British Shorthair Weight Problem?

I have heard about this on the internet and a book I have on the British Shorthair (British Shorthair Cat by Esther Verhoef) says that they, "have a tendency to put on weight - sometimes too much of it".

British Shorthairs are meant to be cobby (cat fancy language for stocky looking - solid, rounded and substantial).That is what makes them what they are.

Advancing years makes our cat less active and it said that the British Shorthair is "not naturally the most active of cats".

Neutered and spayed cats also have a slight tendency to put on weight. Note though that neutering should be carried out after the male British Shorthair has fully developed because neutering stops the build up of that masculine look. I think you will find that cat fanciers agree with this assessment.

These are the factors that might lead our British Shorthair to put on weight. The more weight the less active and this is a negative cycle.

The only way to deal with this potential problem is by providing a high quality diet and to ensure your cat exercises in some way or other. That usually means that you have to play with your cat! Certain cat foods are designed for overweight cats such as Hills c/d or r/d (prescription). But these are dry foods and an exclusive dry food diet is not recommended.

See also cat obesity.