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Vol. 10, No. 1
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February 2011
Feline Obesity Can Lead to Serious Health Conditions and Shortened Life Span
T
he statistics vary, but most
experts agree that from 40
to 60 percent of cats in this
country are overweight or obese.
The term “fat cat” is not a good thing
when it comes to assessing feline body
condition. Overweight and obese cats
are more likely to develop serious
health conditions that can lead to a
shortened life span.
“The majority of indoor cats are
either overweight or at risk of
becoming overweight,” says Purina
Veterinary Nutritionist Dorothy
Laflamme, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVN.
“The difference between overweight
and obese is not well-defined.”
Experts agree that the health risks
of feline obesity are not to be ignored.
Though shortened life span is the
ultimate outcome, cat owners should
be aware that extra pounds translate
into extra dollars in their efforts to
provide optimal care for their cats.
Effects of Obesity
Health problems associated with
feline obesity are seen every day in
veterinary clinics across the country.
Among them is feline diabetes mellitus,
the second most common feline endocrine disease after hyperthyroidism.
Obesity in cats is a key contributor
to feline diabetes. As many as one in
200 to 250 cats seen by veterinarians
have diabetes.
“Overweight cats are at least twofold at risk for becoming diabetic,”
Laflamme says. “The risk increases to
eightfold in severely obese cats. The
link between obesity and diabetes is
well-established. In general, obesity
is associated with increased oxidative
stress and increased inflammatory
markers, both which can contribute
to changes such as insulin resistance
and diabetes.”
A University of Georgia College of
Veterinary Medicine study to determine the most beneficial diet for
diabetic cats found that for each
kilogram (2.2 pounds) increase in
weight there was about a 30 percent
loss in insulin sensitivity and glucose
effectiveness.1 Twelve lean and 16
obese adult neutered cats were included in the study, which was partly
funded by Purina.
Ask the Expert
C
at owners recently asked Purina Veterinary Nutritionist Dorothy LaFlamme,
D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVN, these nutrition questions about feeding cats.
Q: I always heard that cats should be fed a diverse diet so they don’t become
bored. Is this correct?
A: Providing an extensive variety of food could cause cats to overeat.
Feeding different flavors, changing food regularly and mixing canned food
with dry food could contribute to overeating due to the excitement of
novel flavors and tastes. If a variety of foods are offered, the total amount
should be restricted to avoid overeating.
Q: Is it all right to feed a cat ad libitum or practice free-choice feeding?
A: Free-choice feeding can be a key contributor to feline obesity. Some
cats do fine when fed ad libitum, especially when the same food is fed
over time. However, many cats may overeat and gain weight. Offering a
measured amount of food twice daily is recommended in these cases.
Since different cats have different needs, it is most important to feed diets
that are appropriate for cats in appropriate amounts.
Q: When is it a good idea to feed a wet food?
A: Wet (canned) food is the best choice for some cats, such as those that
have difficulty avoiding weight gain on measured amounts of dry food.
However, keep in mind that cats can gain weight on excessive canned food
too. Cats with health problems that require additional fluids, such as kidney
or lower urinary tract diseases, may benefit from wet foods.
Insulin resistance is considered an
important risk factor in the development of diabetes. The study showed
that while diet had no effect on
insulin sensitivity or glucose effectiveness in overweight cats, weight
loss effectively improved severe
insulin resistance in these cats.
“OVERWEIGHT
CATS ARE
AT LEAST TWOFOLD AT RISK
FOR BECOMING DIABETIC.
THE
RISK
INCREASES TO EIGHTFOLD IN
SEVERELY OBESE CATS.”
DOROTHY LAFLAMME,
D.V.M., PH.D., DACVN,
PURINA VETERINARY NUTRITIONIST
Feline obesity also can be a risk
factor for these health conditions:
• Lameness and osteoarthritis
• Dermatoses or skin problems due
to a cat’s physical inability to selfgroom
• Liver disease (feline hepatic lipidosis syndrome)
• Lower urinary tract disease due to
inactivity and associated infrequent
urination.
“Many cat owners simply do not
recognize their own cat as being
overweight,” says Laflamme. “If veterinarians and other pet experts would
perform body condition scoring on
cats and teach owners how to do so
themselves, it would help. Feline
obesity and inactivity, both common
in indoor cats, go hand in hand.”
Marsha Z. Ammons, a breeder of
Abyssinians, American Shorthairs and
Norwegian Forest Cats at her Zapzkatz
cattery in Aledo, Texas, recalls receiving
a phone call from a desperate pet cat
buyer. “The woman thought her cat
was underweight,” Ammons says.
“After paying her and the cat a visit,
I saw that her cat was at an optimum
weight. The woman was so used to
overfeeding that a cat at normal
weight looked malnourished.”
Monitoring a cat’s body condition
consists of visual and hands-on evaluations. A body condition score is an
Continued on page 2
Feline Obesity
continued from page 1
assessment of the proportion of fat and
lean. This score reflects the balance
between calorie intake and energy
requirements. As animals overeat, more
fat is deposited and body condition
scores increase.
“Keeping a cat at its ideal body
condition is not that difficult,” Ammons
says. “Most often, this means that
the hips and shoulders should be the
same width, with no bulge at the
sides in the middle. The belly shouldn’t
sag. Heavy-boned cats, such as Maine
Coon Cats, Norwegian Forest Cats
and Persians, will carry more weight
than slender cats, such as Siamese,
Abyssinians and Cornish Rex.”
According to Laflamme, three key
ways to help reduce feline obesity are:
• Practice appropriate feeding
• Increase activity or exercise
• Modify behavior.
Three Steps to Reduce Obesity
Determining the appropriate amount
of food for an individual cat can be
challenging because there is no correct
amount for all cats. “Cats need to be
fed enough food to keep them in a
healthy body condition,” Laflamme
advises. “The average energy requirement for cats is about 55 kilocalories
per kilogram of body weight or about
200 to 250 kilocalories a day. This can
vary greatly among cats.”
Purina Senior Research Scientist
Deborah Greco, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVIM,
agrees. “Key contributors to feline
obesity are free-choice (ad libitum)
feeding, lack of exercise among indoor
cats and no reduction in food intake
in spayed or neutered animals. Spayed
or neutered cats should be fed 25 to
35 percent less food.”
“While some cats fed ad libitum
dry foods do well, especially when the
same food is fed over time, others do
not,” Laflamme says. “The risk in freechoice feeding is that cats may overeat
and gain weight. Feeding different
flavors, changing food regularly and
mixing canned food with dry food may
contribute to overeating due to the
enticement of novel flavors and tastes.
Owners who wish to provide variety
should do so while avoiding overfeeding.”
Feeding cats measured food portions
in the morning and evening helps manage calorie intake, Greco says. “Many
owners because of busy schedules
and the desire for convenience feed
their cats heaping bowls of dry food
and refill them without measuring
the amounts. The whole point of
meal feeding is to avoid obesity.”
“At our house, we use a measuring
cup to ensure cats aren’t overfed or
underfed,” says Ammons. “We freechoice feed, but we divide the amount
in half and give some in the morning
and some at night. Our cats live in
small groups, which helps us detect
feeding problems. Feeding the proper
food for the right stage of life, such
as kitten or senior cat, delivers the
most appropriate nutrition.”
Dry food is an excellent choice for
most cats, Laflamme says. “Dry cat
foods are easy to feed, well-accepted
MONITORING
A CAT’S BODY
CONDITION CONSISTS OF VISUAL
AND HANDS-ON EVALUATIONS.
A
BODY CONDITION SCORE IS AN
ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPORTION
OF FAT AND LEAN.
THIS
SCORE
REFLECTS THE BALANCE BETWEEN
CALORIE INTAKE AND ENERGY
B
O D Y
C
O N D I T I O N
T O O
1
C
H A R T
3
Ribs easily palpable with minimal fat covering;
lumbar vertebrae obvious; obvious waist behind
ribs; minimal abdominal fat.
4
Ribs palpable with minimal fat covering; noticeable waist behind ribs; slight abdominal tuck;
abdominal fat pad absent.
SCORES INCREASE.
1
3
I D E A L
5
Well-proportioned; observe waist behind ribs;
ribs palpable with slight fat covering; abdominal
fat pad minimal.
5
T O O
H E A V Y
6
Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering;
waist and abdominal fat pad distinguishable
but not obvious; abdominal tuck absent.
7
Ribs not easily palpated with moderate fat covering; waist poorly discernible; obvious rounding
of abdomen; moderate abdominal fat pad.
8
Ribs not palpable with excess fat covering; waist
absent; obvious rounding of abdomen with
prominent abdominal fat pad; fat deposits
present over lumbar area.
9
Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover; heavy
fat deposits over lumbar area, face and limbs;
distention of abdomen with no waist; extensive
abdominal fat deposits.
ANIMALS
AND BODY CONDITION
Ribs visible on shorthaired cats; no palpable
fat; severe abdominal tuck; lumbar vertebrae
and wings of ilia easily palpated.
Ribs easily visible on shorthaired cats; lumbar
vertebrae obvious with minimal muscle mass;
pronounced abdominal tuck; no palpable fat.
AS
OVEREAT, MORE FAT IS DEPOSITED
T H I N
2
REQUIREMENTS.
7
9
2
by cats and help promote better dental
health compared to wet foods.”
Though dry food works well for
many cats, canned (wet) food is the
better choice for others. “This includes
cats that have health problems requiring additional fluids, such as kidney
or lower urinary tract diseases, and
cats that have difficulty avoiding
weight gain on measured amounts of
dry food, although cats also can gain
weight on excessive canned food,”
Laflamme says.
Owners should always provide fresh
water for cats, particularly if they feed
dry food. Even cats fed canned food,
which has some water, an essential
nutrient, should have access to water.
A consideration when feeding
overweight and obese cats that are
not active is to choose a lower-fat
diet. “Inactive cats with low-energy
needs would be better off fed a lowerfat diet since dietary fat is the primary
driver of energy,” Laflamme says.
“In dry foods, for example, fat content
ranges from less than 10 to over
20 percent.
“During weight loss, the protein
content of the food should be increased
in proportion to energy,” Laflamme
says. “Though it is desirable to restrict
calories, you should not restrict
essential nutrients. Increased protein
during weight loss helps cats maintain
lean body mass, which helps increase
fat loss and maintain weight loss in
the long run.”
Another step toward achieving a
healthy weight with overweight cats
is increased activity. New experiences
like engaging in play with toys or
hiding cats’ food so they must look
for it are examples. Activities that
encourage cats to run and play are
beneficial as well.
“Games, toys and food balls are
all good options to help increase
activity,” says Laflamme.
“In the wild, cats feed when hungry
and exercise by hunting, romping,
climbing and chasing each other,”
Ammons says. “Cats kept indoors
should have an opportunity to exercise.
They don’t necessarily need horizontal
space. A vertical cat tree stimulates
a cat to exercise. One of my pet buyers
built a screened-in running track about
18 to 24 inches from the ceiling in
their den. Her cats loved it, and it
helped keep them in shape.
“Many pet cat owners have only
one cat,” she continues. “While ‘mom’
is at work, the cat sleeps all day and
is ready to romp when the tired owner
comes home. Having two cats — or
even three — will allow the cats to
entertain each other, to exercise on
their own and still allow the human
“IN
THE WILD, CATS FEED WHEN
HUNGRY AND EXERCISE BY HUNTING,
ROMPING, CLIMBING AND CHASING
EACH OTHER.
CATS
KEPT INDOORS
SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO EXERCISE.”
MARSHA Z. AMMONS,
ZAPZKATZ BREEDER OF ABYSSINIANS,
AMERICAN SHORTHAIRS AND
NORWEGIAN FOREST CATS
‘roommates’ to enjoy a little cat
interaction when they come home
from work.”
Modifying behavior encompasses
several things. Owners who are not
already monitoring their cats’ body
condition should begin doing so right
away. When an owner sees cats daily,
it is not easy to recognize when they
are becoming overweight. Owners
who free-choice feed overweight
cats should consider measuring food
and offering two meals a day to help
control calorie intake. When kittens
go to homes, breeders should help
educate new owners about how to
assess body condition to help reduce
obesity. Breeders also should provide
cat care nutritional information.
These endeavors — appropriate
feeding, increasing activity and modifying behavior — will contribute to
maintaining cats in ideal body condition for healthy, long lives. Increasing
awareness about the state of feline
obesity will potentially help reduce
the number of “fat cats” seen in
veterinary clinics with related health
conditions. ■
1
Hoenig M, Tomaseth K, Waldron M, Ferguson
DC. Insulin sensitivity, fat distribution, and
adipocytokine response to different diets in
lean and obese cats before and after weight
loss. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp
Physiol. 2007;292:227-234.
Purina ONE BeyOnd Launches New Natural Cat Food Line
A
new super-premium brand,
Purina ONE BeyOnd, recently
introduced two natural dry cat
foods plus vitamins and minerals, both
made with nutritious whole grains and
real meat as the No. 1 ingredient.
The new Purina ONE BeyOnd cat
foods are: Salmon & Whole Brown
Rice Recipe containing real salmon
as the No. 1 ingredient, accented
with cranberries, tomatoes and
spinach; and Chicken & Whole Oat
Meal Recipe containing real white
meat chicken as the No. 1 ingredient,
accented with carrots, sweet potatoes
and apples. Both have a 33-percent
protein to 14-percent fat ratio. The
foods contain no corn or wheat, added
fillers or artificial preservatives. Both
offer complete and balanced nutrition
for adult cats.
The Purina ONE BeyOnd brand celebrates nature and advances sustainability through its packaging, made
with at least 92 percent renewable
materials from sustainable forests
and printed with soy-based inks. The
package front reflects the brand’s
philosophy with a prominent “Circle
of Life” logo showing scenes from
nature and farms.
Purina ONE BeyOnd
is part of the Purina
Pro Club weight circle
redemption program.
During the first year,
until Dec. 31, 2011,
UPC codes, rather than
weight circles, may be
redeemed. Subsequently,
weight circles will be
required for Purina Point
credit. Purina ONE
BeyOnd has a point
value of 11 cents a
pound, the same as
other Purina ONE
products. Purina ONE
BeyOnd cat food comes in 1-, 3- and
6-pound package sizes. A 13-pound
package will be available later this year.
Purina ONE BeyOnd is sold at pet
specialty, grocery and mass retail stores.
For information, visit www.purinaone
beyond.com. To talk to a pet adviser,
call 1-866-PURINA (1-866-787-4621)
from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time
Monday through Friday. ■
Send Us Your Questions
Have questions about your Purina Points or how to redeem weight circles for
rewards and rebate checks? Contact Purina Pro Club at 877-PRO-CLUB, or
877-776-2582, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time Monday through
Friday. You also may visit www.purinaproclub.com to review and redeem
Purina Points.
Pro Club Policy on Blocked Calls
Want to Reach the Editor?
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urina Pro Club member service representatives will not be able to reach
you if your phone does not accept blocked calls. If you have called Pro
Club on an issue expecting a telephone response, the issue resolution
will be entered in your account. When you call again, a representative will be
able to share the information.
3
Have comments about Purina Pro
Club Update? Send them to us at:
Purina Pro Club Update, c/o Editor,
Nestlé Purina PetCare, 2T Checkerboard Square, St. Louis, MO 63164
or via e-mail at today’sbreeder@
purina.com.
Purina Pro Club Members Reap Many Benefits from Program
P
urina Pro Club offers many perks
for members. Among them,
members may receive checks
good toward the purchase of Purina
brand cat and kitten foods and a subscription to the Purina Pro Club Update
newsletter with the latest information
on health care and genetic advances.
Members also may order Kitten Starter
Kits to give new owners a head start
on a long, happy life with their kittens.
Here are tips to help you get the
most from your membership.
Submitting Weight Circles
Weight circles are the colored circles
on packages of Purina brand kitten
and cat food that allow you to receive
cat food checks. When submitting
weight circles, keep in mind you should:
• Use a Weight Circle Claim Form.
You may download a form at
www.purinaproclub.com by signing
into your account and clicking on
“Pro Club Tools” on the red bar at
the top of the screen. Then, under
Pro Club Forms, click on “Download
Weight Circle Claim Form.” You also
may call Pro Club member services
toll free at 877-PRO-CLUB or 877776-2582.
• Fill out the Weight Circle Claim
Form completely to expedite the
processing.
• Always put your return address on
the weight circle submission envelope.
• Submit a minimum of 75 pounds’
worth of weight circles in one
submission. Submitting smaller
amounts is not cost-effective for
Pro Club and increases handling
time for all members.
• Submit only weight circles, not
UPC codes. Only weight circles are
valid for credit to your account.
• Weight circles and points from
redeemed weight circles cannot be
purchased or transferred.
box shipments may have baggies
and coupons in only one box.
• Contact Pro Club on non-delivery
of orders, rather than reordering,
so delivery issues can be corrected.
Redeeming Purina Points
Certify Weight Circles
ro Club recommends that you
mail your weight circles by
certified first-class mail or other
traceable delivery method. This
helps to ensure proof of delivery
in the event Pro Club does not
receive your weight circles. Pro
Club is not responsible for weight
circles not in its possession.
P
• Do not submit torn and worn weight
circles or tape multiple weight circles together.
Ordering Kitten Starter Kits
Pro Club members may order Kitten
Starter Kits for new owners that
contain important information on
caring for new kittens. Space is provided for adding breed information
and veterinary records. To order
Kitten Starter Kits, you should:
• Order Starter Kits for the kittens
you currently have on the ground.
Starter Kit information and coupon
expiration dates are continually
updated, so make sure you have
the most current Starter Kit information and offers available for
your new kitten owners.
• Check your Starter Kit shipment
upon receipt for materials. Multiple
Weight circles turn into Purina
Points that can be automatically
redeemed for Purina cat food checks.
When redeeming points, keep in mind:
• Weight circle redemption points
are automatically redeemed for $6
checks good toward the purchase
of any 14-pound or larger bag of
Purina brand cat food. Points are
not “banked” except when totaling
less than 600 points. Points totaling
less than 600 will remain in the
member’s account until the next
weight circle submission.
• Keep your Pro Club account address
current. Pro Club is not responsible for
packages sent to wrong addresses.
• Don’t allow your cat food checks
to expire. Purina cat food checks
have a one-year expiration and
cannot be reissued if a member
allows them to expire.
• As stated on the cat food check,
only one $6 check can be used
with the purchase of one bag of a
Purina product. The terms on the
cat food check state “limit one
check per bag.”
• Protect your cat food checks like cash.
Purina is not responsible for replacement in the event of loss, theft or
destruction after issuance. ■
PURINA Pro Club Update
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