Feline obesity is a leading cause of diabetes mellitus in cats. Understanding and preventing obesity protects cats from diabetes and its associated welfare harms while improving overall quality of life.
Feline obesity creates a welfare cascade: excess weight causes joint pain, reduced mobility, diabetes, urinary problems, and shortened lifespan. The diabetes connection is particularly significant because feline diabetes is an entirely preventable disease in most cases - preventing obesity prevents diabetes in the vast majority of affected cats. The welfare treatment of diabetes (daily injections, regular glucose monitoring, dietary restriction) imposes welfare costs on the cat and significant burden on owners. Diabetic remission through weight loss demonstrates that the disease pathway is reversible in some cases when obesity is successfully addressed. The welfare case for obesity prevention in cats is clear and supported by the most fundamental welfare principle: preventing suffering is better than treating it.