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.

The Pet Connection Blog’s Dr. Marty Becker is promoting Bayer’s “Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet” campaign. Visit the site to download a $20 voucher that can be used toward any preventative visit (vaccination, deworming, dental, wellness exam etc) to any vet.

http://www.gettothevet.com/

This offer is available to Americans from Feb 16 – 28, 2009 and there are limited vouchers available so get yours today.

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/