RISKS OF HAVING A FAT CAT.

Overweight cats are exposed to a lot of risks with grave health consequences, the most common health problems associated with obesity are diabetes, liver disease, lameness and chronic skin conditions. Other diseases linked to obesity are dental disease, lower urinary tract disease and cancer. Obese cats are at increased risk during anesthesia or surgery, their immune function is decreased, their mobility may be poor, and they have decreased exercise and heat tolerance. Adjustment of diet is the first step to weight loss,followed by exercise. The important point to note is not to put your cat on a crash diet. When you cut your fat cat’s food intake suddenly and dramatically, you are putting your pet at high risk for hepatic lipidosis, also know as fatty liver disease. Write a log of your cat's feed and calculate how much food to feed, when to feed it and type of diet to provide. The next step is to change the relationship with your cat, by altering the way your cat interacts with food. Instead of using food as a show of your love, be generous instead with praise, affection and exercise. Exercising your cat is not only fun for you both, but it also helps preserve your cat’s lean body mass so what gets lost is fat, not muscle. You can also make your cat exercise without you by turning him into the hunter he was born to be. That can be as simple as hiding small bowls of food throughout the house for him to nose out on his own or by making him work a little harder by putting kibble in food puzzles.The use of interactive cat toys such as a cat “fishing pole” and balls for 10-15 minutes twice a day to play will really help the weight loss programme. Slow and steady wins the race, slowly but surely the weight will drop off.