Veterinary Corner – Pet health issues “Obesity in Cats”

Feline obesity has reached epic proportions in the domestic cat population today.  Some statistics suggest that up to 65% of pet cats are overweight.  This is extremely concerning because obesity in cats can be directly linked to increased risk of degenerative joint disease, back pain, joint pain, Type II Diabetes, Heart Disease and development of Fatty Liver disease.

Our Welland animal hospital cares for cats in Port Colborne, Fonthill, Pelham, and Niagara.  Unfortunately the national statistics on feline obesity strike a similar note close to home as well.  Our veterinary team  strives to educate our clients on how to prevent their cats from becoming overweight.

There are a few simple tips you can follow to prevent your cat from developing a weight problem.

1. Diet-  Feed a diet designed specifically for cats and make sure that the majority of what you are feeding your cat is canned food.  Dry kibble is loaded with carbohydrates that pack weight on our four legged friends.

2.  Feed your the recommended amount of food cat 2-3 times daily.  Don’t leave food out all day because it will be difficult to control and measure how much they are eating. Make sure you are using a proper measuring cup to serve your cat dinner.

3.  You can increase you cat’s activity level and have them burn more calories by adding interactive toys in the house, and creating cat houses and gyms to make them move more.

If your cat is significantly overweight it would be best to schedule a consultation with one of our veterinarians. Dr. Finnigan, Dr. Zeller and Dr. Bhan can help give you some tips to get the weight off and keep it off.  Prescription diets can make a huge difference in helping your cat achieve their ideal weight.  Feel free to contact our veterinarians and staff at the Main West Animal hospital in Welland if you need help getting your cat to lose weight.