Abstract
Recently, it has been reported that about one third of domestic cats in Japan are obese, and that such obesity tends to be associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. We therefore surveyed the attitude of pet owner’s to feline obesity and measured the degree of obesity using a Feline Body Mass Index (FBMITM) table based on data for the cat’s waist circumference (α) and the length from the stifle to the hock joint (β). The results revealed that owners considered chubby cats to be more appealing, and that 43% of all cats were obese with an average fat ratio of 29.7% (standard average was 21%) based on the FBMITM table. In view of these results, we considered that owners would notice feline obesity visually, and accordingly devised a color-coded FBMITM tape measure that would be useful for indicating the degree of obesity. We used a commercial tape measure graduated in centimeters on both sides, and colored it with 8 shades every 2 cm on both the α and β sides respectively, and on the X and Y axes of the FBMITM table bearing the same 8 colors. In a survey of α and β, the same color indicated the normal standard: for a body fat ratio of 21%, using the different colors, it was possible to calculate that one single color ( 2 cm) is equivalent to a body fat ratio of ± 3 %. As owners can also judge a cat as lying within the range of normal body shape, obese or thin by checking the color, it is anticipated that this new FBMITM tape measure will be useful for prevention and resolution of obesity based on the owners’ high level of appraisal.
