The Rising Obesity Rates In cats

When people see a cat's primordial pouch bouncing as it struggles to run, they tend to be amazed at its cuteness and not at its size.

Recently, however, there has been an ever growing problem of obesity in cats.

“Probably 50 percent of cats seen at veterinary clinics these days are overweight, if not obese,” reported a study from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

"People need to check on their cats more and make sure they are exercising. Not all fat cats are unhealthy. The really, really obese ones are," senior Theo Stamoulis said.

According to the website Idle Cat, "43 percent of cat owners don’t read food labels."

Mr. Spentley Toran, the Mental Health Counselor at Cheltenham, is a father to a cat and is amazed to find out about these cat obesity statistics.

"I'm not sure how much food is safe to give a cat. I give my cat a cup of dry food three times a day. My cat is a little overweight. I have a chunky cat," Toran admits.

According to the website VCA hospitals, "Obese cats develop an increased risk for: many types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and a faster degeneration of affected joints."

"I believe it. Their body makeup is similar to ours. Any disease we can get, they can get too," Toran agrees.

As reported by the website Idle Cat, "Obese cats can have a life expectancy that is between 5 and 10 years LESS than their healthy counterparts."

"I would really like to know how cats can go on diets because I have never heard of it. That's an alarming statistic. So what do we do? How do we save the cats?" Toran questions.