People see fat cats as subjects of humor. They make cartoons with cute captions, manipulate photos into amusing cards, and crack jokes about their rotund companions. As harmless as it seems, obesity in our feline companions is not a joke. The health risks are very real. For nearly 40% of American cats, their lives will be shortened by years due to this preventable problem.

All cat owners should know if their cat is obese, what problems are associated with obesity, what causes obesity, and how to fix problem.

So how do I know if my cat is obese?

Obesity is commonly defined as being more than 20% above ideal weight. How that ideal weight is determined, however, isn't always cut and dried. Unlike humans, who have Body Mass Index and other various charts to guide them, there isn't an established chart of acceptable weights for cats due to large variations between different breeds. A Maine Coon will be much heavier than a Siamese. For this reason, obesity in cats is determined using body condition scoring. Body condition scoring usually ranges from 1 to 9, with 5 being ideal and 9 being grossly overweight.

So how can you tell if your cat's too fat? Feel his sides. Can you feel his ribs? A little fat covering is ideal. You should be able to feel his ribs if you put slight pressure on his sides, but you shouldn't be able to count them just by running your hand over his body. Look at him while you're standing above him. Can you see his waist? Yes, cats should have a waist. Look at him from side. Do you see his tummy tucking in a bit? It shouldn't be wobbling around in breeze (in neutered animals, a slight pouch of loose skin is normal).

For long-haired cats, it may be helpful to wet down their fur in bathtub to judge their body condition. All that fur can give illusion that cat is much heavier than it really is, or provide a great excuse to owner for why her cat looks fat. (See links following this article for an illustrated chart to help you.)

So He's Fat. Is It That Dangerous?

The short answer: YES.

The long answer: a list of known risks. Obese cats have a much higher risk of developing:

*diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) *hepatic lipidosis / FLS (a form of liver disease) *arthritis or other skeletal problems *lower urinary tract disease ('cystitis') *breathing difficulties *heart failure *renal disease *problems with anesthetic *surgical complications

But He Doesn't Eat THAT much...

Excess weight is all about eating more calories than body needs. If your cat is neutered, he uses less calories. If he's a barn cat, he uses a lot more calories. The more active he is, more calories he needs. Most of us have indoor cats that lay around much of time. They're not using energy to stay warm; they're not hunting for their food. They don't need to have a big bowl of food laying around to munch on 24 hours a day.

I don't really know his name. I felt an intense need to give him one, though, so I named him Oscar. In my head, anyway. I never got to call him that, at least while he was alive. My mind often wanders to thoughts of him in those small moments of day that creep up on me - those tiny moments when my mind isn't really focusing on anything at all. No thoughts of car payments or code fragments or who I was supposed to call but forgot. I see him briefly. That fluffy, lifeless, ginger-colored mass lying by side of road.

It was just a normal day. I was out walking my dog along one of many semi-busy suburban streets that litter my neighborhood. Traffic was whizzing by at usual 40 miles an hour, drivers looking to get home in time for dinner or to make it to store or whatever it is they look to do in such a hurry. None of them paid me any attention. It was just your garden-variety summer afternoon, hazy sun, buzzing insects, and all.

As we walked down street, my dog became a bit more animated. She craned her head and pulled at her leash a bit, interested in something about 15 feet up road. Approaching area, I noticed first flies. There weren't many, but flies aren't exactly noted for hanging around side of road unless there is something there to interest them. Steeling myself against site of some unfortunate raccoon or possum, I kept walking. But it wasn't a raccoon. Or a possum. There, lying in shaded grass to right of sidewalk, partially hidden by branches of a bush poking through an adjoining fence, was a fluffy, almost fat, ginger striped cat.