Obesity is the most common preventable welfare problem in domestic cats. Understanding its causes, recognition, and evidence-based management enables owners to protect their cats from chronic suffering.
Feline obesity is a chronic welfare condition that reduces quality of life across multiple domains. Obese cats groom less effectively, increasing skin problems and discomfort; they exercise less, reducing positive social interaction and environmental exploration; and they are at significantly higher risk of diabetes, which itself requires stressful daily injections and blood glucose monitoring. Pain from orthopaedic disease associated with excess weight limits mobility and positive activity expression. The welfare harms are both physical and psychological — reduced activity and exploration create states consistent with chronic low-grade negative affect. Prevention is far easier than treatment: switching from free-choice to portion-controlled feeding post-neutering, providing puzzle feeders that extend meal time, and encouraging active play are effective strategies. Weight loss programmes must involve veterinary oversight; crash dieting in cats can trigger hepatic lipidosis within days of severe caloric restriction — a potentially fatal complication.