Sunday, February 17, 2013

What Happens if your Cat Gains Just One Pound?

Pet Obesity is Downright Dangerous
By Amanda Baltazar

(Adapted from Hills Pet Nutrition, Pet Chat Email Newsletter 1-31-13.)

Sadly, like us, our cats are expanding their waistlines year after year. Why? One reason is we don't always grasp how much smaller our pets are when compared to us. Fortunately Petfit.com has developed a calculator to stack up your cat's weight gain to that of a woman. Simply select your pet's breed and the number of pounds she's gained and it will give you the human equivalent based on a 125-lb. woman.

“Humans almost always anthropomorphize their pet, says Dr. Jim Dobies, a veterinarian with South Point Pet Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., and a member of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association. “If you can compare them in a real world way and how it compares to us, that will go a long way towards helping an owner see the reality of what’s going on.”

Here are a couple of examples of how just a few extra pounds can be disastrous to your cat:

Siamese:  A mere 2 lbs of extra weight on a sophisticated Siamese cat that weighs 10 lbs. is tantamount to you gaining a whopping 25 lbs. This poor kitty’s setting herself up for diabetes.

Persian:  If your Persian tabby gains just 1 lb. — the weight of most typical household cans — it’s the equivalent of you gaining 11 lbs. A little more exercise and fewer calories should put you both on the right track.

Singapura: A 6-lb. Singapura cat that eats enough to add 2 lbs. of weight is the equivalent of a woman gaining a massive 41 lbs. Time to cut the portion sizes or risk putting her — and other cats like her — on a fast track to diabetes, arthritis and heart problems.

American Shorthair:  An American Shorthair cat whose weight jumped by 3 lbs. would be seeing the same kind of gains as a human gaining 27 lbs. Overweight cats can suffer from fatty liver syndrome (hepatic lipidosis) which means their liver functions poorly and they may even suffer liver failure.
Maine Coon: A typical 17-lb. Maine Coon gaining 4 lbs. of body weight would be seeing the same increase as a human who gained 29 lbs. This cat is setting herself up for a potential heart attack.

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