The assesment of prevalance and risk factors foroverweight or obesity in cats

Obesity is the most common multifactorial malnutrition in cats, resulting from energy intake exceeding energy expenditure. This study was conducted to determine the risk factors associated with overweight or obesity in cats. The study, which was carried out on 513 cats brought to the veterinary clinics in and around Çorum, included the demographic characteristics of the owner and the cat, the characteristics of the environment in which the cat lives, the type of food given to the cat, the amount of food and frequency of meals, the frequency of visits to the veterinary clinic, whether body weight monitoring was carried out together with the cat. Questionnaires on the duration and frequency of play or exercise were sent to the owner. Breed, age, sex, neuter status and body condition scores of the cats were determined and recorded by the veterinarians. After univariate logistic regression analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the most important risk factor among the variables examined in the study. As a result of the multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was determined that age, breed, sex, neuter status of the cat and exercise habits were important risk factors for the development of overweight or obesity. It was found that older age, male sex, neutered cats, less exercise duration and frequency, and especially British cats had a significantly increased risk compared to other cats. It is recommended that attention be paid to the energy intake of cats with these characteristics and that cat owners are made aware of energy consuming activities.