Obesity in domestic cats – a literature review

Abstract

Obesity is one of the most important nutritional disorders affecting domestic cats, and has a multifactorial etiology. Main risk factors include age, breed, gender, neutering, type of food, and frequency of feeding. In addition to the metabolic syndrome, obesity is associated to development of orthopedic diseases and skin disorders. Obesity increases anesthetic risk and decreases longevity and quality of live. Body condition score is the standard method of diagnosis, and treatment consists in dietary energy restriction and exercise programs. Prevention is paramount to disease control. In this article we review the current literature related to feline obesity and highlight its prevalence and etiology, as well as the role of adipose tissue – as an endocrine organ –, in the diseases. Comorbidities, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are discussed.