Obesity in adult cats

Obesity is a problem faced by cats who eat more and exercise less. So they take in more calories than is required so consequently the excess energy gets stored as fat. In most cases, the body itself has the capability to utilize the energy thereby maintaining the body condition.

However, there are certain other factors that lead your cat to gain weight. Moggies are more likely to develop obesity than purebreds. Neutered cats tend to gain weight than their unneutered counterparts. This is because their body metabolism slows down and they require less food. Cats that are generally inactive are predisposed to obesity.  

Obesity can sadly lead to serious health problems such as heart diseases, difficulty in breathing, arthritis, diabetes, liver disease, heat stroke, fatigue and reduced life span.

Here are quick tips to help you detect if your cat is overweight:

• Put your hand on either sides of your cat and feel for his ribs. If you can feel it, your cat has a normal weight and if you cannot feel his ribs then your cat is overweight. But, if you see his ribs clearly then he is underweight.
• If you stand above your cat and look down at him, particularly at his waistline behind his ribs, it should be just a slight indentation.
• A swinging pouch between your cat’s hind legs is a sure sign of him being overweight.
• Look at his anal area. If it is clean then your cat is of normal weight. Obese cats find it difficult to groom their anal region.
• If your cat snores or wheezes, it is a clear sign of obesity.

If you find your cat to be obese take him to the vet for further examinations and effective treatment.