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Is a fat cat a happy cat? or is it a case of animal cruelty?

October . 14, was National Pet Obesity Awareness Day more than 44% of dogs and 57% of American cats in are estimated to be overweight or obese.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2009-10-08-dolittler-obesity_N.htm

As this causes health problems and early deaths, should this be consifered a form of Animal cruelty?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/343556121_93352ce858.jpg
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marina7aqu...
marina7aqu...
Marked as Best! October 18, 2009 09:21 AM
I can see that majority here own 'heavy' cats. I believe a fat cat is indeed a case of animal cruelty. The main reason for cat obesity (or any other animal for instance) is the same as it is for humans - lack of excercise and overeating. The proportion of calories and fats consumed is greater than calories burned.

Cats by nature are active creatures and have descended from wild carnivores. (link: http://www.catsinfo.com/history.html) When domesticated their main purpose was to control vermin, which still required a great deal of excercise. Nowadays, however, most cat owners are keeping their pets in small apartments and feed them only with canned or dried food made of God knowns what.

The result is - a cat loses its purpose by becoming a sofa acsessory, where the next step is obviously obesity.

My advise for people who have or are planning to get a cat need to consider the following:

How a cat will get excited and stay motivated? Cats are excited by the hunt, playing and breeding. It is easy to cover the element of playing with cat toys from a local pet shop, but the owner needs to stay commited and play with the furry creature regularly. Another option is to get 2 or more cats, who will then play with each other.

The hunt is probably one of the most important aspects of a cat's life as it is part of animal's dna. It is great if a cat has access to the great outdoors, where there are plenty of bugs to hunt for.

Also do not forget, that a cat has a great sense of smell and outdoors offer a variety of scents.

This topic can be further explored, but the main point to consider is when was the last time you have seen an obese lion, jaguar, panther, tiger? And also count how many obese people you know who do not have health issues, perhaps as minor as breathing difficulties.
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russb
russb
October 17, 2009 01:49 PM
Cats by nature eat as they are hungry (as compared to dogs who eat whatever is given to them hungry or not) so overeating or constant eating may be a sign of a health condition. As to weight, you should take into account that some breeds are naturally bigger / heavier. Cats vary in "natural" weight just like humans do, especially if they are mixed breeds. Indoor cats tend to be a bit fatter since they may have less area to run. A fair rule of thumb is if your cat can do normal cat things - like jump up 30" or so onto a table, clean itself, run - then the cat is healthy. Keeping a cat in a condition where they can't do these normal cat behaviors is unpleasant for the cat and the owner but I think it falls short of the behavior normally thought of as animal cruelty.
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moonshadow
moonshadow
October 17, 2009 02:56 PM
I have to agree with Russb on this one. My cat weighs about 12 pounds, slightly less than a pound more than her vet says she should. In response, we have started forcing more active play time and reduced the amount of treats she gets. However, the vet says based on what we feed her, she should be healthy. She is a mutt of cat, but has signs that some of her breeding is Maine Coon which makes her very tall and thick. She also jumps to the counters without problem, runs around the house a lot and has long fur. Although she is an indoor only cat, she was born a stray and as a result tends to put on weight in the fall as her instinct seems to be to store it up for when food will be in shorter supply.
I don't think an obese cat is any more animal abuse that an obese child is child abuse (and I know some peope would argue that point as well). The point is that as a pet owner or a parent, you can only do your best to provide the animal or child with the things it needs for a happy life: food, shelter, (clothing for children) and a happy, safe home. After that, some things are beyond your control. That doesn't make you a bad pet owner or a bad parent.
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lacalla
lacalla
October 17, 2009 05:38 PM
No, it's not animal cruelty. If anything, it's loving the cat too much. The cat in the picture looks happy and healthy to me. Does it realize it can't run, play or climb things like a cat was born to do? Is it sitting there thinking, "I wish I wasn't so fat." or "If I could lose some of this weight I could climb those pretty curtains." Probably not.

Indoor cats are in danger of being obese just like people who don't get enough exercise. Buying some of the neat cat toys on the market (we have many) with catnip in them, can motivate an obese cat to move. Gradually, they will become more active as long as the owner will see to it the cat has play time.

Choose hard cat food that's high in protein and good fats but low in carbohydrates and fillers. The wrong food choices can lead to obesity in cats as well as people.

Later on as the cat slims down, a cat tree is a great thing for a cat to climb (we have one of these too). Our cat has to really work to get to the top. It's great exercise for her.
Source(s):
http://www.vetinfo.com/weight-loss-obese-cats.html
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jkepler
jkepler
October 17, 2009 07:06 PM
I think in general, a fat cat is indeed a happy cat. As mentioned above, house cats simply don't get that much exercise and are likely going to get at least slightly overweight as they get older. Some owners will attempt to keep the weight down, not with exercise, but with a really strict diet. If you ask me, that's one way to make a very unhappy cat. The diet restrictions can get pretty extreme. If they're happy, cute, and aren't so overweight that it causes health issues, I don't have a problem with it at all.
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tealmyster
tealmyster
October 18, 2009 06:23 AM
My cat is 38 pounds, he is a little butterball...he is 8 years old...he is always happy, loving and playful...yes he eats alot...I try to limit him for concern about his weight but he is still alive, the vet has no other complaints and says he is doing fantastic for his size...So as long as the owner is aware the cat is heavier...and is willing to watch the cat and do regular visits I don't think it's animal cruelty at all.
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p_12
p_12
October 19, 2009 06:40 PM
A fat cat is a happy cat if it was animal cruilty the cat would be skinny
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xds
xds
October 21, 2009 04:58 PM
Lets be realistic people.

Can it REALLY be healthy for a cat to be anything over 8 or 9 pounds ?

Look at it this way, if you where 3x your BMD I'd say that you had a seriously sheltered upbringing and that the person or persons that encouraged this where only abusing you further.
Our Lab is on a very strict diet, he can have his good days or bad days.

But we always make sure he has the nutrients he needs and doesn't go over board.

If he has a active day he would just get more of the same.

Cmon now.

Kind Regards,
@XDS
Source(s):
Experience.
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