I wrote last year about National Black Cat Day (27 October), but I came across a cat celebration day in June that made me laugh. June 19th is designated as… Garfield Day!
For anyone who missed the series, Garfield was a tubby ginger cat in a long-running cartoon strip drawn by Jim Davies. The story was that kitten Garfield lived in an Italian restaurant and was fed on lasagne. As he grew, his insatiable greed for lasagne looked likely to bankrupt the restaurant, so the owners persuaded Jon Arbuckle to adopt him. Jon was the perfect cat servant, providing endless dishes of lasagne (sometimes giving in to Garfield’s demands to feed him while Garfield lounged in his cat bed). Garfield was as grateful as any cat, becoming tubbier, lazier, and more sarcastic, playing pranks on Jon and Jon’s daft dog Odie. The cartoon first appeared on June 19th 1978 and claims to be the longest running cartoon strip in America.
I’ve written before about food and drink that is harmless to humans and poisonous to cats (For The Love of Cats), but thinking about Garfield’s odd diet does remind me that it isn’t just poisonous foods that can harm a cat’s health. Cats can and do eat more than is good for them, and the extra weight is never good news. It puts extra pressure on their joints – which increases arthritic pain and worsens heart problems – and can lead to diabetes and kidney disease. Young cats will run off the extra weight as part of their daily play, but older cats have learned the joys of finding a comfortable place to snooze off their meals for a few hours and the weight can build up.
Generally, keep an eye on your cat. Eating well and putting on some healthy weight is great news, and you should always be alert if your cat goes off their food for more than a few days for no reason. You should be able to look down on your cat’s back and see a slimmer part where the barrel of their ribcage ends and the sides of their stomach begins. But if the cat is shaped more like a rugby ball, something isn’t right.
If you’re really worried, consult a vet to make sure that it’s nothing worse than over-eating. If it is just a case of Garfield Syndrome – too much food and too little exercise – restrict the cat’s food intake a little (but don’t cut his rations drastically, as this can cause different health problems). Encourage him to move around more. Play with him; get him to leap and pounce on a fishing toy or some string. Get him a puzzle feeder (or make one) to make him move and pat and roll for his treats. If he enjoys following you around the house or garden, take him for short aimless walks to get him in the habit of walking more.
You are more or less in charge of his diet. Okay, he might let himself out to go hunting the local wildlife, but most of what a house cat eats is provided by the owner. Cats need high protein food – good quality dry food or meat – and they do need cat food rather than dogfood, as cat food contains a higher proportion of taurine, a chemical essential for cat health. Cut out the junk food. Yes, most cats like crisps and cats have been known to eat cheese and cake and chips, but none of those foods are helping the overweight cat to get himself back into shape. Definitely – no lasagne!
Don’t let that keep you from enjoying the Garfield cartoons. Garfield’s deadpan sarcasm is a great way to cheer up a dull day. Happy 45th birthday, Garfield (and thank you Jim Davies)!
