Feline obesity is the most common nutritional welfare problem in companion cats. Excess weight causes chronic pain, reduces mobility, and shortens lifespan — but is largely preventable.
Feline obesity is a welfare problem that owners often do not recognise as such — a "chubby" cat may seem happy and comfortable, but the metabolic and musculoskeletal consequences of excess weight impose chronic welfare costs that are real even when not immediately visible. Arthritic joints in obese cats cause pain that owners misattribute to normal aging; diabetic cats require daily injections and careful management; obese cats are at significantly elevated risk of fatal hepatic lipidosis during any period of reduced food intake. Prevention is easier than treatment: adjusting caloric intake after neutering, measuring food portions rather than free-feeding, providing environmental enrichment that encourages movement, and using puzzle feeders to slow eating and extend feeding time. Weight loss in established obese cats requires veterinary oversight — the target is no more than 1-2% body weight loss per week to avoid hepatic lipidosis.