Be Conscious of Your Cat's Weight!

Your Cat's Weight Could Give Him A Shorter Life

Just as being overweight is not a health-wise decision for humans, being overweight is not healthy for cats, either. In fact, if you fail to be conscious of your cat's weight, you could be sentencing him to an early grave! A cat with too much meat on his bones will suffer undue pressure on his joints, tendons, and ligaments. In addition, overweight cats often suffer from heart disease, as the heart has to work harder to pump blood to all the parts of the ever-increasing body.

Tired of your home smelling like you have a cat?

15% off PrettyLitter

Try it today Use code: PRETTYBLOG

Your Cat's Weight Can Give Him A Fatty Liver

Hepatic lipidosis, also known as "fatty liver disease," which often comes as a result of pancreatitis and diabetes. The prevalence of these diseases is directly correlated to the prevalence of obesity, both in cats and, interestingly, in humans.

When there's too much fat in the liver, the liver will malfunction. This will cause the cat to not eat for a few days, resulting in even more fat being deposited in the liver, and causing an increase in liver dysfunction.

Over time, the liver's function will continue to deteriorate until the cat, ultimately, dies as a result.

Your Cat's Weight Can Give Him Diabetes

As was previously mentioned, overweight humans and cats both suffer from diabetes as a result of their obesity. Diabetes is a disease where the pancreas doesn't secrete insulin properly, thus making it difficult to break down complex carbohydrates and sugars. This results in the carbohydrates and sugars being stored in the cat's body as fat, and the fat will continue to increase as he eats more carbohydrate-rich food.

Be Conscious of Your Cat's Weight -- Tips and Tricks!

Fortunately for cat lovers all over the world, being conscious of your cat's weight is a relatively easy process, and one that will benefit both you and him in the long run.

• DO get your cat a high-protein food. Ideally, the food should be made up of 35% to 45% protein by weight. Avoid foods that have a high corn and other grain content.
• DON'T give your cat any treats. Treats are high in starches and "empty nutrients," and much like human "junk food," cat treats are sneaky weight killers.
• DON'T put your cat on a "crash diet." Starving the cat, or significantly cutting down his food without the discrete observation of his veterinarian. This will only lead to more problems in the long-term...including the cat putting on even more weight than he had before.
• DO get your cat off the couch and on the floor for some play time and exercise. Start out light -- only about 10 minutes a day -- and gradually increase the time and intensity of the workout.