Mary Allen
When cats get overweight, diet isn’t always to blame. Psychological problems can also be at the root of obesity – or a consequence of it.
Not only humans – but also cats can compensate for stress with food. This is the conclusion reached by the Austrian veterinarian Sabine Schroll. The behavioral doctor is convinced that obesity in cats can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder, for example: “When there is stress and a large and tasty range of food, what do cats do? They eat.” In her practice in Krems, for example, she has seen sibling cats, one of which is anxious and slim, the other relaxed but overweight: “The overweight cat has found a coping strategy. This works superficially — the cat seems relaxed — but causes permanent damage.”
According to Scholl, a lack of employment is another reason for obesity. The problem isn’t simply that the cat moves too little – that is, burns too few calories – and eats too much. Rather, the psyche also plays a decisive role here: “Boredom and excess energy are a good mix for being frustrated. There are cats that mask their predatory nature with obesity and chronic depression.” A condition that Steve Dale quite drastically describes as “brain dead fat cat”.
Mentally Impaired
The American journalist and behavioral consultant explain in his articles that many cats are now kept indoors and are therefore less exposed to danger. At the same time, he complains that too many cats are overweight and, as a result, not only physically but also mentally impaired: “Many cats are so fast that they can no longer even properly care for themselves. And when cats can’t do what they were born to do, they can actually become depressed,” says Steve Dale.
In order to feel better and lose weight at the same time, cats would need to adopt a more natural lifestyle – with lots of chasing and running – and lots of small meals throughout the day. At the same time, an overweight cat finds it difficult to move. It is a doom-loop.
In order to be able to escape from this, cat owners first have to admit that their cat is too fat. “Many owners underestimate the problem,” believes veterinarian Silke Hieronymus from Hombrechtikon ZH. You keep hearing the argument that the animal in question is simply very big and strong.” Although the expert in animal nutrition and nutritional damage can very well put a figure on how heavy a cat should be. The ideal weight for a female is 3.4 kilograms and for a tomcat 4.3 kilograms.
No Experiments
If a cat weighs significantly more, Hieronymus recommends that the cat owners concerned seek advice from a veterinarian specializing in animal nutrition. Carrying out diet experiments on your own is dangerous. And the expert also strongly advises against a radical diet. In addition to deficiency symptoms, there is a risk that the starving cat will develop dangerous fatty liver because the lipid metabolism in the liver is out of balance.
According to Hieronymus, adding some water to the feed to achieve faster mechanical saturation can be helpful. A feeling of satiety can therefore also be generated if you add half a gram to one gram of cellulose powder per kilogram of body weight to the feed. It does not provide usable energy, but at the same time acts as dietary fiber. Overall, however, losing weight is a long-term program for cats as well as for humans. A weight loss of one to two percent of your body weight per week is considered ideal.
Don’t Just Fill the Bowl
Part of the change in diet with the goal of a slimmer but also happier cat is the so-called “environmental enrichment” – in which the environment is enriched, i.e. made exciting and stimulating. This includes, among other things, different feeding management with many small portions – which the cats have to work out with the effort of head and body. So-called fumbling boards can be used, for example, where the cat gets food out with the right strategy.
It is not easy for the owner to determine how much a cat can eat in order to have an ideal figure and thus a balanced temperament. Most rely on manufacturers’ feeding recommendations. In addition, it always depends on the age, living conditions, and the individual needs of the respective animal. “Basically, a cat should eat 50 calories per pound of body mass,” says veterinarian Hieronymus. Recently, however, the value was still 55 kilocalories – and not all feed manufacturers have already adjusted their recommendations.