Why Is Your Cat Overweight?

FoodGeriatric (10 Years +) 160g
Dry food has been a recommended staple diet forNeutered or Spayed 160g
cats by many experts for a number of years. It is anInactive or Indoor 160g
easy option to leave a bowl of dry food outTreats
constantly; something that cannot be done withTreats are given to cats for different reasons
tinned food. Unfortunately though, it's not a naturaldepending on the owner. Surveys have shown that
food source and has been developed by humansoverweight humans are more likely to have
using many additives and un-natural products. Cats,overweight pets. They show that overweight people
like humans, will eat until they fill themselves up.are unable to control their own weight properly due
However, dry food has many more calories andto lack of will power. They have the same lack of will
carbohydrates than a natural food source, whichpower when their pets are 'begging' for treats.
leads to the cat taking in far more than necessaryTreats are often given because it is a way of making
just to feel full-up. Many owners assume that theirthe pet feel more welcome. If the owner is out of
cat is just greedy, but in many cases it is not thethe house all day, they often make up for it by
quantity of food being eaten, it is the quality.giving treats. This is the easy way of doing things
Naturally, cats are obligate carnivores; meaning theyand totally unhealthy. Rather, making up for it by
only feed on other animals. The cats prey however,spending just 5 quality minutes with the pet is far
are generally herbivorous and have various vegetablemore rewarding. You may decide to simply brush the
and plant matter in their guts. All of which, will becat, or you could play with it by throwing a small toy
consumed by the cat. Domestic cats have beenmouse or ball around. Either way, the cat will enjoy
shown to have longer intestines than wild cats;being with you more than it will eating a treat, and
proving they have evolved over hundreds of yearsexercise will aid its health.
to cope with more plant and vegetable matterSome owners offer treats because they think the
(carbohydrates). Still, this is no excuse to turn acat doesn't eat enough dinner. The treats are
carnivore into an omnivore. Rather, supplementing thedesigned and flavoured to be 'irresistible' to the cat,
diet with small amounts of carbohydrates isand they will eat it whether they are hungry or not.
acceptable.Treats should not be offered for this reason.
Many consumers believe that dried food is actuallyProviding your cat looks healthy and is the
better for cats. The manufacturers haveappropriate weight, it will be feeding just fine. If your
implemented the belief that all these additives suchcat is a poor feeder, they should be tempted by
as corn and grains are an important part of a cat'sother feeding methods, not with treats.
diet, implying 'the more the better' approach.Higher Risk Cats
Although very small quantities of these may benefitNeutered or Spayed
the cat, too much will be detrimental to their health.I would like to point out before anything, that the
Kidney disease is one of, if not the biggest killer inact of neutering or spaying your cat will not make it
cats. Kidney disease is usually a result of lack ofoverweight. Rather, it is how you care for it
water and unfortunately, cats have a very low thirstafterwards that will affect its weight.
drive. Although they may drink when eating dry food,A neutered cat loses its desire to 'roam' like an 'intact'
they will generally only take in half of the liquidcat would do. They are not as inquisitive and
necessary for their health. A cat's prey item consistsgenerally get less exercise than intact cats. Because
of around 75% water, canned and raw foods have aof this, their metabolism is slower than normal by
similar amount. Dry foods on the other hand usuallyaround 20-25%. With a slower metabolism, comes a
have a maximum of 10% water content. It islower need for calories. A neutered or spayed cat
obvious therefore, that canned or raw foods are anshould intake approximately 20% less calories.
absolute must to maintain a healthy cat.Breed
Cats need a high level of protein in their diet whichSome breeds of cat are naturally slimmer than other
must come from animals. Plant protein differs frombreeds; such as the Siamese and Ornamental Short
meat protein, and should not be substituted. WhenHair. These breeds are far better at maintaining a
protein is calculated in canned food, the moisturegood body condition than larger breeds. Pedigree cats
content must be subtracted from 100 and theare also generally fitter than non-pedigree individuals.
protein percentage worked out from the result. ForAge
instance, a canned food with 8% protein and 75%Cats are most likely to become overweight from
water means that the true protein value should beabout 2 to 12 years of age. Younger cats have a
worked out like so:much higher metabolism and are more energetic than
Non-Moisture Content = 25% so: 8 ÷ 25 x 100older individuals. Older cats often eat far less, and it is
= 32more common for geriatric cats to become skinnier
Therefore: True Protein Value = 32% which is ideal.rather than heavier.
The amino acid 'taurine' is also an essential part of aIndoor Cats
cat's diet, and can only be found in meat products. ItIndoor cats have many factors weighing them down.
is recommended that a quantity of 2000mg/kg orTo start with, the most obvious factor is being
0.2% should be available in canned food. Otherindoors all the time. There is little stimulation inside,
vitamins and minerals should also be included.and they will not get the exercise that an outdoor
Preservatives, colouring and added flavours are usedcat will be able to. Many static toys that are offered
more for the customers benefit rather than the cats.to indoor cats become boring. They will soon lose
If it looks and smells nice to a human, there is ainterest in scratching posts and similar toys.
higher chance of them buying it.Repetitive electronic toys can also become
There are very few foods on the market whichpredictable and boring. The most enjoyable form of
actually have an ideal amount of everything included.playing for the cat is to interact with the owner.
Many diets have concentrated on having high aWaving string around or rolling a small ball around will
protein and moisture diet with low carbohydrates, butkeep the cat amused for far longer.
lack in having enough taurine or vitamin B. If this isBeing inside all the time also means more contact
the case, offering other canned foods on occasionwith the owner is likely. This usually means more
that are better in these areas should be considered.treats are given.
This will also help stop the cat becoming addicted toThe temperature is an important factor too. An
any 1 food type. Inter-changing the various meatsoutdoor cat will use more energy and have a higher
such as beef, chicken and fish will also benefit bymetabolism simply to maintain its body temperature.
offering varying amounts of vitamins, minerals andCats living in centrally heated houses don't have to
oils.use much energy to get their body temperature
Buy quality, not quantity. Most cheap cat foods arecontrolled.
cheap for a reason. Avoid buying canned foods thatSocial Environment
say 'meat', 'by-products', 'bone meal' or 'animal digest'.This is an area where you just can't win. There are
Chemical preservatives such as 'BHA', 'BHT',advantages and disadvantages of having one cat or
'ethoxyquin' and 'propyl gallate' have been seriouslyhaving multiple cats.
questioned as being detrimental to the health of cats,Only cats do not have the same competition for
and should also be avoided. Canned foods are a mustfood that a multi-cat household may have. Therefore
for adding much needed calcium into the diet, whichthey may not be as eager to eat as much food and
is essential for building healthy bones and teeth.as quickly as a cat in competition with other cats will
High energy food has been designed for cats withdo. However, only cats are more likely to become
high energy levels. This food will not benefit a catbored and have less stimulation around them
which sits around all day, in fact in will make thecompared to a cat living with others. Cats have been
situation worse. High energy foods will not make aknown to take on habits like humans, such as eating
less active cat become energetic.when bored like an only cat may do. They may also
There is a common misconception that canned foodeat more when they are stressed, like a cat living in
is bad for your cat's teeth, and dry food is good.a multi-cat household may do.
Unfortunately neither statement is completely true.A household with more humans is far more likely to
Neither food types are actually good for the healthinflict extra weight onto a cat. It means more people
of teeth. Dry food is hard and crunchy, completelyoffering treats, and more people to feed the cat
the opposite of what a cat's teeth are designed todinner. It is common for many households to become
do, which is tear away at meat. I recommend youconfused as to whether or not the cat has been fed,
brush and rinse your cat's teeth on a regular occasion.and if in doubt they will feed it again.
There are two methods to feeding a cat. The first isDisabilities
to leave a bowl of food out all the time. This isThis applies to humans and pets alike. Humans with
obviously done with dry food and not meat. Sincephysical disabilities are less likely to play and exercise
we recommend feeding a diet of canned or rawtheir pets. The situation becomes worse if the cat is
meat, this method is not acceptable and you shouldan indoor cat.
opt for the second method. This is to have a feedingDisabled cats are often 'over-protected' by their
regime of 2 to 4 times per day. Feeding this wayowners. Most are automatically turned into indoor
allows a more controlled amount of food being eaten.cats if they get a disability, and become an excuse
You need to decide how many times per day youfor more treats to be offered. Most cats can still
will feed your cat. The more often the better, but ifexercise and have their mind stimulated with various
you are an owner which is out during the day severaldisabilities. In fact many cats with disabilities will
times a week, it may be better to opt for a twice adeteriorate quicker if they are not exercised and the
day routine. Alternatively, cat feeding dishes whichmind stimulated properly.
are set on a timer can be purchased and are a goodNeighbours
option if you only go out on occasions.Do you have cat friendly neighbours? Do you know if
The total amount of canned food your cat should isyour cat has gone into other people's houses before?
listed below. It is important to divide this total amountIt is common for other cat lovers to feed a cat that
of food up equally among all of its feeds. The charthas wondered into their house.
below is appropriate to cats that are getting theirIf you think this happens, place a tag onto the cat
appropriate amount of calorie intake per day, which iswhich is clearly visible and ask politely not to feed the
approximately 25 calories per pound in weight. Thiscat. Some people will ignore this, thinking it will not do
chart is for healthy adult cats weighing approximatelyany harm. To get around this, state that you cat has
8-10lbs. Not overweight or obese cats.'Special Dietary Needs'. They are more likely to pay
Type / Age of Cat Weight of Canned Foodattention when they think feeding them the wrong
2 - 10 Years 200gfood could potentially harm them.