Cats Information Resource

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Cat Diabetes

A UK-wide study of feline diabetes mellitus found 1-in-230 cats are likely to develop the disease, with a 1-in-57 chance among Burmese cats. This means around 40,000 of Britain's 8 - 9 million pet cats are likely to develop diabetes.

In the USA, with its predominantly indoor-only, dry cat-food culture of cat ownership, there has been a fivefold increase since 1977. According to Danielle Gunn-Moore, Professor of Feline Medicine at the Royal School of Veterinary Studies at Edinburgh University, changes in feline lifestyle are the main contributory factor in obesity and diabetes. Pet cats get less exercise and more calories than their predecessors. A confined, bored cat will pass its time eating and sleeping. Pedigree cats may have increased risk due to being confined indoors through fear of theft.

According to the report in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, veterinary records for 14,030 cats and found 61 had diabetes. Increased lifespan is also a factor as elderly cats are more prone to developing diabetes. Insulin bills can be around £100/month and some cats resent being restrained and injected.

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Monday, March 17, 2008

Effects of Cat Obesity

example This are some information about cat obesity.You can use it to make your cat more healthy:).Obese cats are just like obese humans, are generally less healthy and have shorter life expectancies. The detrimental affects of obesity include:

* Cardiovascular disease
* Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes), specifically late onset diabetes.
* Hepatic lipidosis (a type of liver disease)
* Lameness due to arthritis (joints wear out due to carrying too much weight)
* Cystitis (lower urinary tract disease).

Because obese cats feel less healthy, they are less likely to take exercise and, if the owner doesn't reduce the number of calories fed to the cat, they become more obese. Moderate to severe obesity should not be ignored. Maintaining the cat's bodyweight close to optimal (this can be determined by your vet based on the cat's size and age) avoids obesity-associated diseases.

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Identifying Cat Obesity

Cats vary greatly in their sizes and weights. Overweight is therefore assessed using "body condition scoring".This are few tips to check whether your cat have obesity or not:

Does the cat have a sagging belly or wobbly apron?
How easy is it to feel the cat's ribs? If they cannot be felt at all, it is a sign of too much "padding".
How active is the cat?
Does the cat have difficulty reaching its back or bottom to wash itself?

None of the above is a single indicator of overweight. For example many cats have a loose apron of skin. In some breeds it is genetic, it may also be due to previous weight loss or to pregnancy.