Nowadays even our pets are subject to diseases of civilization. Obesity is no good for them as well as for people. Do you know how to tell if your cat is obese and what are its causes and consequences?
Nowadays even our pets are subject to diseases of civilization. Obesity is no good for them as well as for people. Do you know how to tell if your cat is obese and what are its causes and consequences?
While in the past cats spend a great deal of energy to hunting, today they (especially those in flats) live in a very limited area and the majority of them have an unrestricted and all-day-long access to food. And this limited exercising together with excessive intake of calories (caused not only by overeating but by inappropriate type feeding) is the most frequent cause of obesity.
The castration also “helps” to get obese. This is because it changes animal’s metabolism. With growing age, there is also bigger need of quality proteins. So when the choice of the cat’s food is wrong, it can get obese even though it has not enough of such proteins.
Obesity presents health risks
Obese animals generally have a shorter life and and being a relatively bit overweight may increase the risk of serious diseases such as diabetes, diseases of joints and bones, diseases of the heart, liver or lung diseases and urinary tract diseases. Obesity also increases risks associated with anaesthesia and can complicate surgical procedures. Cats which are overweight are also lazier and thus do not support the activity of the intestines and this is bad for their digestion.
How to prevent obesity in cats
Do not choose poor-quality food. When choosing it you should also take the condition of the cat into account – whether it is castrated, how old and active it is and the like. Many producers already categorize cat food according to those criteria so it is no longer a problem.
Each cat should also have enough opportunities to burn its energy. A scratching tree can be good for this purpose or other form of activities, perhaps another cat buddy with which they can chase each other or encourage for playing. Some cats, like my own, are good alone but others need to be initiated to play.
How to fight obesity – lifestyle changes
If you think that your cat is suffering from obesity, consult it with a vet. He may decide that the condition of your cat is so serious that it needs a special health diet. Otherwise he/she can advise what food (it is usually marked as light) you should give your cat and how much. He/she may recommend the purchase of interactive feeders or functional toys.
Obese cat should also not have a permanent access to food. It should get the access to a bowl with food three times a day for fifteen minutes for example. The natural thing to do should be to avoid any treats and leftovers of human food. Try to initiate her physical activity as well.
Have your pet cat already had a problem with being overweight? Have you to solved it? Fortunately, my cat is so active that she could even handle the transition from the outside to the inside. Although she does not have access to the outside as she had in the past, she always runs as crazy at home, chases the dog and often even us so she did not suffer from any change in her weight. :)
Although it might appear that the cat doesn’t give a tail about you and it is indifferent towards you, maybe you will still find some displays of affection in its behaviour. Do you know how cats show such affection towards a person?
Cats love grass. They nibble at it if it's to clean their belly from hairs or just for fun. In addition, if you get a cat its own flowerpot, you can hope that it will leave your other plants alone :).
Whether you remove a tick from a dog’s or cat’s fur the right way might affect whether the animal will become infected with Lyme disease or another malign disease transmitted by ticks. Have you got the right technique and tools?
Just like with people, also in dogs, Lyme disease is a very grave illness. There are an estimated 20% of ticks infected in the Czech Republic. And because despite the use of antiparasitic agents, your dog might get a tick from time to time, it’s good...
I’ve already written about cat mint, today, we’ll take a look at another, lesser known drugs. Since not all the cats respond to all of them and they don’t respond to everything the same way. Therefore, if you didn’t succeed with cat mint, maybe you’ll...
Every cat owner has certainly already heard of cat mint, catnip or catswort. Under all these names hides a herb that makes most of the cats “high”.
When your family grows by a new (human) member, it isn’t necessarily a happy event for everyone. For many dogs, it’s very difficult to come to terms with such situation, therefore, it’s better to start preparing them already before the baby is born....
I’ve already written about the fact that you’re not supposed to leave your dog closed in a car on summer days or on how to prevent hyperthermia in cats and dogs. So you have mastered the prevention already. But it is also necessary to know how to...
Without a question, chinchillas are beautiful and cute furry animals with large ears, a long tail and distinctive eyes. Do you know where they actually come from, what their name means and that we almost succeeded in nearly exterminating them before...
You have probably noticed that cat tongues are quite unique. They are rough and somehow scratchy. It seemed weird to American biologists and therefore they decided to look deeper into it.
What should I say, the cats are simply different. Since the time immemorial, they have been surrounded by mysteries and secrets. Most of them behave as if they were the master of the world and as if they don’t need the human at all. A couple of...
It can be quite a task to choose the right pet food precisely for your cat. To even understand the contents... That’s why we’re going to take a look today what to focus on, what to look for in the contents and what you should rather avoid.
