Weight control

Overweight in cats

Being overweight is a common problem for indoor cats. It is almost always due to the cat getting too much food or too many snacks in proportion to its size and amount of exercise. Commercial cat foods today are quite tasty, and the cat often has food constantly available, enticing it to eat even when not hungry. The quality of the diet may also be poor, meaning the cat becomes picky towards healthy food after receiving unhealthy snacks like cheese and other treats. Because protein provides satiety, diets with too little protein result in weight gain. Energy from food is stored in the body as extra fat. Especially in single-cat homes, there is a risk of not getting enough exercise if the owner does not play with the cat several times a day. Castration increases the cat’s appetite and reduces activity levels. The condition of a cat’s body can be assessed by observing the ribs, abdominal line, and waistline and by palpating the ribs and spine. In an obese cat, a hanging abdominal fat deposit can be observed.

Being overweight significantly predisposes cats to other diseases and shortens their life expectancy.  Obesity can lead to osteoarthritis, Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver disease, and diabetes mellitus in addition to causing gastrointestinal disorders, affecting respiratory capacity, impairing immune function, increasing the risks associated with anaesthesia, and having an impact on activity levels. There is also an increased risk of skin diseases because obese cats cannot clean themselves as easily. This inability of obese cats to properly groom themselves can also result in tangled and matted fur. Adipose tissue is metabolically very active and produces significant amounts of proinflammatory factors. This means obesity is a metabolic disease that can affect all the body’s organs and physiological functions. It is estimated that the lifespan of obese animals decreases on average by approximately 20% compared with nonobese animals.

Body condition score

The body condition score ranges from very underweight to obese. There are several types of rating scales, but in general, body condition can be divided into three categories: underweight, normal weight, and overweight. A cat’s behaviour can also be an indicator of obesity. A normal and healthy cat ​​is usually happy to move and can jump lightly to high places. Overweight cats are not as alert – they sleep a lot and are not interested in their surroundings.

• Underweight:
  in a very underweight cat, the ribs and other bones of the body are clearly visible from a distance (short-haired cats), and the cat has no noticeable layer of fat. The vertebrae in short-haired cats are clearly visible from a distance. The cat’s abdomen is markedly retracted upwards, and the waist is clearly distinguishable when the cat is viewed from above.
• Normal weight:
  The cat’s ribs may be slightly visible and felt through the skin. The ribs are covered with a light layer of fat, and the waist can be seen when viewed from above. There is only a small amount of abdominal fat and a slight abdominal tuck.
• Overweight or morbidly overweight:
  The ribs are covered with a clear layer of fat and may not be felt through the skin. The abdominal line is straight, and there is obvious abdominal distention. An obese cat has a thick layer of fat on the belly, and the neck and root of the tail are also covered with a thick layer of fat. The waist does not stand out at all when viewed from above.

Causes of overweight:

Feeding

By far the biggest cause of overweight in cats is a disproportionate relationship between feeding and exercise. Cats quickly learn to beg for food and snacks. It is difficult for owners to refuse a cat when it is purring and begging for a treat. In addition to the normal daily amount of food, overweight cats often receive snacks and treats, and this means their daily energy needs are exceeded. Many cat owners do not realize that an energy-intensive treat can provide a substantial part of the cat’s daily energy needs.

Pet food quality

Cats are pure carnivores adapted to eat low-energy food a couple of times a day. Physiologically this means cats need animal protein and fat as their primary sources of energy. The majority of cat foods on the market contain ingredients that replace a significant part of the animal protein with plant protein together with carbohydrates in the form of easily digestible starch. A change in feeding habits due to low-quality cat food leads to changes in energy metabolism and gastrointestinal microbiota, which have to adapt to regular intake of easily digestible energy from starch. Another pitfall of modern pet food is a lack of dietary fibre, which impacts the microbial pattern of gastrointestinal bacteria, thus increasing the risk of obesity.

Hormonal changes

After castration, a cat’s hormonal activity changes, and its metabolism slows down. Appetite increases as early as a few days after castration, but the need for calories decreases. Castration predisposes cats to weight gain, which is why after the operation, careful attention must be paid to the diet.

Other causes

Certain breeds may be more prone to gaining weight than others. Short-haired domestic cats have a greater tendency to gain weight than, for example, oriental breeds, which are often slender. As a cat ages, its activity levels decrease, which means it gets less exercise and is more prone to gaining weight. Males are at greater risk of gaining weight than females.

Diseases and problems caused by overweight

Being overweight predisposes cats to a variety of health problems, and the life expectancy of an overweight cat is shorter than that of a normal cat. In kittens, obesity can lead to the development of growth disorders. Being overweight is a significant risk for cats under anaesthesia. An overweight cat also has a significantly higher risk of various surgical complications than a cat with ideal weight, and recovery from the procedure is much slower. Obesity can predispose cats to a variety of tumours and cancers.

Adipose tissue plays an active role in the body. It produces enzymes and hormones involved in the regulation of blood pressure, appetite, immune response, blood sugar, and inflammation. If there is too much adipose tissue in the body, the substances it produces will be disrupted. Excess adipose tissue produces inflammatory mediators that can lead to low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Obesity also weakens the immune system, making the cat more susceptible to infections. Overweight cats are more susceptible to FLUTD symptoms because they move less and drink less, which can result in overly concentrated urine.

Being overweight greatly increases your cat’s risk of diabetes. A typical diabetic cat patient is an overweight, neutered, middle-aged male indoor cat. Obesity is very dangerous in cats with inappetence because of an increased risk of liver lipidosis, especially if the cat’s food intake stops too abruptly for some reason, in which case the body transfers fat to the liver, and liver function is disrupted. Liver lipidosis is a life-threatening condition leading to hepatic failure.

Weight loss

There is no special shortcut to weight loss. Weight loss of even only a few percent has health benefits for an overweight cat. It is essential to adapt the cat’s diet and exercise to its size, age, gender, and other health conditions. Often, an overweight cat must lose weight under the supervision of a veterinarian using special diet food and the right kind of exercise programme. An appropriate diet limits a cat’s energy intake while ensuring the availability of essential nutrients. A veterinary diet designed for weight management maintains the cat’s feeling of satiety and provides essential nutrients and adequate protein.

The cat should not be given any snacks during the diet, and diet instructions should be followed. If your cat needs attention, do not give it a treat. Instead, play with your cat to give it the exercise it needs to lose weight. Food should be weighed and served several times a day in small amounts. Food can also be put in high places or several different places so that the cat must move in order to find it. Safe weight loss is 1–2% of a cat’s total body weight per week. Excessively rapid weight loss is not healthy for a cat, as it can result in hepatic lipidosis, in which fat accumulates in the liver as the body moves its fat stores to produce energy. Lipidosis is often the result of fasting or insufficient food intake.

During weight loss, the cat should be regularly weighed at a veterinary clinic. A diet should be chosen that has lots of digestible and absorbable protein together with soluble and insoluble prebiotic fibre, a low glycaemic index, and a low energy content.

Brit VD Obesity

Brit VD Obesity is a veterinary diet designed for overweight and obese cats for weight management and weight loss. It is also suitable for maintaining ideal weight after castration. The protein source for Brit VD Obesity is easily digestible chicken, which helps maintain muscle mass in a dieting cat. The low fat content (10%) and energy density prevent weight gain and support the utilization of body fats. Brit VD Obesity has a low glycaemic index to help to balance postprandial blood sugar levels. The source of carbohydrates in Brit VD Obesity is yellow pea, which has an excellent ratio of soluble and insoluble fibre. Yellow pea is highly digestible and absorbable and is also an excellent source of protein. The fibre and high protein content of the food helps maintain satiety. Brit VD Obesity is a gluten-free diet that can reduce the risk of AFR.

The amino acid L-carnitine is added to the food and is important in fat metabolism and the maintenance of muscle mass. The food also contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which act as building blocks for articular cartilage and have chondroprotective properties that provide mobility support in overweight cats. Selenium and vitamins C and E are added to Brit VD Obesity to act as antioxidants and reduce oxidative stress. The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA affect fat metabolism, promote long-term glucose balance, and have anti-inflammatory effects. The live probiotic E. faecium is added to the food to promote healthy bacterial flora in the gut.

For effective weight loss, the Brit VD Obesity diet should be fed to the cat for at least two months. The cat must not be offered any treats, other foods, or human food during this time. The ideal weight loss target is 1–2% of the cat’s weight per week.

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