Identifying the target population and preventive strategies to combat feline obesity

Hannah Godfrey; Shawna Morrow; Sarah K Abood; Adronie Verbrugghe

doi:10.1177/1098612X241228042

Identifying the target population and preventive strategies to combat feline obesity

J Feline Med Surg. 2024 Feb;26(2):1098612X241228042. doi: 10.1177/1098612X241228042.

Authors

Hannah Godfrey¹, Shawna Morrow², Sarah K Abood², Adronie Verbrugghe²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
² Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.

PMID: 38415669
DOI: 10.1177/1098612X241228042

Abstract

Feline obesity continues to be a priority health and welfare issue. Most research surrounding obesity currently focuses on obesity treatment. However, treatment for feline obesity is slow, often unsuccessful and not without consequences. Identifying high-risk populations for obesity onset is crucial for developing and implementing preventive strategies. This review identifies post-gonadectomy kittens aged 5-12 months as the primary target population for obesity prevention in domestic cats and highlights dietary and feeding management strategies to be implemented for obesity prevention.

Keywords: Weight gain; dietary intervention; energy requirement; feeding management; gonadectomy; nutrition.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Castration / veterinary
Cat Diseases* / prevention & control
Cats
Diet
Female
Obesity* / prevention & control
Obesity* / veterinary
Risk Factors