EDINBURGH, Scotland: First, it was dogs. Then came horses. And now, cats have joined the club. The fat club, that is. Unfortunately for our feline friends, obesity also means a higher risk of diabetes.
A study by Edinburgh University revealed that 400,000 (1 in 230) pet cats in the UK suffer from diabetes, with 85% - 95% of these felines displaying symptoms of type II diabetes. This number has increased almost five-fold in the last 30 years. The reason? Obesity.
Study lead author Danielle Gunn-Moore, professor of feline medicine at the Royal School of Veterinary Studies, told The Daily Mail: "The lifestyle of cats is changing. They are tending to eat too much, gain weight and take less exercise."
This unhealthy feline lifestyle is a reflection of their owners' bad habits. Cats are naturally outdoor creatures and would get their exercise roaming the garden, but with many people today living in apartment buildings with little or no outside access, many felines are homebodies. Other owners prevent their pet going outdoor for fear of them getting hurt. This means one thing - modern cats are getting more food and sleep, and less exercise.
Veterinarian Elaine Pendelbury points out that human food is another factor in the rise of overweight tabbies. "People are feeding them things like sausages from their own table. Sausages are quite high in salt and quite fatty."
According to news website The Guardian Unlimited, researchers analyzed the veterinary records of 14,030 cats and found 61 had been diagnosed with diabetes. Questionnaires answered by 761 cat owners showed that male cats, neutered cats and cats weighing over 5kg (11lbs) were most at risk. Burmese feline breeds were also found to be at a far greater risk than the average, with one in 57 affected. According to The Australian, one theory for this is that Burmese cats distribute their bodily fat in a way which is more likely to lead to diabetes. Additionally, eating a wet diet and previous encounters with corticosteroid treatments can also increase your pet cat's susceptibility to the disease.
Furthermore, the study showed that diabetes has surpassed an over-active thyroid as the most common feline hormonal disorder. The study's authors also said that of the eight to nine million cats owned in the UK, around 400,000 will have diabetes.
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“Male cats, neutered cats and cats weighing over 5kg (11lbs) were most at risk. Burmese feline breeds were also found to be at a far greater risk than average.”
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According to Felinediabetes.com, diabetes mellitus or "sugar diabetes" is a common disorder afflicting both cats and dogs. It is caused when your pet's insulin cannot properly balance blood-sugar or glucose levels. Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin. Type II diabetes occurs when the body doesn't respond well to insulin.
Early signs of feline diabetes can be tricky to detect. As with humans, diabetes makes cats sleep, drink and urinate more often. Cat owners with healthy cats are advised to be more vigilant of their pet's condition. "Sadly, we don't often get to see these cats until they have collapsed in a diabetic heap, and once the cat is in a coma, they are very hard to save," Prof. Gunn-Moore said. Diabetic cats also face an increased risk of pancreatitis and urinary tract infections (UTI), according to The Times Online.
However feline diabetes doesn't necessarily spell doom. Treatment involves imposing a strict diet-and-exercise regime and twice-daily injections of insulin in the back of your cat's neck. Insulin, however, doesn't come cheap. Thus, treatment bills can reach up to $200 every month. Ouch. That is why prevention is always better than cure. Vet Elaine suggests: "If you want to give your cat a treat, give it a small bit of boiled chicken or, even better, play a game with your cat."
Vanessa Thick, field veterinary officer for Cats Protection told The Scotsman: " Cats are not by nature greedy animals but will overeat if they are bored or under-stimulated." She also said that meowing and rubbing up against their owner does not necessarily mean that cats are hungry, at least for food. This can instead mean that they are craving affection or attention.
i got one right here! lol! but seriously lucy my balinese is fat! i hardly see her away from the couch and i know its partly my doing because i spoil her. im an addicted cat owner. i cant stop spoiling my pet.
this is what i call the garfield syndrome. people are feeding their cats too much while giving them not too much exercise. although these people might think that these are good for them, it is actually the opposite. people food tend to be too sweet or salty for our feline friends so it's best to just feed them boiled chicken or just plain cat food.
If people love their cats too much, they spoil them. these people should learn that spoiling them with food will only lead to health problems and maybe even death. It's not good to give them too much food and it is not cute to see them so fat that they can barely move!
The only reason why there are fat cats is because owners are just too darn irresponsible to look after their pet's diet! Unlike dogs, it's hard to let cats get some excercise. Now their irresponsibility would lead to more sicknesses for these poor kitties!
i might be forced to go to frederck myself and enlighten ms samantha.. you CAN control it you just dont want to and i hope for ur cat's sake that you realize ur mistake soon enough.
hey garfield is adooorable! but yeah he's a bit of brat cat.. and anyway garfield's fictional so pet owners shouldnt think that its ok to feed ur cats unhealthy foods.. its not love anymore..
although a tubby cat really looks cute, we are doing them a disservice if we continue on overfeeding them. fat cats will only experience a lot of pain and suffering in the end.
Its unfair.. so many cats are homeless and w/out food and here are owners overfeeding their cats.. even pet foods can be shared too you know..
spoiling your pets doesn't have to mean overfeeding them until they become obese. just taking good care of them is more than enough. hope that pet owners who think spoiling = feeding have learned their lesson through this article.
well its easier said than done.. atleast in my case.. i love lucy and i wouldnt want anything to happen to her and am really trying to resist her charms..
Owners probably overfeed their cats just so they can cover up for their guilt of not paying too much attention to them. If they gave their cats proper care and attention, then they know better and would not overfeed them. So, bottom line is, don't get a cat if you are irresponsible. You'll just end up killing it.
Extra pounds really do bring a lot of health problems. It goes the same for humans, dogs, cats, horses. Why don't people see this? Yeah, it is harder to control the diet with humans, but with pets? You can't control what you eat, but you are in control of your pet's diet! Why would you put your beloved pet in danger of health diseases? I just don't get it.
Spoiling does not equate to overfeeding. Just because cats beg for more food (they always do!), don't give in! It does not mean that you are being harsh. It means that you want what's best for them. Now that's spoiling in a good way.
Well next thing you know there'll be pet gyms for horizantally challenged pets.. lol!
what's up with 'horizontally challenged'? can't you spell fat? F-A-T dude. horizontally challenged is such a derogatory term even for animals.
Animals don't discipline themselves and say, "I will eat less. I'm on a diet." So it's an OWNER'S job to instill the discipline on them. If you're fat with health problems, then don't make your cats suffer the same fate you have!
i know of a frnd who feeds her dog w/ da fud she cnt finish. and her dog is super fat and she thinks its cute..
sometimes pet owners should really try to control themselves especially when their pets ask for food. it may look cruel but in reality, you are doing them a favor.
It is a sad and disappointing reality to see that our very own pets are joining in one of the biggest problems of America - obesity. And the only one to blame are the owners, never the pets.
Being a cat owner, it's really hard to resist esp if they give one demanding meow. and I mean DEMANDING! then they purr and give you that sad, begging look. But i guess we just have to be firm and say no. I guess nothing says that you love and care for your cat than helping them stay healthy. that's tough lovin' for you! :)