Overweight Cats Risk Serious Disease

Pet owners may see their cat's fat belly as cute, but being overweight increases their risk of disease, pain, and premature death. Elizaveta Galitckaia/Shutterstock

Q: My cat Fred’s fat underbelly swings when he walks. I think it’s cute, but his veterinarian says he needs to lose weight. What’s wrong with a cat being overweight?

A: Fred has lots of company: The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reports that 60 percent of U.S. cats are overweight or obese.