While it may be cute to have a slightly overweight cat, it really does more harm than good. Obesity or being over-weight is just as dangerous for a cat as it can be for a human adult or child. Cats with more than a couple of extra pounds can have severe cardiovascular problems. For extra bit of weight your cat has, the cats body will have to make and produce extra capillaries and veins, to pump blood to the new pounds the cat has put on. Cats with extra weight on their bodies will also have respiratory problems. The heavier a cat gets, the harder it will be for the cat to exercise and may cause problems with their joints; especially in a cats hips.
Over weight cats are more prone to injuries. If they are severely overweight and jump off of a couch your cat could break its leg or legs. When a cat is overweight they become lethargic, causing digestive problems, making it harder for your cat to go to the bathroom and could cause a rupture colon of fecal matter stays in the intestine for too long. Obesity can lead to a number of different disorders and in an older cat can even cause death. If your cat is overweight and experiencing these health disorders you probably never even thought that your cat being overweight had something to do with it, but it does. It may seem cruel to deny your furry fat cat a treat or a little extra to eat, but if you want to keep your cat around for awhile and value you the quality of their life, you may need to place your cat on a diet to keep them healthy and around for years to come; living happy and peppy, instead of lazy and sick.
