The country's heaviest cat died this weekend.

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Why would someone do that to their cat? It's animal abuse.

Cats can't lose weight on dry food. Some vets recommend it as a diet food because many owners are reluctant to feed anything else, but one doesn't really do cats any favors by feeding them dry kibbles. Cats have evolved to consume most of their water intake through the prey they eat. So when they feel thirsty, their first impulse is to eat, not to drink. But after eating dry food they'll feel even thirstier and end up eating more than they actually need.

Another problem is that dry food contains way too much fiber and starch. Cats shouldn't eat any starch or sugar. Their bodies need large amounts of protein, which is lacking in dry food (as well as in cheap wet food). Low protein intake also causes cats to overeat, and the carbohydrates in dry food cause rapid weight gain. The only healthy cat food is wet food without plant protein, grains and by-products that contains at least 70% real meat. Additional water intake can be encouraged with a cat drinking fountain, since cats don't like to drink from standing water (that's why many cats are fascinated by water faucets or a toilet flush. In nature, running water is safer to drink than standing water).

My first cat -- the first that I had since I started living on my own, that is -- was already 7 years old and overweight when I got her. She was used to dry food, refused to eat anything else and never lost weight. She gained more weight later on when she had arthritis and didn't move around much anymore. It's really hard to manage a cat's weight, especially when they refuse to eat anything healthy But she still got 18 years old.

When her liver gave up (a side effect of her arthritis medication) and she was in obvious pain, I had to have her put down. I'll never forget how the vet looked at me when I opened the transport box. It was clear that he thought "how can anybody let a cat become this fat?" Back then, I swore myself if I ever got a cat again, I'd raise her myself and get her used to healthy food from day one.

Which I did with my two current cats. Aside from occasional treats such as prawns or salmon, I only feed them healthy wet food like Vet-Concept, Mac's and Classic Cat. I don't have to ration it; they have access to food 24/7, but never eat more than they need and are both slim and extremely active. Whereas cats that live on dry food with high grain filler content are usually quite lethargic and sleep most of the day. They appear content, but many of them are diabetic due to the unnaturally high carbohydrate intake and are probably close to a hyperglycaemic coma after pigging out at the food bowl.

My mother wouldn't listen to any of that to save her life. She's always over fed and over everything every pet she's had that I know of. They get hugely overweight, she takes the to the vet for every sneeze, she buys them all kinds of stuff they don't need, and basically overprotects them the same way she did me when I was a kid. They are always very antisocial to everybody but her too.