Fat cats benefit from healthy diet

By Marty Metzger
North Forty News

Many people aspire to become wealthy and powerful "fat cats." Fat felines, however, aren't good role models. Their fate is to become unhealthily and unhappily sedate.

As in humans, the terms overweight and obese aren't synonymous. A cat is considered overweight at 10 percent over its ideal weight. Obese felines carry 20 percent excess of ideal body weight. A combination of age, breed/type, size and bone structure determines ideal weight.

What makes tabby tubby? Many risk factors include spaying and neutering. Altered cats, sans sexual activity and hormones, are usually more sedate than are intact ones. But if a breeding female is obese, her litters tend to be smaller, and difficult birthing or stillborns are more likely. Failure to conceive at all is very possible.

Indoor cats with little or no stimulation sleep and eat out of sheer boredom. Adding a second cat might pick up the pace; but probably competition for food and the addition of a napping buddy will simply result in two chubbies. Households with dogs, a high level of activity from young children, or more than two cats decrease the chance of feline fatties.

Diet is an obvious obesity factor. Owners are advised to feed the need, not the want. Table scraps, feeding free choice, low-quality mixes or frequent treats are inadvisable. A cat that's given food every time it demands it will likely become obese. Just as a spoiled child's constant whining for candy shouldn't be indulged, neither should a cat's incessant crying for a perpetually full dish. Rather, reward the attention-seeker with petting, brushing or playtime. Stick to your guns about proper portions, too.

Obese cats can be malnourished. Low-quality feed can be likened to a human's steady intake of fast or fried foods. Felines were designed as free-roaming, active hunters. But now they fall prey to sedate lifestyles that mirror computer/TV- addicted owners. If a nutritionally inferior or incomplete ration is fed, the inactive, housebound cat eats more and more in an attempt to get necessary vitamins and minerals. Poor kitty gets pudgier but unhealthier.

Obesity is a vicious cycle. As a cat's weight increases, its ability to properly groom itself decreases because it can't reach all body parts. The coat becomes dull and matted, skin gets oily or flaky, and infections set in. As an already inactive feline becomes more so, its heart and lungs are forced to work harder. Even the slightest exertion exhausts a fat cat. Depression and profuse sleeping are commonplace.

A plethora of ailments exacerbate with obesity. Feline diabetes has increased in the past few years. Arthritis, which has already compromised joints, increases in severity in corpulent cats. Potentially fatal hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) is frequently seen in portly felines. Allergies, asthma or other lung ailments worsen when lungs are further labored.

Inability to adequately wash its hindquarters leaves the obese cat with raw, burning or ulcerated skin from residual feces or urine. A secondary problem can result: soiling outside the litter box if the cat associates this discomfort with the box.

Risk factors predispose, not doom, cats to excessive weight. Household pets' diets are wholly controlled by their humans. A complete, good-quality feed and any prescribed supplements will maintain proper weight. Regular exercise complements diet and keeps muscles, bones, internal organs and coat fit. And remember to provide full-time access to clean drinking water.

When it comes to exercise for a fat cat, it's not as simple as with plump pooches. An obese dog can be slowly walked, gradually increasing pace and distance. But even a harness-trained cat can't be expected to accompany its person on extended jaunts around the neighborhood. Kitty on a treadmill also creates an unpleasant picture. Challenging the rotund to a spirited game of chase the feather-on-a-stick will cause shortness of breath or possibly a heart attack. So, it's best to first reduce the cat's weight through diet adjustment before engaging the animal in any intense activity.

Catherine Rios, store manager of Poudre Pet & Feed Supply, has seen many obese cats and even heard of one that topped the scales at 40-plus pounds. She recommends good canned, grain-free food, especially Innova Evo. Canned food's moisture content makes cats feel fuller than does dry feed, and it aids digestion. Eating low-carb, nutrient-dense food, the satisfied cat builds lean muscle. With high-protein, high-fat content feed, only half as much needs be fed compared to grocery store dry or moist offerings. The latter is high in sugar and carbohydrates, usually with a corn base. (Cats aren't meant to digest grains.)

Before changing an obese cat's diet, consult a veterinarian to rule out any underlying ailments. Jody Engel, DVM at Wellington Veterinary Clinic, has treated cats that carried double their recommended weight, including some 20-pounders that should have weighed only 9. After evaluation, she has sometimes recommended prescription-only feeds to slim down a dangerously obese feline.

If you do become a "fat cat," use some of that new wealth to stock up on food to keep your real cat svelte, fit and healthy.