|
Adiposity
Excess weight which causes health disorders in the short or long term (e.g. cardiovascular problems).Despite balance and continuously improving pet food, today approximately 40% of all cats suffer from excess weight, a condition also known as adiposity. Excess weight is not merely an aesthetic problem, it also rapidly causes health problems in cats, such as
- cardiovascular illnesses
- joint diseases
- diabetes
Scientific studies have shown that excess weight significantly reduces average life expectancy. The cause is always an imbalance in calorie supply versus energy consumption.
About 40% of cats suffer from excess weight
Diagnosis of overweight
- Palpable subcutaneous (below the skin) fat cushions over the ribs and hips
- Body weight is more than 10 - 20% above the standard for the breed
In the interest of maintaining your cat's health over the long term, excess weight should be avoided. Of course, a diet suited to the cat's requirements and sufficient activity are the means of choice. That is, the energy supplied in the cat's food and the cat's energy consumption should be well-balanced. Sterilised cats or older cats frequently have considerable difficulties with excess weight. Keeping cats exclusively indoors also promotes the acquisition of excess weight. For many cat owners, this is inexplainable, as they are very careful to ensure that their cats are properly fed and get plenty of playful exercise. However, the following facts are often overlooked:
|
- Sterilised or older cats often move a great deal less.
- House cats, even those who experience intensive levels of playful activity with their owners, do not consume any noteworthy amounts of energy, compared with the energy consumption of a cat who is allowed to roam at will.
- As a rule, it is not usually possible to increase the energy consumption of a house cat through more exercise.
- The actual amount of energy/food consumed is often not known, as the cat has free access to its food, and in addition to its usual diet, often eats considerable quantities of energy in the form of snacks, leftovers or treats.
- Owners of several cats often do not have the possibility of feeding individual overweight animals separately.
- A "light diet" is given to the cat, but without limiting the quantity of food given. The cat can then compensate for the lower energy content of the food by eating more of it.
- It can take more than 9 months to reduce excess weight of 30% by reducing the energy supply to 80% of the maintenance requirements.
Many cat owners are therefore unable, despite their best efforts, to stabilise or reduce their pet's weight.
|
