Obesity in cats is a severe health issue. Excessive body fat may cause several ailments.
Overfeeding cats, particularly high-calorie, low-nutrient meals, cause obesity.
Genetics, age, neutering, and inactivity may all cause weight increase.
The following discussion delves into feline obesity’s causes and risks, the recognition of overweight cats, and the vital role of diet in managing and preventing this health concern.
Understanding Cat Obesity
Causes and Risks of Feline Obesity
Obesity is the buildup of too much fat in the body. Cats with a favorable energy balance eat more than they burn. Cat obesity is caused by several reasons.
- Overfeeding: Overfeeding cats may lead to calorie overload. Some owners overfeed their cats or give them too many goodies and table scraps.
- Lack of exercise: Indoor cats may not get enough exercise. Cats may also slow down with age or illness.
- Neutering: Cats gain weight after being neutered because their metabolism slows and their hunger increases. Neutered cats may also have reduced body fat-regulating sex hormone levels.
- Breed: Persians, Maine Coons, and Siamese may are predisposed to obesity.
- Medical conditions: Hypothyroidism, diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome, and corticosteroids may alter cats’ metabolism and appetite.
Obesity in cats may affect their health and well-being. Obese cats are more prone to illnesses and consequences.
- Diabetes mellitus: Insulin resistance, which causes diabetes, may result from obesity. This may cause diabetes.
- Osteoarthritis: Obesity stresses cats’ joints and cartilage, causing inflammation and deterioration. Pain, stiffness, lameness, and mobility might result.
- Urinary tract problems: Obesity increases the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and uroliths in cats. Bacteria in the urinary tract induce irritation and illness. Uroliths are mineral deposits that block or irritate the urinary bladder or urethra.
- Heart illness: Obesity may strain cats’ hearts and blood arteries, causing hypertension and heart disease.
- Skin problems: Obesity may cause skin infections, inflammation, and irritation by impairing its capacity to regulate temperature and moisture.
- Anesthetic problems: Obesity in cats might increase anesthesia and surgical complications. Obese cats may have trouble breathing or regulating body temperature under anesthesia. After surgery, they may bleed or heal slowly.
- Hepatic lipidosis: Obesity in cats may lead to fatty liver disease. Overloading the liver with fat may be fatal. Obese cats may stop eating due to stress, sickness, or diet change.
How to Identify if Your Cat is Overweight?
First, determine whether your cat is overweight or obese. Among other ways:
1. Body weight
Home or vet scales can weigh your cat. Compare your cat’s weight to the recommended range for their breed, age, and sex. Since cats have diverse body forms and muscle mass, this approach may be inaccurate.
2. Body condition score
A bodily condition score (BCS) chart helps evaluate your cat’s health. It accounts for your cat’s body fat and muscle mass, making it more accurate than body weight. 1 is lean and 9 is obese on a BCS scale. Most cats like a BCS of 4–5. Steps to determine your cat’s BCS:
- Rib check: Run your hands along your cat’s chest and feel for the ribs. You should be able to feel the ribs easily with a thin layer of fat over them. If you cannot feel the ribs at all, your cat is likely overweight or obese. If you can see the ribs clearly, your cat is likely underweight.
- Profile check: Look at your cat from the side and observe the shape of their abdomen. Your cat should have a slight tuck or upward slope of the abdomen behind the rib cage. If your cat has a sagging or bulging abdomen, they are likely overweight or obese. If your cat has a very thin or concave abdomen, they are likely underweight.
- Overhead check: Look at your cat from above and observe the shape of their waist. Your cat should have a visible waist behind the rib cage that is narrower than the chest. If your cat has no waist or a wider waist than the chest, they are likely overweight or obese. If your cat has a very narrow waist or an hourglass shape, they are likely underweight.
Health Complications of Feline Obesity
As discussed above, obesity in cats may cause health issues that influence their quality and quantity of life. These issues include:
- Diabetes mellitus: Obesity may lead to insulin resistance, which disrupts blood sugar regulation. High blood sugar and diabetes may result. Diet, medicine, and monitoring are needed to control diabetes mellitus, a lifelong condition. Diabetes mellitus may cause increased thirst, urination, hunger, weight loss, lethargy, weakness, vomiting, and urinary tract infections in cats.
- Osteoarthritis: Obesity may stress cats’ joints and cartilage, causing inflammation and deterioration. This may cause discomfort, stiffness, lameness, and limited movement. Osteoarthritis is a progressive illness that may be controlled with pain medication, anti-inflammatory medicines, joint supplements, weight reduction, and physical therapy. Osteoarthritis in cats might include reluctance to jump or climb, trouble grooming or using the litter box, reduced activity or playfulness, or mood changes.
- Urinary tract issues: Obesity increases cats’ susceptibility of UTIs and uroliths. Bacteria that enter the urinary tract cause UTIs. Uroliths, solid mineral deposits in the urine bladder or urethra, cause blockage or discomfort. Urinary tract issues may be uncomfortable and life-threatening if left untreated. Urinary tract disorders in cats may include straining, blood in the urine, frequent or inappropriate urinating, genital licking, screaming out in pain, or hiding.
- Heart illness: Obesity may stress cats’ hearts and blood arteries, causing hypertension and heart disease. Eyes, kidneys, brain, and heart damage may result from hypertension. Heart failure, when the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body’s organs and tissues, may result from heart disease. Signs of heart failure include trouble breathing, coughing, fainting, weakness, and fluid collection in the belly or chest.
The Significance of Diet for Feline Obesity
Diet impacts energy intake, nutritional balance, and weight regulation in cats, preventing and controlling obesity. You may assist your cat prevent obesity by selecting the correct diet.
The Connection between Diet and Weight
Your cat’s weight depends on calorie intake and expenditure. Cats get calories from food and treats. Your cat consumes calories through basal metabolism, thermogenesis, physical activity, and growth.
If your cat eats more than they burn, they will gain weight. Your cat will lose weight if they eat less than they burn. Your cat will maintain their weight if they eat the same number of calories as they expend.
To prevent or cure cat obesity, you must produce a negative energy balance by limiting their energy intake or boosting their energy expenditure.
Essential Nutrients for a Healthy Cat Diet
Obligate carnivores like cats need animal protein and fat for energy and nutrition. Cats require carbs for fiber and other activities, but their digestion is restricted.
Based on age, activity level, health state, and other considerations, a healthy cat diet should contain enough protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, minerals, water, and other nutrients.
- Protein: Cats need protein for muscular mass, organs, skin, hair, nails, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. Protein fuels and controls appetite. Due to their fast metabolic rate and limited amino acid synthesis, cats need more protein than dogs or humans. Protein should comprise 30% of a cat’s diet.
- Fat: Cats need fat for energy. Cats need critical fatty acids including omega-3 and omega-6 for skin, coat, immunological function, and brain development. Fat improves meal taste and digestion. Cats need 15% fat in their diets.
- Carbohydrates: Cats don’t need carbohydrates, although they may benefit from fiber, antioxidants, and prebiotics, which aid digestion and hairball prevention. Cats can’t digest and use carbohydrates well, therefore extra carbs may cause weight gain and diabetes. Carbohydrates shouldn’t exceed 25% of a cat’s diet.
- Vitamins: Cats need modest quantities of vitamin-like chemical substances for metabolic processes. Cats require 13 vitamins, some of which they may manufacture from other nutrients (like vitamin C) and others of which they must eat (like vitamin A). Vitamin deficiencies or excesses may harm cats. Your cat requires all vitamins in a balanced diet.
- Minerals: Cats need modest quantities of inorganic minerals for structural and functional purposes. Cats require 16 minerals, including calcium from water and iron from their diet. Any mineral deficit or excess may harm cats. Your cat requires all minerals in a balanced diet.
- Water: Cats are 60–70% water. Cats need water in every physiological activity, including digestion, absorption, circulation, excretion, temperature control, and lubrication. Drinking or eating wet food replenishes the water cats lose via urine, feces, saliva, perspiration, and breathing. Dehydration causes renal failure, shock, and death. Hydrate your cat with a balanced diet.
- Other nutrients: Other nutrients Antioxidants like vitamin E, selenium, and carotenoids, prebiotics like fructooligosaccharides and mannan oligosaccharides, probiotics like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, glucosamine, chondroitin, taurine, and cranberry extract may benefit cats. Some cat meals and supplements include these elements to boost their nutritional value and health benefits.
The Importance of Portion Control
Overfeeding cats causes obesity. Causes of overfeeding include:
- Misinterpreting feeding guidelines: Cat food labels provide feeding suggestions depending on weight or life stage. These recommendations are generic and may not fit every cat. A sedentary indoor cat may eat less than a similar-weight outdoor cat. Therefore, ask your vet about your cat’s ideal food intake.
- Free feeding: Your cat may eat whenever they want with free feeding. This is handy for you and your cat, but it may cause overeating and obesity. If food is always available, cats will eat little meals throughout the day out of boredom, stress, or habit. Instead of free feeding your cat, serve them measured meals at regular intervals.
- Treating excessively: Treats are a terrific way to show your cat attention and encourage good behavior, but they also add calories. Choose low-calorie, cat-formulated snacks to limit treats to 10% of your cat’s daily calories. Avoid offering your cat human food or table scraps since they may include hazardous components like chocolate, onion, garlic, or raisins.
- Not accounting for other sources of food: If you have more than one cat or if your cat goes outside, they may eat outside its dish. They may take food from other cats’ dishes or hunt outdoors. Your cat may gain weight due to this. Thus, watch your cat’s feeding patterns and change their portion amount.
Portion management helps cats maintain their appropriate weight and calorie intake, avoiding and treating obesity. Measure your cat’s food and follow your vet’s recommendations to prevent overfeeding.
Incorporating Exercise into Your Cat’s Routine
Exercise may help cats prevent obesity. Exercise helps cats burn calories, build muscle, enhance metabolism, reduce stress, and prevent boredom. Cats’ inherent instincts are stimulated and enriched by exercise.
Cats need varying exercises depending on their age, activity level, health, and personality. Adult cats require 20–30 minutes of moderate to strenuous movement every day. Consult your vet about your cat’s activity level.
Encourage your cat to exercise by:
- Playing with toys: Toys may drive your cat to pursue, pounce, leap, and run. Cats like balls, feathers, mice, lasers, and fishing poles. To keep your cat entertained, switch toys sometimes.
- Providing scratching posts: Cats may exercise and keep their claws healthy on scratching posts. Scratching posts help cats stretch, tone, and release energy. Sprinkle catnip or goodies on scratching posts throughout your home to encourage your cat to utilize them.
- Creating a stimulating environment: Stimulating your cat’s natural instincts and habits may make their surroundings more intriguing and challenging. Your cat can climb and explore shelves, cat trees, and window perches. For your cat to seek, conceal food or treats in puzzle feeders, cardboard boxes, or paper bags.
- Promoting socialization: Communicating, bonding, and playing with other cats or people may help stimulate your cat’s mind and body. If you have many cats, provide them with room, resources, and toys to interact with. You may play with, groom, and speak to your cat if it’s shy or aggressive with other cats.
Exercise helps cats lose weight and maintain their healthy weight. Exercise and play may help your cat remain fit, healthy, and happy.
Conclusion
Cat obesity is a prevalent and avoidable condition that may cause various health issues and worse quality of life. Diet impacts energy intake, nutritional balance, and weight regulation, thus it’s important for cats to avoid obesity. You may help your cat prevent obesity by selecting the correct nutrition, regulating portion size, and exercising.
