Obesity in cats is as rampant as obesity in people in the United States. It is your job as a responsible pet owner to help fluffy trim those extra pounds. And it will be hard on both of you.

How did this happen? Obesity in cats has the same root causes as obesity in people: too much to eat, especially carbohydrates, too little exercise, and too many snacks. Many cats are fed "free choice", which means there is food available all the time and the cat eats whenever it wants.

Free choice feeding has probably been the biggest single factor contributing to feline obesity. Although kitty kibble is fast and convenient, it is loaded with carbohydrates in the form of flour and sugar that hold the other ingredients together. Cats are carnivores and have no carbohydrate-digesting enzyme called Amylase in their saliva as humans and dogs do.

What should  you do?

According to The Pet Center, you should feed two to four small portions daily. Downsize to a portion that comes out to between 0.6 and 1.0 ounce of food per meal for a seven-pound cat. Stop thinking in terms of cups of food and start thinking in terms of ounces of food. Feed a meat based diet.

An ideal feline diet will have a high protein level in the 35 to 45 percent range on a dry matter basis (meaning the percent in the diet when the water has been removed) and moderate fat content with a low percentage of carbohydrate (grains).

Obesity In Cats

Posted by Barbara.