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OBESITY IN CATS
Obese cats can predispose to Diabetes, Hepatic Lipidosis and arthritis.
FREE CHOICE FEEDING THE main reason for feline obesity (as well as obesity in other mammals) is the consumption of too much food. Deny it all you want, it is a fact. What we should do. Feed two to six small portions daily and control the amounts fed so that over a period of time the cat does not gain weight. ..between 0.6 and 1.0 ounce of food per meal for a seven-pound cat. about the same weight as a mouse. Cat owners must stop thinking in terms of "cups of food" and start thinking in terms of ounces of food. PROTEIN We all know how cats crave mice and birds as a food source. A natural source of nutrition for carnivores, mice and birds are a perfect diet for a cat. Did you know that a mouse or a bird is composed of only 3 to 8 percent carbohydrate and most of that is what happens to be from what the prey was eating and is in the digestive tract? The rest is water, a few minerals, and mostly protein and fat. What we do... Many of us purchase dry cat foods, some with food coloring to make it look like meat and with flour and sugars and preservatives. What we should do... We must feed cats a diet with high percentages of protein and fat and low percentages of carbohydrate (grains) if we expect them to maintain optimum body weights and a proper state of nutrition. Protein is THE key nutrient in a carnivore diet. On a dry weight basis... where the percent of ingredients is determined without any water in the ration... a feline's diet should contain 35 to 45 percent protein, 40 percent fat, and the remained carbohydrate. [Canned food generally has more protein and fat but the label percentages may make it seem lower because of the water content]. LABEL RECOMMENDATIONS All pet foods come with Recommended Feeding instructions. The problem is that these recommendations are NOT absolute requirements even though most pet caretakers think they have to feed their pet the recommended amounts. Most house kept dogs and cats, if fed at the amounts stated in the label recommendations, will eventually become overweight. Pay attention to your pet's body weight (size) and just by simple observation decide if it is overweight. If so, don't feed so much. Feeding the "Recommended " daily portions indicated on pet food labels will nearly always result in feeding more calories than the animal needs for an average day's energy requirements. What we should do. Tailor the amount fed to the cat's body character and physical activity. If the cat looks and feels overweight. it is! You are feeding too much for that cat's daily needs for energy for exercise or physical activity; and regardless of what the pet food label's suggested amounts to feed are, you must feed less than that if the cat is to have a normal (healthy) body weigh. http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/catweight.html |
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"Jeff Harper" wrote in message ... Has anyone invented an exerciser, such as a treadmill for cats? |
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"Jeff Harper" wrote in message ... Has anyone invented an exerciser, such as a treadmill for cats? |
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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 17:33:59 +0000, Adam Helberg wrote:
"Jeff Harper" wrote in message ... Has anyone invented an exerciser, such as a treadmill for cats? Now there is a project for you!. A number of years ago, when I first got a treadmill, my Siamese (RB) was interested and tried to walk on it. I turned it on slowly and she walked several steps. When she stopped walking she rode it to the back and fell off. She soon lost interest. MLB |
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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 17:33:59 +0000, Adam Helberg wrote:
"Jeff Harper" wrote in message ... Has anyone invented an exerciser, such as a treadmill for cats? Now there is a project for you!. A number of years ago, when I first got a treadmill, my Siamese (RB) was interested and tried to walk on it. I turned it on slowly and she walked several steps. When she stopped walking she rode it to the back and fell off. She soon lost interest. MLB |
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In article .net,
enlightened us with... "Jeff Harper" wrote in message ... Has anyone invented an exerciser, such as a treadmill for cats? The same person would then have to invent a drug to make the cat think it is a dog. After they get done in the emergency room and all. -- -- ~kaeli~ Does the name Pavlov ring a bell? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace |
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