In the world of bipedal beasts, aesthetics quickly switch like a slideshow with the passage of time. With the rise of the fitness wave, people have begun to pursue a well proportioned body shape, dominating the ticket circle with abs and vest lines.
But at the same time, looking at the ruler of blue stars – cats, from the popular big face on Weibo to the ubiquitous question of “raising chubby cats” on search engines, it seems that “chubby” and “chubby” are still the aesthetic benchmarks for their owners. However, is being overweight really a good thing for them?
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01 Real Counterexamples
It has been proven that although the excellent hand feel may meet the wishes of the poop shoveling official, it can bring endless pain to the master – today’s blood and tears history comes from myself.
As someone with “children” at home, I have also enjoyed the “family happiness” of being surrounded by flesh and fur.
The three masters used to wander on the streets, but after being incorporated, they gained a lot of weight one by one due to improved food and reduced exercise.
The eldest, long haired and beautiful girl Ginkgo, has skyrocketed in weight from the initial 4kg to 5.5kg, and at its heaviest, weighed about 6kg. Although she was fluffy and fluffy, she once worried about the nurse who was drawing blood during the physical examination, stating that “she is so fat that her blood vessels cannot be found and must be reduced”.
But before she could officially help her lose weight, she encountered a crisis: after moving in June this year, due to not adapting to the new environment, Ginkgo began to lose appetite.
At that time, I was busy with work and neglected to observe, so I couldn’t handle it in a timely manner. I found that her mental state was already quite serious when she was feeling unwell. After treatment, the liver index of Ginkgo biloba exceeded several times the standard, and mild jaundice appeared in the eyes and skin, diagnosed with fatty liver.
At the time of initial diagnosis, Ginkgo biloba was receiving intravenous infusion at a pet hospital and felt very lethargic
Fortunately, after a week of intravenous therapy and more than half a month of artificial feeding and care, the ginkgo gradually recovered. Although she is now able to bounce around, I still feel guilty.
At the pet hospital, I saw some cats with more severe illnesses lying listlessly in their owners’ arms.
Perhaps due to external factors such as changes in the environment or loss of appetite due to other illnesses, the once plump and round cats have gone from anorexia to not eating or drinking when seriously ill, and finally have to rely on nasal feeding to provide energy.
And those who failed the treatment returned to Meow Star like this.
It is lamentable that such tragedies continue to repeat themselves. The owner’s neglect and incorrect aesthetic perception of cats with excessive body size may pose hidden dangers to their health, and continued negligence may even delay the timing of treatment.
Knowing that a cat’s “weight” does not necessarily mean “health” is of great significance to you and your baby.
02 Health Standards
After watching the thrilling adventure of Ginkgo biloba, I think you may start to examine the physique of your master. Obviously, the most direct criterion for testing obesity is weight.
The ideal weight for a regular short haired domestic cat should be between 3.6-4.5kg, but due to differences in breeds and the fact that weight may not fully reflect body fat content, it can only be used as a reference standard.
In fact, besides weight, cats also have a set of standards for judging their physical health, called BCS (Body Condition Score), which can help detect whether a cat’s body size meets or exceeds the standard. The main testing items include the difficulty of touching the cat’s ribs and whether the cat’s waistline is visible from a top-down perspective.
This picture is on a 5-point scale, not the 10 point scale I wrote before
In addition, if the cat’s perianal area is dirty (fat cats may have difficulty leaning down, so they cannot thoroughly clean their entire body), breathing heavily, and snoring, it may also be a sign of obesity.
After the ginkgo tree started to gain weight, it remained in a 4-point position, with excess fat in the abdomen and no visible waistline when viewed from above. If your cat also looks similar, please be vigilant.
Ginkgo, a girl who gained weight before falling ill, and her younger brother Buckwheat, who is also slightly overweight
03 The hazards of obesity
For bipedal animals, the consequences of gaining weight include not only impaired appearance, but also cardiovascular and other chronic diseases that can make the heart and liver tremble.
The health problems caused by gaining weight are not just nightmares for bipedal animals. The personal experience of the beautiful girl Ginkgo proves that for cats, obesity also contains many hidden dangers:
01 Arthritis
The physical burden caused by overweight can put excessive pressure on the joints of cats, making them more susceptible to damage during activities and leading to joint inflammation.
Due to joint pain, cats’ movements are restricted, and over time, their activity levels decrease, making them more likely to accumulate fat and exacerbate obesity problems, leading to a vicious cycle.
02 diabetes
Obese cats can develop insulin resistance, which makes them more prone to diabetes.
03 Fatty liver
The root cause of the illness that has tormented Ginkgo students for half a month is the liver burden caused by the breakdown of fat. The correlation between obese cats and fatty liver is well known.
All of the above are significant hazards to the health of cats. Meanwhile, due to the strong tolerance of cats towards diseases, when obvious symptoms appear, they may have already entered a more severe stage.
04 Prevention and Treatment
The weight loss strategies for bipedal animals and cats are actually not much different, mainly centered around “keeping your mouth shut and taking a step forward”.
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01 Shut up your mouth
From the perspective of diet, improving dietary structure is the primary task. As cats are carnivorous animals, excessive grains in their diet are not beneficial to their physical health. Therefore, it is recommended to replace high carbon water products with high-quality protein and relatively low calorie products as much as possible, and reduce the amount of snacks fed.
At the same time, families who have fed excessively in the past need to gradually reduce their food supply, step by step, until the feeding values corresponding to their age and standard weight are restored. They should not go on a crazy diet for the sake of effectiveness.
At the same time, regular supply also helps cat owners better understand their cats’ eating habits, helping them form regular eating habits and avoid consuming too much energy.
Before falling ill, Ginkgo experienced a considerable period of “buffet”, sometimes finishing his own share and even competing for the food of his younger siblings. Similar issues are also worth paying attention to for families with multiple cats. If manual feeding cannot be scheduled, automatic feeders or similar devices can be considered.
02 Mai Kai Leg
Although cats are known for their agility, not all of them are very active. If a chubby cat lacks exercise, it will have to sprint all the way towards the direction of “cat and pig”.
According to the preferences of chubby cats, different types of amusement facilities (such as cat trees, scratching boards, etc.) can be added to the home, while spending more time with them and enjoying the fun of playing with cat sticks. ：）
A reasonable diet combined with moderate exercise, cat owners still need our patience. For cats, losing 1% weight per week during the weight loss period is relatively reasonable, and they must not act too hastily to meet the standard.
In addition, if obesity has caused problems with eating, activity, and other aspects, it is important to seek medical attention promptly to avoid delaying treatment.
The chubby TA may have an extraordinary cuteness, but please remember that indulgence does not equal love. Ignoring TA’s safety for the sake of human aesthetics is a blatant injury.