Wednesday, May 20, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Your cat is fat
It’s your normal morning
routine; Fido gets to go on
his long morning walk and
get the exercise he needs to
keep fit. Meanwhile your
indoor Kitty is curled up in
her favorite chair, not burn-
ing any calories. With little
to do all day she is getting
downright portly, and out of
boredom she’s eating more
from her food dish that is
always full of kibble.
The number of over-
weight cats is at an all-time
high, according to annual
survey conducted by the
Association for Pet Obesity
Prevention. The survey is
in its eighth year and as of
November 2014, an esti-
mated 58 percent of cats
were found to be overweight
compared to 53 percent for
dogs.
Part of this problem is
due to pet parents’ inabil-
ity to recognize that their
furry friend is overweight.
According to Joe Bartges,
DVM, PhD of the University
of Tennessee’s College of
Veterinary Medicine, 45 per-
cent of cat owners assessed
their pet as having a normal
body weight when the veteri-
narian assessed the cat to be
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overweight.
Obesity in cats can cause
similar health problems as it
does in humans, including
shorter lifespans and diseases
such as diabetes, high blood
pressure, and cancer. Feline
diabetes and arthritis have
never been so prevalent.
But one thing to remem-
ber, obesity could be a
sign of illness so don’t
just assume your cat is fat
because she’s lazy and eats
too much. Weight gain may
be a sign of serious illness,
such as hypothyroidism, or
a disorder of the pituitary
gland. Before you start Kitty
on a diet, check with your
veterinarian.
Overweight cats carry
extra weight around the
middle hanging under the
body. Give your cat a gentle
squeeze around her middle.
If you can’t feel the ribs
when you rub her side, she
likely needs a diet adjust-
ment. An average cat should
weigh in at about 9 to 11
pounds.
What is causing your
furry friend to gain weight?
If your cat is only eating
dry food, she has to eat more
of it in order to get adequate
amounts of protein. The high
carbohydrate amounts in
most dry food could possibly
alter your cat’s blood sugar
which can lead to obesity.
Giving your cat treats can
also add to her weight. Treats
should only be fed occasion-
ally. A rule of thumb is not
to let treats exceed 10 to 15
percent of Kitty’s daily diet.
“You are what you eat”
applies to your cat, too.
Remember that cats are
obligate carnivores and
are designed to meet their
energy needs with calories
supplied by protein and fat –
not by carbs.
Many pet parents are
Vandalism at
BBR pool...
photo by Jodi sChneider mCnamee
Your overweight cat needs help from you, as a pet parent, to become
healthy.
loading up the food bowl
with heaping mounds of dry
food for their cats to nib-
ble on throughout the day.
Unfortunately, not all cats
will just nibble. By free feed-
ing or leaving food out 24/7
in multi-cat homes where
one cat is overweight, it’s
impossible for pet parents to
keep track of which cat has
eaten what.
Studies show outdoor cats
spend about 17 percent of
their time traveling/hunting.
Indoor-only cats are much
safer and will stay healthier
but do spend far more time
catnapping.
So, what can you do?
Start by not leaving food
out all day, and schedule spe-
cific mealtimes. The average
adult cat should have two
mealtimes, morning and
evening, with a high-quality
food that includes recom-
mended amounts of protein,
fat and water content.
You can reduce or elimi-
nate dry food and add
healthy wet food; it helps
your cat stay hydrated.
You may have to buy low-
calorie food designed for
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overweight cats for a while.
But remember to check with
your vet with any changes to
your cats’ diet.
Please don’t feed your
furry family member table
scraps containing fat.
Exercise isn’t only impor-
tant for dogs and people. Use
an interactive toy to engage
Kitty. Cats like to play when
prompted. Hide food treats in
puzzle balls and toys around
the house when you’re not
home so your furry friend
can “hunt.” Enrich your cat’s
environment by providing
toys and lots of places to
climb and scratch, such as
cat condos.
Indoor cats can be trained
to walk on a leash and har-
ness. Or build an outdoor
enclosure.
A balanced diet along
with exercise will keep Kitty
healthy.
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