Obesity affects up to 60 percent of companion cats and causes chronic pain from arthritis, diabetes, and other conditions that severely reduce quality of life.
Cat obesity is a welfare problem created by human behavior — overfeeding, providing unlimited access to energy-dense food, and insufficient encouragement of physical activity. The consequences for cats are serious and chronic: arthritis pain that limits movement, diabetes requiring daily medication or insulin injections, respiratory compromise from fat deposits, and difficulty performing normal grooming and toileting behaviors. Because obesity develops gradually and cats are stoic about pain, owners often fail to recognize the welfare cost. Veterinarians have an important role in early identification and owner education, but ultimately prevention through appropriate portion control and activity is most effective.