Feline Obesity Risk Factors

In the Literature

Rowe EC, Browne WJ, Casey RA, Gruffydd-Jones TJ, Murray JK. Early-life risk factors identified for owner-reported feline overweight and obesity at around two years of age. Prev Vet Med. 2017;143:39-48.

The Research …

Obesity is an important health issue for pet cats, and prevention is critical. This prospective study attempted to identify early-life risk factors for becoming overweight/obese.

Owners of 375 kittens were asked to complete surveys at 4 specific time periods in the kittens’ lives, beginning at 2 to 6 months of age and continuing through approximately 2 years of age. Results largely agreed with previously reported investigations of obesity risk factors. At 2 years of age, 25.3% of the study population was overweight or obese according to owners. The proportion was 36.8% when BCS was measured by a veterinarian.

The data set is large and complex, with many confounding and interrelated variables. However, positive associations were found for cats being overweight/obese at around 2 years of age. The 6 factors considered significant included:

• Owner reporting cat as overweight/obese at 1 year of age

• Use of treat rewards at 18 months of age

• Feeding greater than or equal to 250 g per day of wet food at 2 to 6 months of age

• Feeding dry food as the only or major part of the diet (>50%) at 2 years of age

• Previous veterinary recommendation for weight loss or no previous veterinary comment on BCS

• Owner belief that overweight BCS was ideal or lack of concern that it was too high

… The Takeaways

Key pearls to put into practice:

• Clinicians should educate owners about the health risks of obesity and explain how to assess ideal body condition for pets. Prevention is preferable to reversing obesity.

• BCS should be assessed in all patients, and, if indicated, a weight-loss plan should be discussed with owners.

• Owners should be educated about appropriate feeding practices so that overfeeding is avoided regardless of diet type used. Portion-controlled feeding of specific amounts is indicated to avoid overeating; ad libitum feeding is not advised.

• Kitten owners should be educated about avoiding inappropriate weight gain, especially after spay/neuter. Balancing the need for growth with the need to avoid over-feeding can be challenging. Neutering can result in unwanted increases in food intake and subsequent obesity, which food restriction can prevent.