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Feline Weight
Control
Over one in four cats in modern industrialized countries
are overweight, according to some estimates. How can
you tell if your pets are included in this
group? An overweight cat will have fat deposits on its
back, face and limbs. There will also be an obvious
rounding of the abdomen area.
Overweight cats are at greater risk of developing a wide
variety of serious diseases, including diabetes and
arthritis. In addition to a change in diet, an
overweight cat should be played with more often and
given the opportunity to exercise by being offered more
interesting toys.
How can my overweight cat lose weight?
The same way people do, through diet and exercise. Just
as with people, healthy practices should be part of a
cat's everyday life, not just a temporary "diet" that's
followed until the desired amount of weight is lost.
If you are interested in helping an overweight cat get
back in shape, that’s great, since, as we’ve just
described, obesity is linked to a long list of serious
medical problems for cats.
However, unless your cat is only slightly overweight, a
veterinarian should be consulted before a cat is placed
on a diet, since there are a variety of medical concerns
that need to be looked at when a seriously overweight
cat is placed on a diet program.
You must never put their cats on a "crash diet."
Overweight cats that lose weight too quickly are at risk
of developing a variety of medical problems, including
hepatic lipidosis, an often fatal liver disease. In most
cases, the goal is to have the cat lose 1-2% of her body
weight a week, until the desired weight is reached. This
is typically accomplished by gradually cutting the cat's
portion size down by 10% if you are are supervising
the diet yourself or 20% if the diet is under the
supervision of a veterinarian. (Feeding cats smaller
meals more often will reduce hunger pangs during diets.)
Also feeding cats moist food can help the cat feel full
with fewer calories. In light of these issues it is wise
to have a veterinarian involved in planning the
seriously overweight cat's diet.
For slightly overweight cats, you can put
their pets on a reduced calorie cat food formula, or
they can restrict the amount of regular cat food they
offer their pets. In many cases, restricting the amount
of food offered will be the best course of action,
especially if the cat is given portions that are too
generous. The portion guidelines on cat food packages
are just that --guidelines -- and they may not be
appropriate for any given pet. In these cases, you should use common sense to adjust the portion
size down.
If you have tried limiting portion size without
much success, a reduced calorie (“lite”)
cat food is recommended. These foods have high fiber and low fat
contents. The fiber will make a cat feel full faster,
while the reduced fat results in fewer calories being
consumed. Reduced calorie foods can help a slightly
heavy pet lose weight while still continuing to take in
the proper amount of nutrients. Of course, you should make sure that the lite food the cat is
being switched to does indeed have fewer calories than
the food she’s been eating.
Calorie Counter
Until recently, calorie figures were not allowed on cat
food. However, AAFCO has established standards for
calculating pet food calories. Manufacturers may use
these standards to determine calorie counts for their
cat food.
AFFCO has also created a standard for use of the terms
“Light” and “Lite” in cat food. Light dry cat food
cannot contain more than 3,250 kilocalories per
kilogram. (About 2.2 pounds of food) Light semi-moist
cat food (20-65% moisture) cannot contain more than
2,650 kilocalories per kilogram. Light moist cat food
(over 65% moisture) cannot contain more than 950
kilocalories per kilogram. AAFCO also has rules
regarding the use of the words “Lean” or “Low Fat” on
cat food labels. Lean or Low Fat cat food cannot contain
more than 10% fat (dry foods), 8% fat (semi-moist) or 5%
(moist).
You should know that AAFCO rules on reduced calorie food
only pertain to those with “Light”, “Lite”, “Lean”, and
“Low Fat” in their names. Other diet-like names such as
“weight control,” or “less active” are not covered by
AAFCO. This does not mean that the weight reduction
claims made by the makers of those foods are false, but
they are not substantiated by AAFCO.
Calorie information on cat food labels must be conveyed
in terms of kilocalories per kilogram. Listing calories
on cat food is voluntary on the part of manufacturers.
There is no requirement that a bag or can of cat food
list the calories of the product inside. If the
information that you seek is not on the can, a call to
the company should supply the information.
Underweight
A cat is underweight if it feels bony, and has very
little fat on the ribs. You should be able to feel each
rib distinctly when your run your hands over a cat’s
rib cage. However, if you can see the outline of the
ribs as well as feel them, the cat is underweight. You
should also be able to feel some fat as well as some
bone when they touch the area at base of the cat’s tail,
the hips and the shoulders. If they can feel only bone
and no fat, the cat is too thin. Being thin may be a
sign of serious disease. It is recommended that you take
your cat to a veterinarian for a full check-up. Being
underweight poses serious heath risks, including the
increased likelihood of organ damage and bacterial
infection.
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