This picture was posted on Cute Overload a few days ago, and I’ll admit, I’m confused. What exactly is cute about a cat this obese? He certainly has a handsome face, but from the neck down he’s looking more tragic than cute. This cat should probably be 1/3 as wide as he currently is.

Thankfully his family is putting him on a diet, but it begs the question – why, as a culture of cat lovers, do we still have positive associations with the image of the overweight cat, when the negative health consequences of being over weight are so well known?

Many cat owners recognize the risks of an overweight kitty, but others still hold it up as an ideal.

Where does this attitude come from?

The strange perception of fat cats being cute probably comes from a variety of sources.

• Is it the happy fat cat image that is portrayed in the media (Garfield et al)?
  
• Is it lack of education by veterinarians and organizations that adopt out cats (shelters, pet stores, breeders etc) to new owners?
  
• Do cat owners lack the ability or education to distinguish between muscle mass (healthy weight) and fat mass (unhealthy weight)? Or even between a cat looking “fat” because of dense fur, vs a cat being fat because it is carrying excess weight?
• Do people just fail to make the connection that obesity is a health issue that crosses species lines?
  
• Have pet food manufacturers provided misinformation about cat health and appropriate feeding?
• Are cat owners, unable to manage their cats weight, assuaging their guilt and negative feelings about this failure by attributing positive traits to obesity, thereby making it seem “not as bad”?

I believe all these are contributing factors to the “cute fat cat” perception.

Why should we care?

Even if we know that being obese is bad for our kitties, it’s much easier to ignore the very real dangers of obesity if we have a positive aesthetic association. We’re more likely to take our own cats’ weight less seriously and we’re less likely to discuss the inherent problems when the topic of fat cats comes up with other cat owners who may be less educated or aware.

So what can we do?

As a cat owner you can:

• monitor your cat’s weight,
• put your fat cats on a diet,
• discuss your experiences with dieting and health problems caused by feline obesity with other cat owners,
• contact cat food companies and demand that they put better feeding guidelines on cat food packages & provide accurate information about cat nutrition,
• learn to determine if your cats are at a healthy weight through observation,
• discuss weight concerns with your vet,
• don’t glorify obesity by sharing images without discussion or expression of concern.

As a shelter volunteer or worker you can:

• talk to the public and other volunteers about cat nutrition,
• talk to potential owners about the special needs of over weight cats,
• ensure that new owners of over weight cats are prepared to take the necessary steps to bring their new cat’s weight down,
• educate others about the dangers and health risks of feline obesity,
• show potential owners the consequences of obesity that some of the shelter cats are experiencing (poopy bottoms, mats, arthritis, daily medical treatment required for diabetic cats etc)
• correct misconceptions that fluffy, cobby or large cats are “fat”,
• correct misconceptions that fat cats are “big boned” or “muscular”.

As a veterinarian you can:

• make sure your clients understand the dangers of feline obesity,
• determine your patient’s ideal weight so that their owners have a baseline,
• teach your clients how to use their hands and eyes to determine if their cat’s weight is changing,
• teach your clients how to use their bathroom scale to weight their cat,
• provide feeding guidelines based on what your clients are feeding, and make recommendations on switching to a more appropriate diet if necessary,
• make sure your clients understand the seriousness of obesity and how important it is to be persistent in reaching and maintaining ideal weight,
• promote the benefits of a healthy cat.

We live in a society that has a tendency to glorify unhealthy extremes and ignore the underlying dangers of things we consider aesthetically pleasing. Changing cultural attitudes isn’t easy, but we can start by changing our own and promoting the beauty that comes with good health.

All too often I hear of people who are giving up their beloved family pet because their landlord enacted a new no-pets policy, or because they are moving into a rental property that has a no-pets policy. Less frequently, I also hear of landlords who will allow cats but require that they be declawed.

Before you accept a rental policy that costs your family, disrupts your life and harms your pet, there are a few steps you should take.

Know your rights

Did you know that, as a tenant, you have certain rights? Each area will have its own set of rules and bylaws for tenants and landlords, but don’t just assume that your landlord is following these rules. Make sure you know what your rights are regarding your tenancy and pets before you are forced into doing anything.

For example, did you know that in Ontario your landlord cannot evict you or force you to get rid of your pet unless they are dangerous, causing excess noise, damage to the unit or allergy problems? Even if you signed a lease with a no-pets agreement, they cannot evict you. No-pets clauses are considered invalid under the law and the only way you can be evicted for having a pet is if the Landloard and Tenant Board of Ontario determines that the pet meets one of the above criteria. This means that, while a landlord can choose not to rent to someone who has pets, once you have started your rental and are moved in, they cannot evict you for having pets.

Laws will vary depending on where you are, but don’t let yourself be bullied into disrupting your life or your cat’s life when the law may actually be on your side! Be informed.

Don’t capitulate, negotiate

If local laws will not protect you and your pets, then the next step is not to give up and give in, but to negotiate and educate your landlords.

Most landlords that do not allow pets or that require cats to be declawed have these policies because they are worried about property damage. Noise, allergies and messes in communal areas such as the lobby or front law may also be a factor.

As a responsible pet owner it is worth your while to try to educate your landlord about why these policies are misguided and unnecessary. If you can provide reasonable alternatives so that your landlord can feel that their interests are sufficiently covered you may be able to convince them to change their rental policies.

1. Acknowledge their concerns. Be polite and reasonable and let them know that you understand their concerns and respect their desire to maintain a clean, undamaged building.
2. Explain normal cat behaviour. The people creating policy may be completely unfamiliar with cat behaviour. Explain that cats can easily be trained to use a scratching post instead of the carpet, and that cats instinctively prefer to bury their waste in clean litter rather than depositing it just anywhere. Explain that cats do not typically scratch at walls, doors and trim, and that even an untrained cat is more likely to scratch the tenant’s furniture than destroy the unit itself. Let them know that you will provide a clean litter box and appropriate surfaces for your cat to scratch.
3. Let them know that your cats are spayed/neutered. Explain spaying/neutering eliminates the undesirable cat behaviours that they may be concerned about, such as yowling, territory marking with urine & feces, fighting, and attracting stray cats to the area. Let them know that these behaviours are typical of intact animals and that yours have been fixed.
4. Assure them that your cat will be in a carrier or on a leash any time they are in a public area. Animals running at large can be dangerous and a nuisance. Reassure them that your cat will be kept under control at all times.
5. Explain what declawing is and that it often results in other undesirable behaviour. Many people do not understand what declawing is and have no idea that it may result in other even more undesirable behaviour, like peeing outside the litterbox. Make it clear that declawing is unnecessary and cruel and that if they are concerned about the cat scratching there are alternatives, such as Softpaws, which you would be willing to use.
6. Provide documentation to support your claims. Provide supporting evidence from reputable sources to back up what you are saying. Best Friends Network provides many good resources for tenants who are required to declaw: http://network.bestfriends.org/celebrateclawsnotdeclaw/news/16849.html. If your landlord requires declawing, talk to your vet – they may be able to provide a document or letter supporting your stance against declawing.
7. Offer to pay an additional security deposit. Assure them that while your cat is trained and you do not expect your cat to destroy anything, should something in the unit be damaged by the cat, you will take responsibility for repairing or replacing it. Show that you are serious about this by offering to pay a larger security deposit.
8. Remind them that a responsible tenant is a responsible tenant, and likewise an irresponsible tenant will cause problems even without pets. Their rental agreement should already cover troublesome tenants, such as ones that cause excess noise, disruption or property damage.
9. Offer to provide recommendations on drafting a rental policy that allows pets but protects their building and other tenants. If you can do some of the leg work for them, saving them time and effort, they may be more willing to make changes.

Last resort

If your landlord is unwilling to listen or work with you and insists that you get rid of your pets or declaw, then you have a difficult choice to make. It may be time to consider moving to a more pet-friendly home or if that is not feasible, you may need to re-home your pets. I do not consider declawing your cat to be an acceptable compromise.

Ideally you’ll be able to find a new place that allows pets in its rental agreement. If not, properties that are owned by individuals may provide more flexibility than large rental companies on pet policies – at the very least you may find it easier to get access to someone who has the power to make that decision.

If moving is not an option and you must re-home your pets, do everything in your power to find a new home yourself, rather than dropping your cat off at a shelter. All shelters have an abundance of cats and too few adopters, and your cat runs the risk of being in a cage for an extended period of time or being euthanized if they are not adopted quickly. Use all the resources at your disposal – friends and family, community billboards, Freecycle (if your local list allows) and Craigslist. You’ll feel much better knowing that your cat is going to a home instead of a cage and you will have a say in what type of home your cat goes to.

Contact your local governing body that handles tenant and landlord laws and lobby them to create bylaws that protect pet owners without compromising the safety and integrity of landlords properties.

Through responsible pet ownership and proactively promoting understanding through education we can encourage property owners to set reasonable rental rules and decrease discrimination against pet owners.

Photo by Cynthia Berridge.

I keep hearing about people getting their cats declawed or cat owners casually talking about their plans to have their cat declawed. While the idea of declawing a cat causes me great outrage, what upsets me even more is that these cat owners are almost invariably ignorant of what the procedure actually involves – they think declawing is okay because they don’t know any better.

While the general public may be excused for not knowing what declawing is (really, could anything sound more innocuous than “declaw”?) I consider it inexcusable that anyone who has had a cat declawed or is planning to have their cat declawed does not fully understand what the procedure is and the potential negative side effects.

Some questions for the vets

So, veterinarians, why are you declawing cats without having a serious discussion with your clients before hand?

Why are you performing an elective procedure, that is so painful and cruel that almost every country in Europe has forbidden it, without making sure the owners of these cats can make an educated decision?

Why are you not ensuring that cat owners have tried and exhausted all other options for modifying undesirable scratching behaviour before consenting to declaw surgery?

I’m sure some vets find declawing to be a lucrative business – perhaps money is a motivating factor?

I’m sure others are concerned about alientating people by questioning a client’s request for declaw surgery or trying to open up a discussion about it. I also think that that is absurd. I often hear of vets being very vocal in their disapproval of other choices made by pet owners and yet their practices aren’t going out of business for lack of clients.

And ultimately, as the veterinary professional it is your responsibility to make recommendations that are in the best interests of the animal and to help pet owners make informed decisions. It is your responsibility to act ethically.

Some questions for cat owners who have declawed/are considering declaw

And cat owners – why are you not educating yourself about a major surgical procedure?

Why would you consider a major elective procedure without knowing anything about it and without asking your vet a single question about what will be done or what might happen afterward?

Have you made a genuine attempt to address scratching behaviour before considering declawing, or did you jump to declawing as a “easy” solution?

As a cat owner it is your responsibility to make good, informed decisions for your cat. You are all they have and their life and wellbeing is in your hands. Requesting a procedure that is painful, cruel, irreversible and often results in other behavioural issues is not responsible pet ownership.

As a cat owner you also must be willing to accept and manage natural cat behaviours. This doesn’t mean letting your cat destroy everything in your home or injure your family – it means taking the time and effort to train your cat, to channel natural behaviour so that it is not destructive and to understand & work with your cat’s fundamental nature to create a situation where you can both live happily.

Mutilating your cat to save your couch is just bad pet ownership. Doing it out of ignorance is tragic.

Don’t let ignorance hurt cats

Ultimately, ignorance is inexcusable and the damage done to cats out of ignorance is permanent. Almost every single person I’ve talked to who has been educated about what declawing is has expressed their shock and revulsion at the realities of the procedure. Vets – take the time to educate your clients and help them make responsible choices. Cat owners – take the time to educate yourself and do what is right for you and your cat.

Watch for upcoming articles with more on declawing – what it is, why it’s harmful, why cats need their claws, declaw alternatives and fixing undesirable behaviour without harming your cat.

Declawing resources:

• http://www.declawing.com/
• http://www.de-clawing.com/