Fat Cats & Chubby Dogs Are Cute, But Should We Be Concerned?

Cats and dogs each have their own distinct personalities just like their human companions.  Some are bundles of energy racing with their big floppy ears to catch their Kong toy for the umpteenth million time, and some are total couch potatoes who just want to chill while watching the latest episode of Cats 101 on Animal Planet. 

Some are svelte, lithe and graceful...

while others are chubby little cuddle bunnies.

Is there anything cuter than your plump puppy or zaftig kitty? Not really. However, is the extra weight affecting your cat or dog in the same way it does people?  According to a recent study, it seems the answer is yes.  Overweight animals have a higher risk for the same diseases we do and now it seems diabetes diagnoses are rising at an even faster rate among dogs and cats than in their human companions.  

The 2011 "State of Pet Health" report is based on data from more than 2.5 million dogs and cats in 43 states.  Nationally, diabetes rates increased by almost 30% in dogs in the last four years and by 16% among cats. By comparison, human diagnoses of diabetes rose 10% over the same period. Diabetes is more commonly found among cats. The biggest factors contributing to the condition are obesity and genetics.  Overeating coupled with a lack of exercise is a recipe for obesity.  

We often worry about our cat, Bella, who came to us this past year from a client who was unable to keep her.  She is the sweetest cuddly baby, but she is very overweight.  We are concerned that her weight is causing undue stress on her heart, could lead to diabetes or other health related issues.  Bella is one of the coach potatoes I referred to earlier, so she doesn't get much exercise, though we have encouraged her to play more and sleep less. We do manage to get her to toddle over to the toy box every now and then.  

Bella-Bella

How can you tell if you little one has diabetes?  Some common signs to be on the lookout for are excessive urination, excessive thirst, your once chubby kitty or doggy can't seem to maintain their weight, they are listless with little to no energy, their coat may look dry and unkempt.   The only way to know for sure is to have your vet run a full urine and blood panel.  Once diagnosed, your pet can still have a healthy quality of life even if they require daily injections of insulin.  

Believe it or not, giving daily injections will probably be more stressful for you than your pet.  Our cat, Beau, did not have diabetes but he did need daily shots.  I remember how horrible it was for us to have to give him the first few.  Honestly, he tolerated it so well.  I believe that our animals sense that we are trying to help them. Being the sweet, trusting souls they are, they try and make it as easy as possible for us.  

What can you do to try and prevent diabetes as well as other weight-related conditions?  Be sure to feed your pet a high-quality, low carb diet and give them plenty of playtime.  Cats in particular need a lot of stimulation or many of them tend to just want to sleep all day.  Dogs can also be guilty of the same sort of behavior. 

Sleepy lazy boys

It's All About the Chubby Paws

Over the years, I've been lucky enough to share my life with wonderful chubby pawed babies.  

I've always loved dogs and cats.  I grew up in Indiana with a beagle named Sammy.  He was an outdoor dog because my parents are from the South and think it's unfair to animals to keep them inside.  No matter how much I try to convince them otherwise, it's wasted breath on my part.  Samuel had big velvety soft, floppy ears. His favorite thing to do was to sit on the back porch with you and give you a bath.  After my parents divorced, he went to live with my dad who he worshiped.  In his twilight years, Sammy went deaf and blind but still gave love to everyone.

When I was 11, a little bundle of orange fur was born - Buttercup (Boo-Boo).  This kitty was the runt of his litter, yet he was the only one of his brothers and sisters to survive.  He was my baby in every sense of the word.  He grew up with me.  Most people I knew considered their pets to be siblings.  Not me. He was my baby, and he helped me through an often awkward adolescence. Every night, he would come scratching at my window, and I would sneak him in.  I had a canopy bed back then, and his favorite thing to do would be to jump on it and go to sleep.  Needless to say, the bent canopy wire was a tell tale sign that he had been there.  "No Mommy, Boo-Boo wasn't in here last night".  Boo-Boo got sick the summer after my freshman year of college. It's hard to believe he's been gone that long.  It still makes my heart hurt.

Annie was the tiniest little tabby I'd ever seen. She looked like she was about 8 weeks old, but she was a full grown cat.  She showed up on my doorstep in college.  Starving and sick and freezing from the cold Indiana January weather, she melted my heart right away.  She was with me for 18 1/2 years until I finally had to let her go.  She taught me many lessons in patience and unconditional love.  I miss her everyday.

Rosie was the funniest, quirkiest and most confident little tuxedo cat I'd ever met.  She and her Mommy, Debbie, came to live with me and Annie in college.  Rosie did not like me for a very long time.  In fact, she pooped on my bed every single day.  I'm not exaggerating!  Then one day out of the blue, she decided that I could be her Mommy too. We lost her at way too young of an age - 11.  Kidney failure is not a pretty thing to witness.

Beauregard Leigh was a red tabby persian that was a big fluffy man.  We had the hardest time trying to name him at first and went through a plethora of names that just didn't fit him.  Then, Beauregard Leigh, Beau-Beau as he was most commonly called, just seemed to be the perfect name for him.  Though we did like to call him Mr. Chubby Paws from time to time, as he had the cutest chubbiest paws ever.  He was beautiful and funny and loving.  He adored Greenies and his Duckie toy but hated getting brushed more than anything.  We had our baby for almost 19 years.  The last year of his life, I took care of him everyday - feeding with a syringe, giving him massages, singing to him. We finally had to say goodbye.  He was just a few months shy of his 19th birthday.  We felt so fortunate to have had such a wonderful baby.  He was a light in our lives.

I used to be a television network executive.  I liked my job.  I got to go to the Emmys, supervise movie sets, work with great writers and producers, yet something was missing.  I had no life.  Living in Los Angeles, everything seems to be about "the business"  - at least it was for me. I searched for a long time for something that would make me happy. In 2009, Debbie came up with an idea for a business we could do together - pet sitting.  We both loved animals so much and wondered if there was a way to combine that love with making a living.  Chubby Paws Pet Sitting & Dog Walking was born.  We named it after our own Mr. Chubby Paws, Beau-Beau.  

Here we are almost 1 1/2 years later.  Even though somedays we are exhausted, we are still thankful.  No matter how much poop you have to scoop, how can you not put a smile on your face when a chocolate lab looks at you with those loving, trusting eyes, and you just know that you are right where you are supposed to be.