Cat diet & exercise advice

Fat cat facts

There is currently a pet obesity epidemic in the UK. Obesity reduces a pet’s quality of life, is linked to a number of serious health problems and can shorten a pet’s lifespan.

Sadly, many owners report that they feel ‘happy’ when they feed treats to their cat, with very few feeling any guilt, but many may not realise that they are actually killing their pet with kindness.

But you can make a difference to your cat’s quality of life by following our advice and by talking to your vet about your pet’s health and happiness.

Cat Diet

• Cats are true carnivores, meaning they have to eat certain nutrients that are only found in meat or commercial cat food. 
• It is preferable to feed a complete commercial cat food to achieve the correct balance of nutrients. 
• Too many fatty treats are contributing to the obesity epidemic in cats. Cats do not need treats and should only be given healthy treats occasionally, if at all, to avoid becoming overweight or obese. 
• A cat’s age, weight and shape, alongside packet feeding guidelines and veterinary advice, should be taken into account when deciding how much to feed a cat.

Cat Exercise

• Most cats love playing, which provides good exercise and allows them to behave naturally. Many people think that kittens stop playing when they get older, but many adult cats enjoy daily play with their owners, using suitable toys.
• The best types of toys to keep cats active are those that encourage chasing and hunting-type behaviour. Toys that do this are those that move quickly and unpredictably. Good examples are fishing rod-type toys, or balls intended for cats and kittens. Suitable cat toys are available from most pet shops and pet supermarkets.

Body shape

• To find out your cat’s ideal body weight take a look at our body condition score information (PDF - 225 KB).

Shocking cat obesity statistics

The PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report (PAW) assessed the overall wellbeing of pets When it comes to the diets cats are eating, the Report revealed some worrying findings:

• A significant number of owners regularly give their pet fatty and sugary food such as cake, cheese, chips and chocolate meant for humans. These can also contribute to dental disease.
• Worryingly, nearly one in three cat owners (29%) say they use ‘common sense’ rather than taking informed advice when deciding on feed quantity. It is worrying that, given the prevalence of cat obesity, owners are not using informed sources (e.g. packet feeding guidelines, veterinary professionals) to decide how much to feed their cat.
• More owners said their cat is overweight (41%) or obese (12%) than said it is the ideal weight (38%), or underweight (9%).
• While the majority of cat owners give their cat a specific diet, PDSA’s research shows that the diet cats are following may not be relevant to their life-stage. For example, among junior cats, 55% are following an adult diet and 1% are even following a diet for a senior cat.

Find out more about the state of our pet nation by reading the PAW Report