Obesity in cats and cats: causes and treatment

Today, the problem of obesity in pets is very relevant. It is of concern not only to the owners, but also to veterinarians who notice that obesity in pets is observed more often.

Many cat owners believe that being a fat cat is not a problem at all. But this is not so. Excess weight of a pet can lead to the development of his illness.

How to understand that a cat is overweight

Before you start to worry that your cat is getting fat, you need to determine how much its weight differs from normal.

First, the condition is assessed visually. Look at the animal from above when it will stand. If the body is elongated, while it is several times longer in length than in width, this means that the cat is exhausted. In cats with short hair or bald, prominent bones will be visible. If the cat has normal weight, then when viewed from above, you will see that the body has a rectangular shape, but the width of the animal is slightly shorter than the length. The pelvic bones and ribs will not protrude.

If the body shape is oval and close to round, then this means that the pet is obese. To better determine the extent of the problem, you need to feel the animal. Take the cat in your arms and touch. If the weight is too small, then on the chest and abdomen you will not feel the fat deposits, and the bones will protrude.

If the cat is of normal weight, you can easily find only the ribs, sternum and pelvic bones. When you feel the abdomen, small deposits of fat are found. If the spine, ribs, and also the pelvic bones are not palpable, then the animal is most likely overweight. If the ribs and spine are so large a layer of fat that they are not palpable, then the animal suffers a significant degree of obesity. In this case, a layer of fat is present on the chest, abdomen and back.

In an animal whose weight is significantly higher than normal, changes in behavior are noted. The cat becomes lazy, moves a little, she does not want to play and run. Sometimes there is shortness of breath, it becomes difficult for the animal to even walk.

To accurately determine the presence and degree of excess weight in an animal, it is necessary to weigh it. In this case, you need to know what the weight norm for an animal of different ages and this particular breed is.

It is important to remember that cats of different breeds weigh completely differently. For example, for a Maine Coon cat, weighing 6 kg and a little over a year of age will be a sign of underweight. At the same time, for a cat of many other breeds, this weight will mean that she is obese.

In order to weigh a cat, it is most convenient to use ordinary floor scales. You can put the animal on the scales, or stand on them, taking the cat in his arms. And then take away your own from this weight.

Causes of Obesity

A cat can gain weight for many reasons. The main ones are improper feeding, lack of mobility, chronic diseases, hormonal disorders.

After sterilization
Many cat owners are sure that overweight occurs in every animal that has been subjected to such an operation. But in fact, this is the cause of metabolic disorders and obesity only in some animals. This is due to the fact that a pet may have a hormonal malfunction. After all, with this operation, the hormonal glands are removed. Sex hormones are produced improperly, as a result of which the cat's appetite level increases, as well as the need for energy decreases.

Slow metabolism affects not only the reactions in the cat's body, but also its physical activity.She begins to sleep more, run less, so much less energy is spent. If the owner does not take any measures, then an increase in appetite and a decrease in activity will result in the cat gaining excess weight quite quickly.

Improper feeding
Many owners simply adore their pets, so they try to please him in everything. This also applies to nutrition. Often the owners themselves are to blame for the weight gain of the cat. This is the most common cause of obesity in cats. They just overfeed.

Experts recommend that certain standards be observed when feeding. To do this, you need to know how much food a cat should consume at one age or another. The breed of animal also affects the need for food. If you feed your pet with prepared foods, you can usually read the daily rate information on their packaging. These standards must be observed.

If the pet has unlimited access to food, or the owner gives too much a single serving, then this will lead to an increase in the volume of the stomach. The cat will overeat more often, and quickly gain excess weight.

But obesity can occur not only due to overfeeding. A pet may get fat due to an improperly planned diet. If there is too much fat and carbohydrate products in the feed, a deficiency of protein and other necessary substances, then adipose tissue in the cat's body will be synthesized very actively. Do not feed your pet too fatty meat, sausage, pastries. This will lead to digestion, as well as to overweight.

Hypodynamia
This problem affects not only people, but also animals. Especially cats that do not go for walks, but constantly sit at home, suffer from it. Cats by nature need movement, as they are predators.

If a pet is constantly sitting at home and eats ready-made food, while not going outside to run and play, he practically does not waste energy. If physical inactivity is exacerbated by excessive and improper feeding, the pet will gain weight very quickly.

Chronic diseases
Sometimes even an active cat that eats properly can gain weight. Most likely, this is due to some kind of disease. The most common cause of obesity is diabetes. Insulin deficiency leads to obesity, as the metabolism is disturbed in the cat's body.

Another common cause of obesity in cats is thyroid hypofunction. Adipose tissue builds up, and substances break down more slowly.

In addition, obesity can cause problems with the intestines, liver, or pancreas.

Other reasons
The cause of weight gain in a pet may be heredity. Many breeders notice that if the parents of the cat were overweight, then he may experience such problems.

Obesity can also develop with age, as the animal ceases to actively move.

What is the danger

Many owners do not attach importance to the fact that their beloved cat begins to gain weight. But this is a disease. Veterinarians around the world say that more and more pets have signs of obesity.

Being overweight in a cat can cause many serious health problems. After all, fat accumulates not only under the skin, but also on the organs. This leads to disruption of their work. What can this lead to?

1. Effect on the heart and blood vessels. When a cat gains excess weight, the load on the heart increases significantly, the way it pumps more blood. In addition, atherosclerosis develops. And this leads to a lack of blood supply to organs. They receive less oxygen and nutrients.
2. The likelihood of diabetes increases. Fat cats are much more likely to get this disease. This is especially true for those whose cause of obesity is malnutrition. When consuming large amounts of carbohydrates, the pancreas is exposed to stress.
3. Diseases of the internal organs. Most often the liver suffers. She ceases to cope with toxins entering the body.
4. Obese cats often have problems with joints and ligaments that suffer from increased stress.

Fact! Veterinarians claim that obese cats live on average several years less than animals with normal weight.

It is important to remember that this problem affects almost all organs, and significantly worsens the quality of life of the pet.

Treatment

If you find that the cat is overweight, consult a specialist. He will recommend how to properly change the diet and increase the activity of the animal.

Diet
In order for a cat to get rid of the problem of obesity, it is necessary to provide it with dietary nutrition. You should not go to extremes and make the animal starve. This will further aggravate your health. Heart or liver problems may begin.

If you feed your cat not with dry food, but with natural food, then you should pay attention to how fatty foods you give her. Remove fatty meat and dairy products from your pet's diet. Let the meat be lean. It could be turkey or chicken. Give the cat more vegetables, and dairy products should be low-fat.

It is necessary not only to reduce the calorie content of the feed, but also to reduce a single serving. To prevent the organs of the animal from being overloaded, divide the diet into three parts. Make sure that the pet can drink as much fresh water as he wants. And free access to food must be eliminated without fail.
Choosing the right food

If you are feeding your cat ready-made food, consult your veterinarian about what kind of food you can choose. A new type of feed must be introduced gradually. Many manufacturers produce special foods that will help the cat lose weight.

It is important to comply with the recommended norms and not give the cat a large portion, even if the pet shows signs of hunger. Over time, the cat will get used to a normal diet, and will eat up the portion that you give her. Use a measuring cup to make it convenient to measure the right amount of feed.

Increased activity
In addition to changes in nutrition, you need to increase cat activity. If you do not let her go for independent walks, walk with a leash. If there is no time for walks, get a special complex with which the cat will be able to play alone. You can buy more toys. Domestic cats are very fond of such entertainment.

In addition, it is very important that the owner himself changes his behavior. If you want the cat to lose weight, you should not give him food from the table. The diet should consist only of those foods that are allowed for the diet of the animal. Their number should not exceed the norm. Better to show love for the cat in another way. Play, caress, take her for a walk.

It is very important that the owner realizes in time that obesity of his pet is a serious problem that can lead to several others. Therefore, measures must be taken immediately.

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