weight gain in cats
Weight gain has become serious problem in cats which wasn’t as evident before. Like humans, cats also have the capability to gain and lose weight. For cats, the weight gain and weight loss has its periods so you need to have a close eye on your cat’s eating habits and weight changes.
Following a simple rule, just remember that any drastic changes denote a disease. If you notice a rapid weight gain or weight loss chances are that your cat is facing a hidden metabolic problem that needs to be examined by the vet. Only close observation could save a cat’s life in such cases.
To determine if your cat is gaining weight, try running hands on the cat’s sides. If you are not able to feel any ribs, that’s a sign of obesity. Your cat’s abdomen shouldn’t be hanging down while walking as this shows an overweight body that could later on burden the internal organs with the fat.
Most cats gain weight due to wrong foods being fed to them in large quantity. An example of this is the diet of cat biscuits. Most people load the food utensil with cat biscuits in large quantities once and let the cat feed off it during the day. Such practices spoil cat’s discipline regarding food and it leads to a habit of overeating. Since cat biscuits consist of more carbohydrates and less proteins, this diet could also cause diabetes. The cat in such cases needs to be brought to a proper protein diet with enough moisture to aid it in losing weight and reversing diabetes.
If your cat has suddenly started gaining weight without any changes in appetite then you should look for other signs of illness too. Take your cat to the vet to confirm if there is a condition present.
Lack of exercise is another issue that causes weight gain in cats. This is mostly seen in older cats that suffer from constipation and lack of exercise. Taking old cats for a good walk should help in solving this problem and aid the cat live a longer life with health.
