How to tell if a cat is obese

Relieving hunger in a diet-stricken cat will help with constant access to fresh drinking water.

How to tell if a cat is overweight

Obesity is the most common problem of domestic cats. Statistically, one in three pets is overweight. And no matter how cute we think little round animals are, extra pounds always have a negative impact on their health, mobility and longevity.

To understand if a pet is overweight, it should be weighed. The optimal body weight for an adult may range from 3.5 to 5.5 kilograms. It may be higher for some breeds. Ask the breeder what the normal weight is for your cat, or consult the charts.

There are clear signs of obesity in a cat, says Purina expert, veterinarian and nutritionist Denis Turansky.

It is worth wondering if the pet is overweight if its ribs are hardly palpable, its belly is sagging when viewed from the side and its waist is not visible when viewed from above (this is true for animals over 6 months of age).

The veterinarian recommends paying attention to whether the cat's abdomen has a thick fat pad, and whether his limbs and muzzle have fat deposits on them.

Among the least noticeable signs of obesity is a dilated back of the pet. Also, the protruding bones should not be covered with a medium layer of fat.

What causes obesity in cats

If a cat's body gets more calories than it has time to use up, the cat becomes obese. Typically, the extra weight comes from overeating, sedentary lifestyle, hormonal shifts, or as a result of improper feeding after castration.

Often owners do not know how much food the pet needs and give it too large portions. Also domestic cats living in small apartments are restricted in movement, they do not have enough space to play and run around. If the owner does not give the pet physical exercise, the latter becomes sedentary and falls into apathy. This also applies to aging animals: they lose their former vivacity, their body consumes less energy, and they begin to get fat.

Causes

The main causes that provoke the development of obesity include:

1. Improper nutrition. It is known that natural food as well as food "from the table" does not suit cats, because the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in it does not meet the body's needs. Another option is overfeeding. Even if you feed your pet a ready-made, age-appropriate diet, don't overfeed. Follow the feeding recommendations on the package.

2. Low physical activity. This is more true for pets who live in an apartment and do not have the opportunity to go outside to run around to their heart's content.

3. breed peculiarities. Persians, Scots, and Brits are especially prone to gaining excess weight.

4. Hormonal failure. It is provoked by a disorder of the thyroid and pancreatic glands. Another cause is taking hormonal drugs that have weight gain as a side effect.

5. The presence of chronic diseases. Most often obesity is provoked by diabetes, liver and pancreatic disorders, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

6. Age. Cats over 7 years of age have significantly reduced physical activity, which is also fraught with dangerous consequences.

7. Neutering and spaying. After these surgical interventions, the pet's hormone levels change, resulting in an increase in appetite, but the pet becomes sedentary.

Symptoms of obesity

Sometimes a visual examination is enough to determine obesity. Fat deposits on the sides, a sagging belly, and a wide back are dangerous symptoms. In overweight animals, it is difficult to palpate the ribs and spine.

An obese cat becomes sedentary. She tires quickly, and shortness of breath appears with minimal exercise.

Obesity in pedigree cats is easy to determine. It is enough to know the breed standards. If the weight of the pet exceeds the required indicators by 15-20%, it is definitely there.

My pet is fat! Or is he? How to tell if your cat and dog are overweight – find out with peeps

Everyone loves memes about fat animals. They really do look adorable, and it's also one of the signs of health problems. Yes, your beloved cat or pooch could be really obese – by the way, have you weighed him recently? Along with picabushers, veterinary experts and dog and cat nutritionists Hill's figure out how to spot the problem in time and how to deal with it.

No, it's not! It seems like a fat cat or dog is a lot of fun. You want to pet the pet by the side and post a picture of the animal on Instagram: a lazy chubby cat will definitely gather a lot of likes and comments. In fact, in front of you is not the hero of a cool post, but an overweight pet.

"Fat cats are not cute. Obesity in animals increases the risk of a number of diseases. According to studies, overweight cats live almost two years less than cats with a normal body weight on average," says Alexandra Gribova, a veterinary specialist at the Dog and Cat Center.

"Obesity in dogs can provoke the development of diabetes, urolithiasis, hormonal disorders. Also overweight is often a problem with the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system," explains Igor Mikhailov, chief veterinary expert of the chain of pet stores "Four Paws".

Breed predisposition

Certain breeds of cats tend to quickly put on weight. Persian, Scottish and British cats are the most prone to obesity. If you are a happy owner of such a cat, train your cat to eat right from childhood, do not encourage begging and keep your pet active.

Certain internal diseases can cause your pet to become overweight. Animals with diabetes are at risk. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder, pancreas lead to obesity.

What to do if a cat is obese?

If you find your furry pet overweight, the first thing to do is to see a veterinarian. The cat should lose weight only under the supervision of a specialist. In most cases, 1-2 visits to the vet are enough to determine the cause of obesity, find out what weight is normal for the pet, and give recommendations on a healthy diet.

As a side note. If a specialist diagnoses obesity, he will prescribe the right treatment. It is made with your pet's overall health in mind.

Treatment of obesity in a cat

• Dietary adjustments. In one case, the veterinarian completely changes the pet's diet, while in another, it may be limited to just correcting it – this is always individual. The ration is adjusted in different ways: the volume of feed is reduced feed volumeand the prescription special foodand the optimum feeding regime.
• Diet. It is based on several principles at once: reduction of fats and carbohydrates, increasing the amount of fiber and protein. At the same time, it is important to increase water intake. Many veterinarians recommend placing drinkers in each room. Water should be changed daily to keep it as clean and fresh as possible.
• Motor Activities. The gain of extra pounds always indicates that the pet is getting far more calories than it has time to burn. "Excess" calories can be taken away not only by reducing the amount of food, but also by additional physical activity. Allocate 15-30 minutes a day to play with your pet and choose new toys for him to play with.

If obesity is caused by diseases or hormonal imbalances, a comprehensive examination of the animal's health is necessary. This will identify the exact cause of obesity and ensure its effective elimination. In any case, it is worth refraining from self-treatment and go to the veterinarian to be sure of the health of the pet.

How to treat obesity in cats

To achieve positive results, the owner of an obese whisker will have to put a lot of effort, patience and persistence. Cat weight loss is not always a quick process.

Making and implementing a diet

The fight against overeating begins with the preparation of a proper menu. All the pet's nutrition should be balanced, so that he does not lack the receipt of useful vitamins and micronutrients.

You can't starve your pet by drastically reducing portions. This will lead to more health problems and cause stress. You need to lose pounds gradually. When formulating a diet, you should take into account the veterinarian's recommendations and rely on the cat's habitual food.

If the cat is used to eating natural food, you should not change its diet abruptly by switching to industrial food. You should simply reconsider the food and reduce its caloric content. The best foods for dietary meals are considered:

It is important not to allow free access to the bowl of food and feed your pet no more than three times a day in small portions. Calculating the portion size for a pet is individual and depends on the age of the pet. However, the food allowance should be as if the cat has a normal constitution.

If the fluffy cat eats ready-made food, then you should choose a special line of dietary products designed to treat and prevent obesity in cats. It is best to consult a veterinarian, who will advise the brand of food and the optimal portion rate. The package of industrial food also has recommendations for fatty's nutrition.

Dry diet food is made according to a special low-calorie formula. The product contains more protein to improve muscle mass and less carbohydrates. In addition, the therapeutic food is further enriched with vitamins and beneficial Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids.

How to keep your pet's weight in check

The appearance of excess body weight is easier to prevent than to then force an obese pet back to normal. You don't have to wait until the symptoms of obesity in your beloved cat are noticeable. Attention and care for the pet does not consist of treating it to tasty morsels from its own plate.

Caring owner in the content of the pet fluffy should be guided by the following rules:

1. Carefully monitor the balance of the diet and avoid unhealthy snacks. Natural foods and industrial food should be only of high quality and, as the classic bequeathed, first freshness.
2. Do not keep bowls of food in the open. Divide the daily ration into 2-3 meals. Do not let the cat eat too much – even if he asks for it.
3. Provide clean drinking water for your cat.
4. Use vitamin and mineral supplements when feeding natural food.
5. Have regular check-ups with your veterinarian, who will record the patient's current weight.
6. Give hormones and contraceptives only after a doctor's prescription.
7. Do not spay or neuter the female until she is 1 year old and do not neuter the male until he is 7 months old.
8. Do not forget games and active exercise to maintain optimum fitness.

It is the owner's main task to take care of and monitor the physical and emotional condition of the pet. Overweight becomes an obstacle to a full life not only in lazy creatures – its appearance is provoked by chronic diseases, hormonal disorders, unbalanced diet, age and even breed predisposition.

The timely detection of fat layer and related symptoms will help to cope with the extra pounds. A visit to the veterinarian will determine the exact cause of weight gain and work with the veterinarian to develop a set of weight loss measures.

How can you tell if a cat is obese?

An excess body weight of up to 15% of the normal weight is defined as overweight and an excess of more than 15-25% is defined as obesity. Both conditions carry risks and require correction. But how can you tell if a pet is overweight? You can do so by Consult a veterinarianHe or she can evaluate your pet's body condition and give an opinion. The second way is to Determine the condition of a cat by yourselfUsing the BODY WEIGHT INDEX chart (Fig. 1).

The BODY WEIGHT INDEX system is a development of the Nestlé Purina Petcare Research Center and is considered a recognised body condition measurement scheme for cats and dogs. It has a 9-point grading system, where:

A cat's ribs, waist and abdomen are looked at when assessing the cat's body condition. A cat with a normal weight (5 points) are noted:

• proportional physique;
• a clearly visible waist behind the line of the ribs (when looking at the animal from above);
• a small layer of fat is palpable on the ribs;
• The accumulation of fatty tissue in the abdominal cavity is minimal, so a taut abdomen can be seen (when the cat is viewed from the side).

In an extremely obese cat (9 points) Ribs are not felt at all, a thick layer of fat is observed in the area of the lower back, muzzle and extremities, the body becomes ball-shaped.

Why does a cat become overweight?

The most important cause of overweight is excessive caloric intake with food, disproportionate to the level of reduced physical activity, and pet's lifestyle. A cat is a predator and in the wild ⅔ of its time is spent searching for prey. Moreover, only about 1 out of 15 attempts to chase its prey are successful. It is during the hunt that the greatest expenditure of calories occurs. During playing and grooming, the cat also expends a considerable amount of energy.

The lifestyle of domestic cats is very different from that of their wild relatives:

• reduced levels of physical activity – there is no need to hunt, cats sleep more and play less;
• Most pets are spayed/neutered.Most cats are spayed/neutered, which leads to a change in their hormone levels. Due to the decreased secretion of sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) in cats and cats, spontaneous physical activity (e.g. mate search, male aggression), decreased energy requirements and increased sense of hunger are reduced. All three factors have a direct influence on the recruitment of excess fat mass;
• owners often overfeed their catsowners often overfeed their cats and give them nutrition that is not physiologically balanced and suitable for their needs;
• Household cats are ill less and therefore live longer, and The incidence of obesity in cats increases rapidly after 7-13 years of age..

Additional factors that play a role in the development of obesity include:

• Being kept exclusively in the home – Cats that have no access to the outdoors are less active and tend to put on weight;
• breed predisposition – Cats and cats of different breeds differ in behavior and motor activity, which may contribute to the development of obesity in certain breeds;
• metabolic disturbances – changes in the way cells metabolize, store and use energy most often due to unbalanced feeding and hypodynamia, but there may be other causes as well;
• hormonal changesHormonal changes that contribute to obesity can include endocrine disorders such as Cushing's syndrome (hyperadrenocorticism), hypothyroidism, insulin resistance;
• overcrowding of animals Overcrowding in cats promotes competitive behavior in fighting for their food portions, so such cats tend to overeat, eating quickly and in large portions.

Treatment

Getting rid of excess weight is a long-term process that requires a comprehensive approach. It includes diet, increased physical activity and treatment of related diseases.

As a side note. A good result is considered a weekly weight loss of 1-2%. Rapid weight loss is not recommended because of the physiological characteristics of the cat's body.

Diet

To successfully fight obesity in cats, a properly formulated diet is important. The cat should not be starved. If a cat does not eat for more than 72 hours, irreversible processes occur in its body. Therefore, reducing portions and switching to low-calorie food should be done gradually.

If the pet eats natural products, it should not be abruptly transferred to industrial food. Instead, you should adjust the pet's diet by reducing its caloric content.

The list of dietary foods that can be fed to a cat includes:

It is important that the cat not have constant access to food. Feed the pet no more than 3 times a day in small portions, the size of which is calculated individually taking into account the age of the pet.

If the cat is used to dry food, it is better to transfer it to a therapeutic high-protein diet low in fat and carbohydrates for the time of the fight against obesity. Well-proven foods include Monge VetSolution cat Obesity, Farmina Vet Life Obesity, Hill's Prescription Diet w/d and Royal Canin Obesity Management.

Physical activity.

Obese animals are not ready for full-fledged exercise and may injure joints by making sudden and rapid movements. So exercise should be introduced gradually, with prior consultation with your veterinarian and making sure your pet has no contraindications.

Further tips and advice

Fighting obesity in cats – a long process, the first results of which will become noticeable after 2-3 weeks from the start of treatment. And in order not to harm the pet by introducing restrictions, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Losing weight should be gradual and without damage to health. A drastic reduction in the amount of food consumed will not only not give the desired result, but also have a negative effect on the condition of the pet's body.
2. Losing more than 1-2% weight per week is fraught with the development of diabetes.
3. Experimentation with nutritional supplements used to control appetite is dangerous to the health of the animal. Therefore, it is better to abandon such methods of weight loss, even if they were strongly recommended by friends, neighbors or acquaintances.
4. You should not alternate between natural products and dry food. It is better to choose one type of food and stick to it permanently.
5. It is forbidden to feed the cat treats from the common table. Fried foods, sweets and smoked foods are the main foods that should be excluded from the diet when fighting with excess weight.

Obesity in cats is a common problem in many pets and is detrimental to the health of the pet. Preventing overweight can only be done with a balanced diet, nutritional adherence and daily exercise.