Keep your cat mentally stimulated and offer it plenty of opportunity for exercise, and it will have less opportunity to be destructive in your home. If your cat is frustrated or bored, it may chew your plants, scratch your furniture or tear your draperies. Changing your cat's behavior is not impossible, but frequent exercise is one of the best solutions to behavior problems. Exercise is also essential to your cat's health because it enhances the functioning of its heart and blood vessels while developing muscles. Obesity is the number one nutritional disorder among cats. Studies suggest that approximately 25 percent of the cats presented to veterinary clinics are overweight. The number of obese cats appears to increase steadily as the cat has evolved from living as a hunter in barns and outdoors to a more sedentary house companion. These changes in lifestyle, coupled with increased availability of palatable and energy-dense pet foods, have contributed to the increased incidence of obesity in adult cats. This extra weight puts your cat at risk for certain health problems involving the cardiovascular, respiratory and skeletal systems. Knowing how to recognize the signs of obesity and taking corrective action is important. But more importantly, is knowing how to keep pets in good condition to start, thus avoiding the development of obesity in the first place. Regardless of predisposing factors, however, the underlying cause of obesity in all animals is a surplus of energy. The more your pet exercises, the more calories it burns and the less fat it accumulates. Take your cat's activity level into consideration when deciding how much food to feed him or her. Preventing excessive weight gain is the best approach to weight control in pets. It is much more difficult to achieve weight loss once the animal has gained the extra kilograms. For those pets at risk of becoming overweight or for those animals already carrying extra kilograms, one or more of the following guidelines apply: Reduce or eliminate table scraps and treats. These are often high in fat and calories which contribute to excessive intake. Reduce the amount of the current complete and balanced pet food. It is best to measure the amount of food your animal receives. This helps keep the serving size consistent and prevents the natural tendency to pour a little extra in the bowl. Increase the amount of exercise your pet receives. For cats, the owner may have to entice the pet to play as a way to increase activity. Consider switching to a low-calorie or light pet food. These products are typically lower in fat and higher in fibber. This allows the owner to continue to serve a nice-sized portion while reducing the number of calories the pet actually receives. Consult a veterinarian before beginning any weight reduction program. The veterinarian will design a weight loss program for the individual pet and help identify specific problems and suggest alternatives along the way. It is also helpful to have the pet weighed periodically to track progress.