You may be treating your cat a little too well. If your cat is obese, it is at risk for diseases such as diabetes, Hepatic Lipidosis (fat seeping into the liver cells), and arthritis.
Just like humans, if a cat (or any other mammal for that matter) takes in more calories than its body can burn, the cat will gain weight. Forty percent of all cats in the United States today have a diagnosis of sedentary obesity and that percentage is growing.
In the wild, a cat expends a lot of energy to hunt down and catch its prey. Cat's bodies are designed to store nutrients when hunting is slim. A domestic cat that lives indoors doesn't have to hunt. Food is right there waiting for felines any time they want it - the perfect environment for a fat cat.
Many people refuse to see the fact that too much food is the cause of their fat cat and its weight problem. You may not be feeding your cat many treats, but you may be feeding them too much at one time, too often, or not enough meals in a day.
A cat that gets food once a day tends to gorge in case there won't be a next meal. Veterinarians suggest that you serve your cat two to four meals a day - and think in ounces, not cups. 0.6 to 1.0 ounces per serving is plenty.
Cats were never made to digest carbohydrates. Humans and dogs have special enzymes in their saliva to break down carbohydrates in the mouth. Researchers have found that cats have considerably less of these enzymes than we do. Dry pet food can have high amounts of carbohydrates (usually in the form of flour or sugar).
Dry cat food diets are not always the best for your cat's metabolism. The carbohydrates are immediately converted to fat and the result is a fat cat. Cats need a meat-based diet with high levels of protein. Research shows that diets high in fat and protein are best for carnivores such as cats - combined with plenty of exercise.
A lot of pet foods claim to be "perfectly balanced". The only way your cat is going to get its true, proper diet is if it was living in the wild. Popular brands of canned food use many fillers, such as grain, to make the food more visually appealing to the owners.
Yes, that's right; the food is produced to be appealing to you and not the cat. Grain is a replacement for real meat that your cat needs more than the carbohydrates grains provide.
Pre-packaged treats are another problem that create a fat cat. A treat once in a while is fine. However, owners make a habit of doling out treats far too much when they think the cat is restless or want to reward it for being cute. Never give your cat a treat to stop it from meowing, as this will only encourage your cat to vocalize more.
In effect, you're telling your cat "Good kitty! Keep talking and I'll give you another one of these treats!" If you must give your cat a treat, try giving it a small piece of cooked fish or chicken, something that is high in protein and better for the cat.
Of course, exercise is important to avoid a fat cat. If you can't change what your cat eats, you can at least try to help your cat burn extra calories. Unfortunately, you can't go for walks with your cat like you would a dog. Some cats might take to leash training, but it's rare.
A typical domestic cat's day consists of sleeping, eating, sleeping, and then waking up to sleep some more. If you have a fat cat, those habits will only increase as its weight slows it down. You need to provide your cat with toys and interesting things to do.
A cat needs to chase things, play hide and seek, stalk, and do something other than take naps in its favorite sunny window! If you can, get a second cat. The two cats will keep each other busy during the day while you're away at work.
Before starting any diet plan for your fat cat, bring the cat to a veterinarian. Your vet will give your cat a thorough physical exam and discuss with you exactly what options you have at hand to help your cat lose weight.
The vet in your dogs and cats life is now able to treat obesity in pets. As the pet owners weight is reaching new plateaus pets are following suit. Fat pets are becoming more and more common. This trend in pet's corpulence is verified in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. A third of dogs and cats are overweight in America. These statistics are found in a few studies that attributed the findings to unhealthy pet foods and a sedentary lifestyle.
Researchers suggested that this would bring on pet related maladies that would mimic human health problems. The point is that pets and owners are on the fast track to accelerate aging. Pets are developing the same diseases that their human counterparts have. They now get diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems just like the human population.
Couple that with the fact that medical procedure have been growing at the fastest pace in cardiovascular devices and orthopedics. The same type of modalities is being explored for your pets. Most of the market segments it addresses are products or drugs for people 60 or above. An overweight eight year old dog is akin to an overweight fifty-six year old man and subject to many of the same health risks. Fat pets wind up at risk for age related conditions that are brought on by poor nutrition.
The true fat cat has to be the vet in your pet's life. They call this the golden age for medicine. As they lineup more surgery and drugs to treat us in our senior years, they now can offer Fido the same procedures. The cost of veterinarian care has continued to climb out pacing inflation. To keep a pet healthy takes a big part of the household budget.
As of Jan 18, 2007 there is a new anti- obesity drug for overweight dogs that recently got approval from the food and drug administration. Paunchy porches and portly pets may be liked for their cuddliness but not the extra health care costs. In hot humid weather overweight dogs have more problems with overheating.
Flabby cats can develop skin problems from not being able to groom themselves. Different veterinary reports explore the reason we see overweight pets, and its impact on mobility, the role of surgery in redressing mobility issues, as well as how physiotherapy and rehabilitation can help.
As people bring fatter pets into their veterinarian's hospitals and clinics a new fat cat industry will be emerging, one that will cater to maintaining and preserving the overweight dog and cat's life. The Vet will eventually have an array of pharmaceuticals in their arsenal and be inclined to prescribe them. A mans best friend may be his pet, but a pets best friend may not be humans.
Both Mike Selvon & Paula Martinez are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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