Why Did My Cat Gain Weight?

If your cat has started gaining weight and you don't know why, it is good that you are concerned and asking yourself what happened. While one of the main concerns about feline overweight is the health problems it can trigger, it is also very important to understand, first of all, why your cat gained weight.

Why do cats gain weight?

There are many reasons a cat may gain weight, ranging from poor eating habits to medical conditions. The best way to understand your cat's weight gain is to take it for a veterinary assessment: the veterinarian can determine the cause and, by understanding whether it is physiological or nutritional, develop a weight loss plan suited to your cat to help it return to a healthy weight.

So if your cat has gained weight, the only way to find out what happened and, above all, help it lose the extra weight that can affect its health and quality of life, is to take it to the veterinarian.

To help guide you on the subject of feline overweight, here are some of the most common causes that can lead a cat to gain weight:

• Spaying or neutering: after the reproductive organs are removed, some cats have been reported to need 20 to 30% less energy^[1] because they no longer need that energy to maintain reproductive functions. In addition, removing these organs may cause the cat to lose the hormonal effect^[1] that regulates appetite, which could lead some spayed or neutered pets to have a bigger appetite and, as a result, gain weight.
• Overfeeding: eating too much leads to obesity and overweight, in people and cats alike. If a cat is allowed to eat as much as it wants all the time, or is given large meals that exceed its recommended portion, it can become overfed; when a cat takes in more energy than it needs, it stores that energy as fat and, therefore, gains weight.
• Low physical activity: house cats commonly have a sedentary lifestyle and spend most of their time lying down or sleeping; lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle can also lead a cat to gain weight.
• Diseases: keep in mind that some diseases can lead to weight gain. Here are some conditions^[2] that can have this effect: diabetes, asthma, hypertension, congestive heart failure, liver disease, urinary tract disease, cancer and joint disease.

As you can see, the list of things that can cause a cat to gain weight is quite long, so we stress once again: the only way to know for sure what is causing your cat's weight gain is to take it to the veterinarian.

To help your overweight cat reach and maintain a healthy body weight, NUPEC^® has designed NUPEC Feline Weight Care, a new specialized feline nutrition product whose reduced-calorie* formula, with added L-Carnitine, Chondroitin and a Balance of Dietary Fibers, can help your cat reach a healthy weight through healthy eating. However, before switching from its regular food to this specialized nutrition product, always get your veterinarian's approval.

If you need more information about this product, or need to set up a weight loss plan for your cat, we invite you to consult your trusted veterinarian, the animal health and nutrition professional who will help you reach that goal.

Finally, we invite you to read Have You Met NUPEC Feline Weight Care?, also available on the NUPEC Blog.

At NUPEC^®, we are committed to enhancing the health, beauty and life of pets through responsible scientific nutrition, bringing fulfillment to their owners.

*Compared with NUPEC^® Feline Indoor

References

• ^[1] ¿Por qué sube de peso una mascota esterilizada?
• ^[2] Rowe, Browne, Casey, Gruffydd-Jones, Murray. Risk factors identified for owner-reported feline obesity at around one year of age: