One of the most common problems that veterinarians see is cats that are overweight.  From slightly chubby to morbidly obese, cats can suffer many complications related to being overweight.  These include:

• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
• Diabetes
• Fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis)
• Joint problems
• Skin problems (mats from being unable to groom)

To tell if your cat needs to slim down, feel her ribs.  A cat at the ideal weight will have easily felt ribs and an hourglass shape when viewed from above.  If you have to feel around and dig through the layer of fat to the ribs, your cat is probably overweight.

The two most important things you can do to help an overweight cat are:

1. Improve her diet
2. Increase her activity level

Switching your cat to a higher quality, lower calorie diet will often help.  Be careful, though.  An overweight cat that stops eating (because she doesn't like the new food) can end up with fatty liver disease.  Follow the recommendations regarding gradually changing the cat's food.

You can increase your cat's activity level in a number of ways.  Try putting small amounts of food in several different bowls spread around your home.  The cat has to walk to each bowl to eat, burning off a few calories each time (this may not seem like much, but many obese cats are not interested in playing so you have to work up to that).  Read the section on toys and play, and the book Felinestein, for more ideas about toys and games that will help to motivate a cat that is more interested in food than play.