Dieting Ms Daisy

 

Cats can frequently put on some extra pounds, particularly as they become older and less active or if they are kept inside. Especially if their name is Daisy.

Now Daisy had a tough upbringing before she settled with us. Until then she'd never been sure when the next meal was coming, or where it was coming from. As a result she gulped down her own food, then pushed her kids off of their bowls, before she went a scavenging. We let this behaviour slide "because she's had it tough" but this was a bad idea. Now settled, Daisy did less. So she got bigger. And bigger. Until she had a real problem; she was obese.

 

Obesity is a particularly common nutritional disorder, with approximately one in three of every adult cats affected. As cats become overweight it makes them more prone to health problems such as constipation, diabetes, osteoarthritis and lower urinary tract problems. As a result it’s important to keep a regular eye on your cat’s weight and body condition.

 

How can you work out if your cat is overweight?

 

As weight gain is gradual it can be hard to work out if your cat is overweight, so it’s advisable to get your vet to make regular checks. However, to check yourself you can simply run your hands around your cat’s abdomen and sides.

• If your cat is a good weight you should be able to feel but not view their ribs relatively easily without them being covered by too much fat.
• Your cat is likely to be moderately overweight if their waistline is difficult to see, you can feel some fat under their tummy, but their ribs can still be felt.
• Your cat is likely to be classified as obese if no waistline is visible, their ribs cannot be felt and they have a rounded tummy with a hanging layer of fat (especially if it sways when walking).

However, before making any changes to your cat's diet to reduce weight, please speak to your vet. It is important that your vet checks your cat's weight and assesses whether any underlying diseases might be contributing to the issue.

 

Reduce/cut out treats and snacks

 

One way to help reduce your cat's weight is to begin stopping all treats for a period.  They will give you THAT look but it is for their own good. For this to work it's important that everyone in the family and even close neighbours know this to ensure there's no selective cheating or stocking up on food with Mrs Miggins at Number 9! Also if you have a number of cats, you should feed the cats separately to avoid any stealing from others - although this is easier advice to give than to follow!

 

Try light food formulas

 

It may also be worth considering putting your cat on a special 'light' food formula. These light diets are enriched with all the essential nutrients your cat should need, but are less concentrated, with reduced calories. This also means that you may not need to reduce the quantity of food that you give your cat. If your cat is already on a prescribed diet from your vet, it is important to contact them first before changing their food.


Several leading brands offer carefully prepared light diets based on the latest scientific advances in quality, taste and nutrition to help support a managed weight loss program. These include:


Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Obesity Management Feline
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Obesity Management Feline Wet
Hills Prescription Diet R/D Feline
Hills Prescription Diet R/D Feline Minced (Tins)
Hills Prescription Diet W/D Feline
Hills Prescription Diet W/D Feline Minced (Tins)

Keep your cat active

 

Don't forget that food is only part of the equation. Like with humans, lifestyle can be important too. Lack of exercise can often lead to cat's putting on weight, so encourage your cat to keep active and use up more calories. This could be for instance through scheduling some dedicated playtime with toys or introducing a climbing tower or scratching post, as well as time outdoors. Find what works for each cat - Daisy loves scrunched up bits of paper she pushes around the floor like an ice hockey puck. But she only wants to play around 9pm in the evening, but when you find works with them - use it to your and their advantage.

Things have changed a fair bit in 10 years

Back in 2005 Tony Blair was elected for a third term, while Charles and Camilla got hitched. London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics, then suffered the terrible bombing on July 7th. Liverpool FC won their 5th European Cup, while Lance Armstrong won his 7th Tour de France. Live 8 concerts were held to highlight global poverty, while New Orleans was smashed by Hurricane Katrina. Oh and in the basement of veterinary surgery just outside Bristol a small business was started.
That was us, Pet Drugs Online, and now we’re nigh on 10 years old. As great aunt Maude was so fond of saying, “my how we’ve grown”*.

A tentative dip of a veterinary toe in then unknown waters of e-commerce, Pet Drugs Online was at first an experiment to see if pet owners really would buy their medicines via the internet. Employee No.1 Steph, (who now oversees the prescription team) would regale the vets with news of how 5, then 10, and eventually an incredible 20 orders were placed each day. There was an appetite and it was growing.

The following years have seen a huge number of changes for both us and our customers. We’ve out grown four buildings and have had five iterations of our website. Our customers now shop by smartphone rather than landline, while more prescriptions are now sent via email and social media than post. Initially were part of a veterinary group with 9 surgeries, but now we total over 150. Which offers us business stability and an increasing pool of expertise to call upon, all focused on the one thing that has stayed the same – making pets better!

From day one, the focus of Pet Drugs Online has been to lower the cost of veterinary medicine and to make this service available to all of the UK. That way customers get more meds for their money, and that means longer term, higher quality care for their pets. Which is the point. It’s about the pets. And although we now serve 1000’s of customers a day rather than 5 or 10, we need to remember this lies at the very heart of what we do.

What will the next decade hold for Pet Drugs Online? No idea! We’ll be ready, looking at each and every new development (3D printed tablets anyone?) to see if it can help make pets better – and if it is possible/practical/feasible. But who knows what the world will be like in 2025! After all in 2005 who would have predicted Bournemouth in the Premier League, twerking becoming an entry in the dictionary or that beards would regain a level of popularity not seen since Victoria ruled!
*And I’ve never worked out why great Aunt Maude so muddled her impersonal pronouns