According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 60 percent of all cats in the U.S. are overweight due to an over-abundance of nutritious food and adequate exercise.
The sad part is that overweight cats don't live as long due to obesity-related illnesses like arthritis, diabetes, and kidney disease.
But putting your cat on a diet is not an easy thing and needs to be approached very carefully.
Veterinarians say pet owners refuse to believe that it's about the amount of food they eat that makes all the difference.
Any cat that is overweight should have a physical exam, their exact weight measured and blood and urine tests run to test everything from thyroid hormone levels to any metabolic dysfunction.
If the cat is physically normal aside from the weight, a gradual and careful weight loss program can be instituted.