Feline Fit Club
As vets we are seeing a very worrying trend in the health of the nation’s cats. Approximately 40% of the cats we examine are overweight with a significant number of these falling into the obese category. Many people have become accustomed to seeing overweight cats so they often perceive them as being a healthy weight when in fact they may be seriously overweight. A cat which is 1kg overweight doesn’t sound like much but it is the equivalent of a human being 17kg (2 stone 9 lb) overweight. With similarities to human medicine, overweight cats also face health problems such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, skin conditions, bladder issues and stress which can reduce quality of life and life expectancy.
We are committed to improving the health of our patients and so want to help you to tackle your cat’s weight problem in a healthy way. We run a nurse-led ‘Feline Fit’ weight clinic on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. At the initial session the nurse will assess your cat’s weight and body condition, look at their current diet and lifestyle and then make recommendations to promote healthy weight loss. After your first visit, we recommend regular weight checks so we can assess your cat's progress and make sure you are still giving the correct amount of food daily and also to discuss any problems you may be having.
It is essential that cats lose weight slowly as they can develop a potentially life-threatening liver condition if they are starved. The aim is for them to lose their fat reserves but if they don’t take in enough calories they can also lose their muscle tissues. For this reason it is important to be very careful when initiating a weight loss programme in cats. We therefore plan for a gradual reduction in weight so we ask for you to be prepared to undertake lifestyle and diet changes over the long-term.
Remember YOU are the most important person in managing your cat’s weight but we are here to help!
If you are concerned about your cat's weight then please contact us on 0131 466 7110 for advice.
We are committed to improving the health of our patients and so want to help you to tackle your cat’s weight problem in a healthy way. We run a nurse-led ‘Feline Fit’ weight clinic on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. At the initial session the nurse will assess your cat’s weight and body condition, look at their current diet and lifestyle and then make recommendations to promote healthy weight loss. After your first visit, we recommend regular weight checks so we can assess your cat's progress and make sure you are still giving the correct amount of food daily and also to discuss any problems you may be having.
It is essential that cats lose weight slowly as they can develop a potentially life-threatening liver condition if they are starved. The aim is for them to lose their fat reserves but if they don’t take in enough calories they can also lose their muscle tissues. For this reason it is important to be very careful when initiating a weight loss programme in cats. We therefore plan for a gradual reduction in weight so we ask for you to be prepared to undertake lifestyle and diet changes over the long-term.
Remember YOU are the most important person in managing your cat’s weight but we are here to help!
If you are concerned about your cat's weight then please contact us on 0131 466 7110 for advice.