, which has holes around the sides that the cat can stick its paw into to pick up bits of food to eat.
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Other causes
You will find very few obese cats among those allowed free access to the outdoors. Outdoor cats get plenty of exercise by climbing trees, jumping over fences, and chasing insects, but an overweight cat probably won’t be fit enough to protect itself outdoors.
Indoor exercise equipment is a great solution while your cat is losing weight. With climbing towers, scratching posts and interactive toys, cats can be happy and active indoors.
There are also conditional alternatives to outdoor movement, such as walking leashas most cats can be trained to come inside dried ham and leash quite easily. You can even build an outdoor cat enclosure.
Although rare, an endocrine problem could be the cause of your cat’s weight gain. Hypothyroidism can cause cats to become overweight. Fortunately, daily thyroxine supplements provided by your veterinarian can quickly resolve this problem. Pay close attention to the dosage as you would with any hormone treatment.
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Common diseases
While the following serious autoimmune conditions are not a problem exclusive to fat cats, they will be more prone to developing these disorders. The same condition that causes weight imbalance can also cause other imbalances.
Arthritis
Obesity and arthritis in cats become a self-perpetuating vicious cycle. First, the extra weight on the joints turns into painful arthritis.
Due to pain when walking or jumping, the cat becomes more sedentary, burns fewer calories and gains weight, unless forced to change its behavior. Arthritis in cats can become a disabling disease and, tragically, it is preventable.
Feline diabetes is the most common disease affecting overweight cats and is almost always the direct result of a high carbohydrate diet, much like the root cause of diabetes in humans.
Incorrect diets contain species-inappropriate hypoallergenic ingredients such as corn, wheat and soy.
Hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease)
Fatty liver disease develops when a previously overweight cat loses weight rapidly, sometimes due to untreated feline diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or simply because the cat feels sick. Although potentially fatal, fatty liver disease can be treated quickly with timely diagnosis and treatment.
There are other conditions that may be indirectly related to obesity; Excess weight definitely puts a strain on the heart and circulatory system and could contribute to heart problems.
It’s never too late to help Fat Tom become a normal, active cat if you take the proper steps to promote a longer, healthier life.
Read also: The best interactive toys for cats
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