Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in cats, causing chronic pain, disease, and reduced quality of life. Prevention through appropriate feeding and enrichment is far more effective than treatment.
Feline obesity is simultaneously a welfare emergency affecting millions of cats and a largely preventable condition. The chronic pain of osteoarthritis in obese cats, the discomfort of excess weight limiting normal grooming, and the risk of life-threatening conditions including diabetes and hepatic lipidosis represent significant suffering that veterinary care, once established, struggles to reverse. Prevention requires owner education about appropriate food quantity, the risks of free-feeding dry food ad libitum, and the use of enrichment feeding strategies that increase activity and extend feeding time. Once obesity is established, veterinary-supervised weight loss programmes using measured portions of appropriate diets enable safe, gradual reduction.