4 cat health problems caused by obesity

There are at least four and probably more diseases and conditions caused by feline obesity. Obesity contributes to arthritis. There is a fourfold increase in type II diabetes in obese cats. Obesity can lead to a dull, unkempt coat because cats can't get to those parts of the body that need grooming. The chances of a cat suffering from hepatic lipidosis are greater if the cat is obese or overweight. Hepatic lipidosis is also called fatty liver disease or syndrome. This disease is also caused by a crash diet ironically. 

Obese cat. Image: Pixabay.

If you want your cat to lose weight then you should do it gently. But please do it! Other factors associated with the onset of hepatic lipidosis include deficiencies in nutrition, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, anorexia as mentioned and diet change as mentioned. In America as many as 57% of domestic cats are believed to be overweight or obese.

On the issue of a poor coat, although I am not a great fan of dry cat food, I can recommend Hills Oral Care. My cat tends to have a nice, high quality coat when he feeds on this commercially prepared food. Of course, he is not overweight and therefore is able to groom himself in addition to which I comb him daily with a very fine comb which he thoroughly enjoys.

In addition to obesity substantially increasing the risk of contracting Type II diabetes, other risk factors include increasing age, physical inactivity, use of steroids in treating other illnesses, male cats and physical inactivity.

Apparently Burmese cats in some countries appear to have a high risk of developing diabetes over other breeds. The two most common signs of diabetes in cats are weight loss despite a good appetite and increased thirst and urination.

Without wishing to preach, there are two ways to get a cat to lose weight which are to feed him or her less and to ensure that she exercises more i.e. is involved in more physical activity. It is easy to deceive oneself as to how much food one is providing a domestic cat.

The reason why obese cats are predisposed to becoming diabetic is because obesity causes increased levels of fatty acids and inflammation which leads to insulin resistance which in turn can lead to type II diabetes.