It seems that America not only has a problem with obese humans, but obese pets as well. I randomly googled a search on "fat cats", and the number of results were incredible. In under one minute, I read about the famous Russian fat cat, Katy.
Then I found a story about a fat cat in Berlin, Mikesch, that was turned into a shelter. He became fat, because his owner fed him a pound of mince meat a day! Cats are not the only fat pets either. Dogs are fast becoming dumpy in America as well.
Why are America's pet becoming obese? Experts say, it's because pet owners are "humanizing" their pets. We tend to treat them often, and much like our own workouts, become lax in walking and exercising routines. For a short list of calories per treat, click HERE. An overweight pet faces many of the same risks as overweight humans. Risks such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and hip dysplasia are all common in obese pets. For a complete list of risks, click HERE. How do we conqueor this problem? Experts say, we can stop feeding table scraps, cut back on their regular food, and exercise, exercise, exercise!! For some good diet tips, click HERE. For a weight reduction program, click HERE.
I have a fat cat and a couple of dumpy dogs at my house. I'm hoping to start a new routine. Fergie is a larger dog prone to hip dysplasia. She weighs more than she should, especially at a young age. My goal is to teach her to walk in the neighborhood for exercise (she can sleep more than any dog I've ever seen for age 4!). She is trained to walk on lead, but is really frightened out in the neighborhood. Casey said that he'd work with me to help her. She tends to do better, when she buddies up with Bear. With Casey's help, we can take them both at the same time. I'm going to try to cut back the treats to once a week too. I think everybody could benefit from that, even my pocketbook. I'm going to TRY to cut out any yummies off of my plate as well. Remember don't confuse treating with love. I keep trying to say that over and over to myself.
Hopefully by following these tips, we all will have happier, healthier pets that stay with us for a long, long time. Everyone have a great day!
