In today's fast food world it is a sad fact that it is not only the human population that are becoming fatter. Our pet cats are also suffering the same fate and it's all our fault. We are giving them bigger portion sizes, feeding the wrong kind of food, giving them too many extra treats and making their lives less active. Cats are essentially meat eating hunters who are designed to roam freely outside, exploring, climbing, hunting and playing. Activities that have traditionally kept them fit, healthy and agile and burn off calories naturally. But more and more owners are choosing to keep their cats inside thus restricting activity levels and other stimuli, causing boredom and laziness to set in. Just like us humans bored cats will snack to fill their time and comfort themselves, a recipe for disaster for the waistline.
The natural diet of a cat is animal prey that consists of not only meat but also indigestible matter (good for roughage) and vegetable matter in its stomach. All of which is consumed by the cat and provides enough calorie and nutritional intake to keep them healthy. In today's fast moving world where cat owners do not have the time to prepare home cooked foods for themselves let alone their pets, commercially bought cat foods are used to feed our pets. Although these foods are designed to contain all the nutrients required by a cat, they can also contain more calories than a natural diet, especially for cats with less active lives. Dry cat food is especially calorie laden and because it can be left in feeding bowls all day for cats to snack on, they can easily eat too much, causing weight gain.
Why should we worry about our cats getting fat anyway? Well a fat cat is an unhealthy cat and most likely an unhappy cat too. A ca that is too heavy to go climbing or to chase around after fluttering leaves etc. is not going to have much of a happy life. Overweight cats will have a shorter life span than a normal cat due mainly to the fact that they are more likely to suffer from illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, arthritis and urinary infections. The trouble is the larger they get and the more unhealthy they feel, the less active they will become and the more weight they will put on. Not to mention the cost of the extra trips to the vet you will have to make to treat all of their ailments.
So how do we stop our cats from becoming super sized? The same way we stop ourselves from becoming overweight is the simple answer. By making sure we feed our cats a balanced diet that contains all the necessary mix of ingredients that provides enough calories for their lifestyle and also by ensuring that our cats are getting enough exercise. Take a look at what and how much you are feeding your cat and how much exercise your cat is getting. Try to feed fixed meal times rather than letting your cat snack all day. Keep food portions inline with the recommendations of the manufacturers and feed a combination of dry and fresh or tinned cat food, this will make your cat feel full and not go looking for titbits elsewhere.
Spend some time playing with your cat every day, get them chasing around running after balls or batting dangling toy mice. If you are not around to play with your cat you could hide little treats around the home (not too many) for your cat to hunt out, or place them in toys where they have to get them out themselves. Keeping your cat active and alert is very important, not only because it burns calories but it will also prevent them from becoming bored and overeating.
It is all to easy to give in to a begging cat looking for titbits from your plate or to leave a pile of dry kibble in a bowl all day, because you don't want to leave kitty without any food all day. But you could be killing your cat with kindness. Your cat will thank you for feeding them well and in moderation allowing them to lead a fit, healthy happy lifestyle.
More cat health and cat care tips can be found at our site http://www.our-happy-cat.com A feline friendly community full of helpful advice and fun things to do to make sure you have a happy cat and a happy you.
Copyright 2007 Kate Tilmouth
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