"They will get used to it"
Question:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have bumped him up. >If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. >If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth >it. >Try this. Get out a toy and everytime he responds, toss him a piece of dry >food. Playing is a great way to exercise. There is also a ball that you put >kibble in and when the kitty rolls it around, a piece of kibble falls out. >Missy loves this one!! She is such a "food hound" should have named her >"Mikey." >Cyndy 
I have a cat who loves people food. His favorites are peas and mushrooms. He also loves: canteloupe, margarine, snow peas, lima beans, corn, jalapeno peppers, mac& cheese, top ramen (without the juice), etc. We changed his name at 8 months to Maynard. We just found ourselves saying "Good stuff, Maynard!" way too often. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
Response:
>I have bumped him up. >If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. >If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth >it.
Try this. Get out a toy and everytime he responds, toss him a piece of dry food. Playing is a great way to exercise. There is also a ball that you put kibble in and when the kitty rolls it around, a piece of kibble falls out. Missy loves this one!! She is such a "food hound" should have named her "Mikey." Cyndy
Response:
> And they cost a arm and a leg, too !!
Ha, just like anything with the words Glucosomine or Soy in it. Suddenly, prices have sky rocketed. Grrrrr. Karen
Response:
I have bumped him up. If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth it.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’d say you’re not feeding your cat enough. > Joe and Monty Hansen > I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet > is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese > ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went > with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to > get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too > bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we > got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), > declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I > mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household > when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his > "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times > it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a > cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his > new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down > to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food > obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, > ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying > frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a > day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise > he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind > off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. > More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days > two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing > playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This > week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Response:
I’d say you’re not feeding your cat enough. Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Response:
And they cost a arm and a leg, too !! Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to > get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too > bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > actually, blood sugar testing kits are sold over the counter. Some people > do use them for diabetic cats; however, sticking a cat once daily for blood > even is a huge problem for many cats. > —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– > http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! > —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–
Response:
I am sorry to hear your cat died. You must really miss her. Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> At the time, 6-7 years ago, it took special equipment and blood was either sent > out to a lab, or done in-house if they had the $$$ equipment. > Mildred passed away about 5 years ago, at age15, so I am out of date as to the > latest advances in feline diabetes. > We had a little scare in 1991 when, with no notice, Lilly took their pork > derived insulin off the market and all that was left was insulin derived from > Humans. Humalin looked like it would work (cats are no more related to pigs than > people) and testing had been going on at the vet schools for only 6 months, so > no one really knew if cats could handle Humalin long-term. > So cats were being switched to Humalin en-mass. I called the vet school > pharmacist (a good source of the latest info, btw), to see how things were going > and she said good. As it turned out cats _could_ handle Humalin, but nobody knew > for sure for quite a while. And at that time, there was no very slow release > Humalin, but I hear that there is now. > Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for > cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for > you. > -Denise
Response:
>At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so little >could gain weight on that.
When your body thinks it is not getting enough food, the metabolism slows down, and the body works on storing food. The fastest way to get a POW to gain weight is to feed and fast them. This is why many people gain weight as soon as they come off a diet. Their body is still in fasting mode, so it doesn’t realize it can start burning it again. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup >a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so >little >could gain weight on that. >Yes, I think you should ask your vet because that also sounds like too little >food to me. What I would do in this situation is probably switch to a good >quality canned food and try to increase his amount of exercise per day. I know >you have tried, but there are little things you can do that can add up to a >significant amount of calories per day. I read about one person who carried the >bowl of food up and down the stairs a few time (with the cat chasing after, >wanting the food) just to have the cat get more exercise. >yngver
You can sit at the top of a stair way and toss the kibble down one at a time. After the cat goes down, give him one at the top, then have him go down again. Make him work for it. It gives him something to do as well as some exercise. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
Response:
A whole website for feline diabetes. Great! We sure needed that years ago when info was a tad sparse. People used to give us the oddest looks, when we had to excuse ourselves to go home and feed the cat. If we tried to explain why, the looks got odder. Sometimes they would blurt out, "A diabetic CAT??? You have to stick with NEEDLES??? I could never do THAT! YUCK!" Well, you know some people.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Too bad they don’t make sugar blood >testing kits, but they don’t. > Sure they do. Glucometers that people use are great for home testing > cats, and with the rebates that are regularly offered you can usually > get one for little to no money if you look around. Here are instructions > on how to home test diabetic cats: > http://felinediabetes.com/glucose.htm > Megan > "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do > nothing." > -Edmund Burke > Learn The TRUTH About Declawing > http://www.stopdeclaw.com > Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: > http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
Response:
At the time, 6-7 years ago, it took special equipment and blood was either sent out to a lab, or done in-house if they had the $$$ equipment. Mildred passed away about 5 years ago, at age15, so I am out of date as to the latest advances in feline diabetes. We had a little scare in 1991 when, with no notice, Lilly took their pork derived insulin off the market and all that was left was insulin derived from Humans. Humalin looked like it would work (cats are no more related to pigs than people) and testing had been going on at the vet schools for only 6 months, so no one really knew if cats could handle Humalin long-term. So cats were being switched to Humalin en-mass. I called the vet school pharmacist (a good source of the latest info, btw), to see how things were going and she said good. As it turned out cats _could_ handle Humalin, but nobody knew for sure for quite a while. And at that time, there was no very slow release Humalin, but I hear that there is now. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for > cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for > you. > -Denise
Response:
Are there any low cal filler foods that can be added? My dog needed to lose weight, and won’t lose weight at even 3/4 cup of diet kibble per day (no other food). We finally lowered the kibble to half a cup and added in green beans. She loves the green beans, and they are non-fat with very few calories. She is much happier, and went from 17 lbs to 15 lbs in about 2 months. She has an enlarged heart and used to hack every night. Now that the weight is off, she doesn’t hack anymore. So, perhaps there is something you can use for filler that add few calories, but help your kitty feel full and happy. The trick is to find something the cat likes but is not bad for the cat. Also, if you have to go ahead and free feed to keep him happy, go with the lowest calorie food you can use that will maintain proper nutrition but fill him up. Perhaps after he is content that he has enough food, his obsession won’t be so bad. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
Response:
Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for you. -Denise
Response:
>Too bad they don’t make sugar blood >testing kits, but they don’t.
Sure they do. Glucometers that people use are great for home testing cats, and with the rebates that are regularly offered you can usually get one for little to no money if you look around. Here are instructions on how to home test diabetic cats: http://felinediabetes.com/glucose.htm Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
Response:
>At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup >a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so >little >could gain weight on that.
Yes, I think you should ask your vet because that also sounds like too little food to me. What I would do in this situation is probably switch to a good quality canned food and try to increase his amount of exercise per day. I know you have tried, but there are little things you can do that can add up to a significant amount of calories per day. I read about one person who carried the bowl of food up and down the stairs a few time (with the cat chasing after, wanting the food) just to have the cat get more exercise. yngver (delete "nojunk" to e-mail)
Response:
Rosemary- Nutro makes a Lite dry food which was successful in helping my cat lose 2 pounds over a 6 months span. Not a lot of weight, but enough for him to be back in his ideal range. Because it’s Lite, it has more carbohydrates than regular Nutro Max adult, but it also has much less fat. My cats really like Nutro. There’s a nutritional comparison of all types of food at: http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/jmpeerson/ Hope this helps, Michele – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet >is >> called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > <snip> > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. >More >> food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > <snip> >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. >> That is the decision. > Denise responded: >Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat >can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just >cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry. > I have a fat cat myself (and I’m fat myself). I confess I haven’t tried to put > my cat through the multiple diet attempts I’ve tried to put myself through. I > feed my 2 cats Hills Science Diet Hairball Control Formula Light dry food, and > between them, they each appear to eat about 3/4 cup per day. It’s a fairly > high fiber food. > Lately after reading all these innova/nutro max posts, I have been rethinking > what to feed my kitties, but I’ll confess again that I face a basic dilemna: > I don’t want my cat to be hungry all day. I know what it’s like to be hungry > all day. I think my cat WILL be hungry all day on even lower fat higher fiber > food than she’s on now, in even more restricted amounts. > Furthermore, I know from personal experience that it takes a certain amount of > fat in one’s diet to feel satiated, even if your stomach is so full you’re > about to POP. You could have eaten 15 heads of lettuce and still feel hungry > if you have had no fat or protein in the last couple of days. Obviously I’m > exaggerating here, but that’s the way it works. The more you restrict the fat > & protein, the hungrier you get, no matter how full your tummy is of fiber. > Sorry. I’ve been there. Me & the panda bears eating all that bamboo. It > passes right through and somehow something in your body knows that and your > brain doesn’t send satiety signals saying "ok I’m not hungry anymore". > I believe that cats are obligate carnivores (meaning they must eat meat to > survive). I believe that cats don’t like big changes in their diet (meaning I > shouldn’t change anything quickly, and any changes should be slow and gradual, > mixing food, etc.). > I think I’m probably feeding them too much carbohydrate as it is (I think > most of us are feeding our cats too much carbohydrate). I know you’ll probably > think I’m a real nut (if you don’t think I am already) but I think all of us > people are probably eating too much carbohydrates too, at least in the way of > processed grains & sugar, and that’s why so many people & cats have diabetes > now. Have I given up those evil foods? Sometimes, once for 8 months at a > stretch, but it’s very hard, and those are the only things that settle your > stomach when your stomach is upset. > Unfortunately, my fat kitty is also my kitty that easily gets colitis when she > eats something unusual (like insects when she happens to find/catch some — > they’re indoor kitties). And she’s pretty slow to try something new anyway. > She really will only even take a few sips of tuna water when I offer it. She > seems to act like she’s happy to just keep doing what she’s doing, with the > light hairball control dry stuff. > So I don’t know what to do. And I really feel for you about your kitty who > keeps leading you to his food bowl! I don’t know how you’ve had the > self-discipline to get this far! > Rosemary, the Atkins diet dropout and bad kittymom
Response:
I checked in to these over the counter blood tests about 6-7 years ago and everybody, from the corner druggist to the state university professor at the vet school who specializes in diabetes to the chemist at one of the companies I called that made them said that they were inaccurate for animals. The chemist said that they were working on it, but that cat’s blood chemistry varied widely from animal to animal so they were not having much luck. (Or something like that, but it is hard to remember.) He said management was putting a high priority on animals because of the sales opportunities. Maybe they have succeeded by now. Mildred, the diabetic, would have been ideal to test. She was very compliant and never flinched when I would give her shots unless I was very careless. I gave that cat thousands of shots and I never had a problem. Same with pilling. She was so easy to work with. BTW, if you have a diabetic cat, it is a good idea to keep corn syrup around to rub on gums in an emergency. Fortunately, this only was needed twice.
Response:
I agree that it is too little, but I have been fiddling for over 5 years. If I feed him 3/4 of a cup he balloons rapidly. I am not kidding. He can add 2 or 3 lbs in 6 months easily. When I fed him what IAMS recommends for weight loss, about a cup and 3/4 a day, he jumped as high as 21 lbs. So I started backing down very very slowly. No crash diets here. A year later he was back down to 18 lbs. Another year later 16 lbs. And then he held steady. I think the normal amount fed to boarded cats is 1/2 cup a day since they don’t get much exercise in the cage. At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup a day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so little could gain weight on that. He not an overly built cat meaning no broad shoulders or wide hips and looking down it him he looks like a sausage. His health is more than fine. His coat is perfect, no tartar buildup on teeth. Nothing unusual at all. Because of the diet, I have him checked twice a year. I think next time, I will ask for a blood test, just too see if there is anything there.
Response:
<snip tale of dieting kitty> >I upped his rations for a few days two >weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup.
Just curious, is this per day or per feeding? On my kitties’ bag of Nature’s Recipe weight control formula, it states that a 15-20 lb. cat should be fed 1 3/8- 1 7/8 C. per day to decrease weight, or 1 3/4- 2 C. per day to maintain weight, stating to adjust as needed per activity level. I don’t know if this seems like a lot, but I have one 18 and one 13 lb. cat, and am feeding them about a cup each per day, broken down into 3-4 feedings. They both seem happiest with this set up (I had to change the amounts around, too), although I don’t see the larger one losing any girth. >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or >Unhappy, thinner cat.
Personally, I would much rather see my Bart happy and fat! I saw him much less fat and suffering from liver disease a few years ago, and don’t care to duplicate that scenario again (he’d stopped eating and became ill around the time I tried switching him to diet food–I assume that’s the cause but I’m not totally certain). Besides, I think he’s so cute and cuddly with his extra weight, and he has no trouble in the least in getting around (and into stuff)! Kirsten
Response:
>> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet >is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly.
<snip> > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. >More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary.
<snip> >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Denise responded: >Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat >can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just >cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry.
I have a fat cat myself (and I’m fat myself). I confess I haven’t tried to put my cat through the multiple diet attempts I’ve tried to put myself through. I feed my 2 cats Hills Science Diet Hairball Control Formula Light dry food, and between them, they each appear to eat about 3/4 cup per day. It’s a fairly high fiber food. Lately after reading all these innova/nutro max posts, I have been rethinking what to feed my kitties, but I’ll confess again that I face a basic dilemna: I don’t want my cat to be hungry all day. I know what it’s like to be hungry all day. I think my cat WILL be hungry all day on even lower fat higher fiber food than she’s on now, in even more restricted amounts. Furthermore, I know from personal experience that it takes a certain amount of fat in one’s diet to feel satiated, even if your stomach is so full you’re about to POP. You could have eaten 15 heads of lettuce and still feel hungry if you have had no fat or protein in the last couple of days. Obviously I’m exaggerating here, but that’s the way it works. The more you restrict the fat & protein, the hungrier you get, no matter how full your tummy is of fiber. Sorry. I’ve been there. Me & the panda bears eating all that bamboo. It passes right through and somehow something in your body knows that and your brain doesn’t send satiety signals saying "ok I’m not hungry anymore". I believe that cats are obligate carnivores (meaning they must eat meat to survive). I believe that cats don’t like big changes in their diet (meaning I shouldn’t change anything quickly, and any changes should be slow and gradual, mixing food, etc.). I think I’m probably feeding them too much carbohydrate as it is (I think most of us are feeding our cats too much carbohydrate). I know you’ll probably think I’m a real nut (if you don’t think I am already) but I think all of us people are probably eating too much carbohydrates too, at least in the way of processed grains & sugar, and that’s why so many people & cats have diabetes now. Have I given up those evil foods? Sometimes, once for 8 months at a stretch, but it’s very hard, and those are the only things that settle your stomach when your stomach is upset. Unfortunately, my fat kitty is also my kitty that easily gets colitis when she eats something unusual (like insects when she happens to find/catch some — they’re indoor kitties). And she’s pretty slow to try something new anyway. She really will only even take a few sips of tuna water when I offer it. She seems to act like she’s happy to just keep doing what she’s doing, with the light hairball control dry stuff. So I don’t know what to do. And I really feel for you about your kitty who keeps leading you to his food bowl! I don’t know how you’ve had the self-discipline to get this far! Rosemary, the Atkins diet dropout and bad kittymom
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry. -Denise – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
> her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t.
actually, blood sugar testing kits are sold over the counter. Some people do use them for diabetic cats; however, sticking a cat once daily for blood even is a huge problem for many cats. —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–
Response:
>>Ask your vet about diet foods like OM.<<
Tried that for about a year. No change. Put him back on IAMS diet food since it seemed to make no diff.
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I learned on this newsgroup that a cat needs a certain amount of calories to avoid liver problems. Also, a cat should not lose weight too fast. You may not be feeding your cat enough to maintain its health. First, ask your vet how much your cat should weigh. Then, call the company that makes the food you feed your cat and ask how many kcals are in the size can you buy or in a certain measure of dry food. Then when Phil kicks in with the formula, you can figure out how much food you need to feed your cat to get it to lose weight but maintain its liver function and energy level. You and your wife sound like such caring people. These cats are lucky to have found their way to your home. Annie, who also has a chunky cat, but is working on it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. (snip) > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
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I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 of a cup. Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not interested in anything but his food bowl cat. I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of it. I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More food, more activity, less food more sedentary. I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. That is the decision.
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have bumped him up. >If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. >If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth >it. >Try this. Get out a toy and everytime he responds, toss him a piece of dry >food. Playing is a great way to exercise. There is also a ball that you put >kibble in and when the kitty rolls it around, a piece of kibble falls out. >Missy loves this one!! She is such a "food hound" should have named her >"Mikey." >Cyndy
I have a cat who loves people food. His favorites are peas and mushrooms. He also loves: canteloupe, margarine, snow peas, lima beans, corn, jalapeno peppers, mac& cheese, top ramen (without the juice), etc. We changed his name at 8 months to Maynard. We just found ourselves saying "Good stuff, Maynard!" way too often. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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>I have bumped him up. >If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. >If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth >it.
Try this. Get out a toy and everytime he responds, toss him a piece of dry food. Playing is a great way to exercise. There is also a ball that you put kibble in and when the kitty rolls it around, a piece of kibble falls out. Missy loves this one!! She is such a "food hound" should have named her "Mikey." Cyndy
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> And they cost a arm and a leg, too !!
Ha, just like anything with the words Glucosomine or Soy in it. Suddenly, prices have sky rocketed. Grrrrr. Karen
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I have bumped him up. If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth it.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’d say you’re not feeding your cat enough. > Joe and Monty Hansen > I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet > is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese > ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went > with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to > get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too > bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we > got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), > declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I > mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household > when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his > "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times > it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a > cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his > new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down > to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food > obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, > ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying > frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a > day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise > he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind > off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. > More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days > two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing > playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This > week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Response:
I’d say you’re not feeding your cat enough. Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Response:
And they cost a arm and a leg, too !! Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to > get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too > bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > actually, blood sugar testing kits are sold over the counter. Some people > do use them for diabetic cats; however, sticking a cat once daily for blood > even is a huge problem for many cats. > —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– > http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! > —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–
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I am sorry to hear your cat died. You must really miss her. Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> At the time, 6-7 years ago, it took special equipment and blood was either sent > out to a lab, or done in-house if they had the $$$ equipment. > Mildred passed away about 5 years ago, at age15, so I am out of date as to the > latest advances in feline diabetes. > We had a little scare in 1991 when, with no notice, Lilly took their pork > derived insulin off the market and all that was left was insulin derived from > Humans. Humalin looked like it would work (cats are no more related to pigs than > people) and testing had been going on at the vet schools for only 6 months, so > no one really knew if cats could handle Humalin long-term. > So cats were being switched to Humalin en-mass. I called the vet school > pharmacist (a good source of the latest info, btw), to see how things were going > and she said good. As it turned out cats _could_ handle Humalin, but nobody knew > for sure for quite a while. And at that time, there was no very slow release > Humalin, but I hear that there is now. > Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for > cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for > you. > -Denise
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>At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so little >could gain weight on that.
When your body thinks it is not getting enough food, the metabolism slows down, and the body works on storing food. The fastest way to get a POW to gain weight is to feed and fast them. This is why many people gain weight as soon as they come off a diet. Their body is still in fasting mode, so it doesn’t realize it can start burning it again. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup >a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so >little >could gain weight on that. >Yes, I think you should ask your vet because that also sounds like too little >food to me. What I would do in this situation is probably switch to a good >quality canned food and try to increase his amount of exercise per day. I know >you have tried, but there are little things you can do that can add up to a >significant amount of calories per day. I read about one person who carried the >bowl of food up and down the stairs a few time (with the cat chasing after, >wanting the food) just to have the cat get more exercise. >yngver
You can sit at the top of a stair way and toss the kibble down one at a time. After the cat goes down, give him one at the top, then have him go down again. Make him work for it. It gives him something to do as well as some exercise. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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A whole website for feline diabetes. Great! We sure needed that years ago when info was a tad sparse. People used to give us the oddest looks, when we had to excuse ourselves to go home and feed the cat. If we tried to explain why, the looks got odder. Sometimes they would blurt out, "A diabetic CAT??? You have to stick with NEEDLES??? I could never do THAT! YUCK!" Well, you know some people.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Too bad they don’t make sugar blood >testing kits, but they don’t. > Sure they do. Glucometers that people use are great for home testing > cats, and with the rebates that are regularly offered you can usually > get one for little to no money if you look around. Here are instructions > on how to home test diabetic cats: > http://felinediabetes.com/glucose.htm > Megan > "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do > nothing." > -Edmund Burke > Learn The TRUTH About Declawing > http://www.stopdeclaw.com > Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: > http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
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At the time, 6-7 years ago, it took special equipment and blood was either sent out to a lab, or done in-house if they had the $$$ equipment. Mildred passed away about 5 years ago, at age15, so I am out of date as to the latest advances in feline diabetes. We had a little scare in 1991 when, with no notice, Lilly took their pork derived insulin off the market and all that was left was insulin derived from Humans. Humalin looked like it would work (cats are no more related to pigs than people) and testing had been going on at the vet schools for only 6 months, so no one really knew if cats could handle Humalin long-term. So cats were being switched to Humalin en-mass. I called the vet school pharmacist (a good source of the latest info, btw), to see how things were going and she said good. As it turned out cats _could_ handle Humalin, but nobody knew for sure for quite a while. And at that time, there was no very slow release Humalin, but I hear that there is now. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for > cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for > you. > -Denise
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Are there any low cal filler foods that can be added? My dog needed to lose weight, and won’t lose weight at even 3/4 cup of diet kibble per day (no other food). We finally lowered the kibble to half a cup and added in green beans. She loves the green beans, and they are non-fat with very few calories. She is much happier, and went from 17 lbs to 15 lbs in about 2 months. She has an enlarged heart and used to hack every night. Now that the weight is off, she doesn’t hack anymore. So, perhaps there is something you can use for filler that add few calories, but help your kitty feel full and happy. The trick is to find something the cat likes but is not bad for the cat. Also, if you have to go ahead and free feed to keep him happy, go with the lowest calorie food you can use that will maintain proper nutrition but fill him up. Perhaps after he is content that he has enough food, his obsession won’t be so bad. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for you. -Denise
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>Too bad they don’t make sugar blood >testing kits, but they don’t.
Sure they do. Glucometers that people use are great for home testing cats, and with the rebates that are regularly offered you can usually get one for little to no money if you look around. Here are instructions on how to home test diabetic cats: http://felinediabetes.com/glucose.htm Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
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>At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup >a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so >little >could gain weight on that.
Yes, I think you should ask your vet because that also sounds like too little food to me. What I would do in this situation is probably switch to a good quality canned food and try to increase his amount of exercise per day. I know you have tried, but there are little things you can do that can add up to a significant amount of calories per day. I read about one person who carried the bowl of food up and down the stairs a few time (with the cat chasing after, wanting the food) just to have the cat get more exercise. yngver (delete "nojunk" to e-mail)
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Rosemary- Nutro makes a Lite dry food which was successful in helping my cat lose 2 pounds over a 6 months span. Not a lot of weight, but enough for him to be back in his ideal range. Because it’s Lite, it has more carbohydrates than regular Nutro Max adult, but it also has much less fat. My cats really like Nutro. There’s a nutritional comparison of all types of food at: http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/jmpeerson/ Hope this helps, Michele – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet >is >> called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > <snip> > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. >More >> food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > <snip> >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. >> That is the decision. > Denise responded: >Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat >can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just >cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry. > I have a fat cat myself (and I’m fat myself). I confess I haven’t tried to put > my cat through the multiple diet attempts I’ve tried to put myself through. I > feed my 2 cats Hills Science Diet Hairball Control Formula Light dry food, and > between them, they each appear to eat about 3/4 cup per day. It’s a fairly > high fiber food. > Lately after reading all these innova/nutro max posts, I have been rethinking > what to feed my kitties, but I’ll confess again that I face a basic dilemna: > I don’t want my cat to be hungry all day. I know what it’s like to be hungry > all day. I think my cat WILL be hungry all day on even lower fat higher fiber > food than she’s on now, in even more restricted amounts. > Furthermore, I know from personal experience that it takes a certain amount of > fat in one’s diet to feel satiated, even if your stomach is so full you’re > about to POP. You could have eaten 15 heads of lettuce and still feel hungry > if you have had no fat or protein in the last couple of days. Obviously I’m > exaggerating here, but that’s the way it works. The more you restrict the fat > & protein, the hungrier you get, no matter how full your tummy is of fiber. > Sorry. I’ve been there. Me & the panda bears eating all that bamboo. It > passes right through and somehow something in your body knows that and your > brain doesn’t send satiety signals saying "ok I’m not hungry anymore". > I believe that cats are obligate carnivores (meaning they must eat meat to > survive). I believe that cats don’t like big changes in their diet (meaning I > shouldn’t change anything quickly, and any changes should be slow and gradual, > mixing food, etc.). > I think I’m probably feeding them too much carbohydrate as it is (I think > most of us are feeding our cats too much carbohydrate). I know you’ll probably > think I’m a real nut (if you don’t think I am already) but I think all of us > people are probably eating too much carbohydrates too, at least in the way of > processed grains & sugar, and that’s why so many people & cats have diabetes > now. Have I given up those evil foods? Sometimes, once for 8 months at a > stretch, but it’s very hard, and those are the only things that settle your > stomach when your stomach is upset. > Unfortunately, my fat kitty is also my kitty that easily gets colitis when she > eats something unusual (like insects when she happens to find/catch some — > they’re indoor kitties). And she’s pretty slow to try something new anyway. > She really will only even take a few sips of tuna water when I offer it. She > seems to act like she’s happy to just keep doing what she’s doing, with the > light hairball control dry stuff. > So I don’t know what to do. And I really feel for you about your kitty who > keeps leading you to his food bowl! I don’t know how you’ve had the > self-discipline to get this far! > Rosemary, the Atkins diet dropout and bad kittymom
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I checked in to these over the counter blood tests about 6-7 years ago and everybody, from the corner druggist to the state university professor at the vet school who specializes in diabetes to the chemist at one of the companies I called that made them said that they were inaccurate for animals. The chemist said that they were working on it, but that cat’s blood chemistry varied widely from animal to animal so they were not having much luck. (Or something like that, but it is hard to remember.) He said management was putting a high priority on animals because of the sales opportunities. Maybe they have succeeded by now. Mildred, the diabetic, would have been ideal to test. She was very compliant and never flinched when I would give her shots unless I was very careless. I gave that cat thousands of shots and I never had a problem. Same with pilling. She was so easy to work with. BTW, if you have a diabetic cat, it is a good idea to keep corn syrup around to rub on gums in an emergency. Fortunately, this only was needed twice.
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I agree that it is too little, but I have been fiddling for over 5 years. If I feed him 3/4 of a cup he balloons rapidly. I am not kidding. He can add 2 or 3 lbs in 6 months easily. When I fed him what IAMS recommends for weight loss, about a cup and 3/4 a day, he jumped as high as 21 lbs. So I started backing down very very slowly. No crash diets here. A year later he was back down to 18 lbs. Another year later 16 lbs. And then he held steady. I think the normal amount fed to boarded cats is 1/2 cup a day since they don’t get much exercise in the cage. At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup a day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so little could gain weight on that. He not an overly built cat meaning no broad shoulders or wide hips and looking down it him he looks like a sausage. His health is more than fine. His coat is perfect, no tartar buildup on teeth. Nothing unusual at all. Because of the diet, I have him checked twice a year. I think next time, I will ask for a blood test, just too see if there is anything there.
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<snip tale of dieting kitty> >I upped his rations for a few days two >weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup.
Just curious, is this per day or per feeding? On my kitties’ bag of Nature’s Recipe weight control formula, it states that a 15-20 lb. cat should be fed 1 3/8- 1 7/8 C. per day to decrease weight, or 1 3/4- 2 C. per day to maintain weight, stating to adjust as needed per activity level. I don’t know if this seems like a lot, but I have one 18 and one 13 lb. cat, and am feeding them about a cup each per day, broken down into 3-4 feedings. They both seem happiest with this set up (I had to change the amounts around, too), although I don’t see the larger one losing any girth. >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or >Unhappy, thinner cat.
Personally, I would much rather see my Bart happy and fat! I saw him much less fat and suffering from liver disease a few years ago, and don’t care to duplicate that scenario again (he’d stopped eating and became ill around the time I tried switching him to diet food–I assume that’s the cause but I’m not totally certain). Besides, I think he’s so cute and cuddly with his extra weight, and he has no trouble in the least in getting around (and into stuff)! Kirsten
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>> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet >is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly.
<snip> > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. >More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary.
<snip> >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Denise responded: >Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat >can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just >cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry.
I have a fat cat myself (and I’m fat myself). I confess I haven’t tried to put my cat through the multiple diet attempts I’ve tried to put myself through. I feed my 2 cats Hills Science Diet Hairball Control Formula Light dry food, and between them, they each appear to eat about 3/4 cup per day. It’s a fairly high fiber food. Lately after reading all these innova/nutro max posts, I have been rethinking what to feed my kitties, but I’ll confess again that I face a basic dilemna: I don’t want my cat to be hungry all day. I know what it’s like to be hungry all day. I think my cat WILL be hungry all day on even lower fat higher fiber food than she’s on now, in even more restricted amounts. Furthermore, I know from personal experience that it takes a certain amount of fat in one’s diet to feel satiated, even if your stomach is so full you’re about to POP. You could have eaten 15 heads of lettuce and still feel hungry if you have had no fat or protein in the last couple of days. Obviously I’m exaggerating here, but that’s the way it works. The more you restrict the fat & protein, the hungrier you get, no matter how full your tummy is of fiber. Sorry. I’ve been there. Me & the panda bears eating all that bamboo. It passes right through and somehow something in your body knows that and your brain doesn’t send satiety signals saying "ok I’m not hungry anymore". I believe that cats are obligate carnivores (meaning they must eat meat to survive). I believe that cats don’t like big changes in their diet (meaning I shouldn’t change anything quickly, and any changes should be slow and gradual, mixing food, etc.). I think I’m probably feeding them too much carbohydrate as it is (I think most of us are feeding our cats too much carbohydrate). I know you’ll probably think I’m a real nut (if you don’t think I am already) but I think all of us people are probably eating too much carbohydrates too, at least in the way of processed grains & sugar, and that’s why so many people & cats have diabetes now. Have I given up those evil foods? Sometimes, once for 8 months at a stretch, but it’s very hard, and those are the only things that settle your stomach when your stomach is upset. Unfortunately, my fat kitty is also my kitty that easily gets colitis when she eats something unusual (like insects when she happens to find/catch some — they’re indoor kitties). And she’s pretty slow to try something new anyway. She really will only even take a few sips of tuna water when I offer it. She seems to act like she’s happy to just keep doing what she’s doing, with the light hairball control dry stuff. So I don’t know what to do. And I really feel for you about your kitty who keeps leading you to his food bowl! I don’t know how you’ve had the self-discipline to get this far! Rosemary, the Atkins diet dropout and bad kittymom
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry. -Denise – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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> her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t.
actually, blood sugar testing kits are sold over the counter. Some people do use them for diabetic cats; however, sticking a cat once daily for blood even is a huge problem for many cats. —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–
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>>Ask your vet about diet foods like OM.<<
Tried that for about a year. No change. Put him back on IAMS diet food since it seemed to make no diff.
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I learned on this newsgroup that a cat needs a certain amount of calories to avoid liver problems. Also, a cat should not lose weight too fast. You may not be feeding your cat enough to maintain its health. First, ask your vet how much your cat should weigh. Then, call the company that makes the food you feed your cat and ask how many kcals are in the size can you buy or in a certain measure of dry food. Then when Phil kicks in with the formula, you can figure out how much food you need to feed your cat to get it to lose weight but maintain its liver function and energy level. You and your wife sound like such caring people. These cats are lucky to have found their way to your home. Annie, who also has a chunky cat, but is working on it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. (snip) > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
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I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 of a cup. Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not interested in anything but his food bowl cat. I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of it. I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More food, more activity, less food more sedentary. I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. That is the decision.
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have bumped him up. >If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. >If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth >it. >Try this. Get out a toy and everytime he responds, toss him a piece of dry >food. Playing is a great way to exercise. There is also a ball that you put >kibble in and when the kitty rolls it around, a piece of kibble falls out. >Missy loves this one!! She is such a "food hound" should have named her >"Mikey." >Cyndy
I have a cat who loves people food. His favorites are peas and mushrooms. He also loves: canteloupe, margarine, snow peas, lima beans, corn, jalapeno peppers, mac& cheese, top ramen (without the juice), etc. We changed his name at 8 months to Maynard. We just found ourselves saying "Good stuff, Maynard!" way too often. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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>I have bumped him up. >If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. >If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth >it.
Try this. Get out a toy and everytime he responds, toss him a piece of dry food. Playing is a great way to exercise. There is also a ball that you put kibble in and when the kitty rolls it around, a piece of kibble falls out. Missy loves this one!! She is such a "food hound" should have named her "Mikey." Cyndy
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> And they cost a arm and a leg, too !!
Ha, just like anything with the words Glucosomine or Soy in it. Suddenly, prices have sky rocketed. Grrrrr. Karen
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I have bumped him up. If he gets fatter, he gets fatter. If I have to starve my cat to keep him at his optimum weight, it is not worth it.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’d say you’re not feeding your cat enough. > Joe and Monty Hansen > I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet > is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese > ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went > with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to > get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too > bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we > got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), > declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I > mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household > when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his > "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times > it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a > cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his > new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down > to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food > obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, > ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying > frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a > day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise > he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind > off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. > More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days > two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing > playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This > week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
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I’d say you’re not feeding your cat enough. Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
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And they cost a arm and a leg, too !! Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to > get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too > bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > actually, blood sugar testing kits are sold over the counter. Some people > do use them for diabetic cats; however, sticking a cat once daily for blood > even is a huge problem for many cats. > —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– > http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! > —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–
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I am sorry to hear your cat died. You must really miss her. Joe and Monty Hansen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> At the time, 6-7 years ago, it took special equipment and blood was either sent > out to a lab, or done in-house if they had the $$$ equipment. > Mildred passed away about 5 years ago, at age15, so I am out of date as to the > latest advances in feline diabetes. > We had a little scare in 1991 when, with no notice, Lilly took their pork > derived insulin off the market and all that was left was insulin derived from > Humans. Humalin looked like it would work (cats are no more related to pigs than > people) and testing had been going on at the vet schools for only 6 months, so > no one really knew if cats could handle Humalin long-term. > So cats were being switched to Humalin en-mass. I called the vet school > pharmacist (a good source of the latest info, btw), to see how things were going > and she said good. As it turned out cats _could_ handle Humalin, but nobody knew > for sure for quite a while. And at that time, there was no very slow release > Humalin, but I hear that there is now. > Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for > cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for > you. > -Denise
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>At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so little >could gain weight on that.
When your body thinks it is not getting enough food, the metabolism slows down, and the body works on storing food. The fastest way to get a POW to gain weight is to feed and fast them. This is why many people gain weight as soon as they come off a diet. Their body is still in fasting mode, so it doesn’t realize it can start burning it again. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup >a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so >little >could gain weight on that. >Yes, I think you should ask your vet because that also sounds like too little >food to me. What I would do in this situation is probably switch to a good >quality canned food and try to increase his amount of exercise per day. I know >you have tried, but there are little things you can do that can add up to a >significant amount of calories per day. I read about one person who carried the >bowl of food up and down the stairs a few time (with the cat chasing after, >wanting the food) just to have the cat get more exercise. >yngver
You can sit at the top of a stair way and toss the kibble down one at a time. After the cat goes down, give him one at the top, then have him go down again. Make him work for it. It gives him something to do as well as some exercise. Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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A whole website for feline diabetes. Great! We sure needed that years ago when info was a tad sparse. People used to give us the oddest looks, when we had to excuse ourselves to go home and feed the cat. If we tried to explain why, the looks got odder. Sometimes they would blurt out, "A diabetic CAT??? You have to stick with NEEDLES??? I could never do THAT! YUCK!" Well, you know some people.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Too bad they don’t make sugar blood >testing kits, but they don’t. > Sure they do. Glucometers that people use are great for home testing > cats, and with the rebates that are regularly offered you can usually > get one for little to no money if you look around. Here are instructions > on how to home test diabetic cats: > http://felinediabetes.com/glucose.htm > Megan > "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do > nothing." > -Edmund Burke > Learn The TRUTH About Declawing > http://www.stopdeclaw.com > Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: > http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
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At the time, 6-7 years ago, it took special equipment and blood was either sent out to a lab, or done in-house if they had the $$$ equipment. Mildred passed away about 5 years ago, at age15, so I am out of date as to the latest advances in feline diabetes. We had a little scare in 1991 when, with no notice, Lilly took their pork derived insulin off the market and all that was left was insulin derived from Humans. Humalin looked like it would work (cats are no more related to pigs than people) and testing had been going on at the vet schools for only 6 months, so no one really knew if cats could handle Humalin long-term. So cats were being switched to Humalin en-mass. I called the vet school pharmacist (a good source of the latest info, btw), to see how things were going and she said good. As it turned out cats _could_ handle Humalin, but nobody knew for sure for quite a while. And at that time, there was no very slow release Humalin, but I hear that there is now. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for > cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for > you. > -Denise
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Are there any low cal filler foods that can be added? My dog needed to lose weight, and won’t lose weight at even 3/4 cup of diet kibble per day (no other food). We finally lowered the kibble to half a cup and added in green beans. She loves the green beans, and they are non-fat with very few calories. She is much happier, and went from 17 lbs to 15 lbs in about 2 months. She has an enlarged heart and used to hack every night. Now that the weight is off, she doesn’t hack anymore. So, perhaps there is something you can use for filler that add few calories, but help your kitty feel full and happy. The trick is to find something the cat likes but is not bad for the cat. Also, if you have to go ahead and free feed to keep him happy, go with the lowest calorie food you can use that will maintain proper nutrition but fill him up. Perhaps after he is content that he has enough food, his obsession won’t be so bad. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Meghan & the Zoo Crew (Maynard, Kira, Jenny, & Chase) Friesians in the Northwest http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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Ask your vet where he orders his from. They do make them specifically for cats and dogs now, most vets use them. Perhaps he/she could order one for you. -Denise
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>Too bad they don’t make sugar blood >testing kits, but they don’t.
Sure they do. Glucometers that people use are great for home testing cats, and with the rebates that are regularly offered you can usually get one for little to no money if you look around. Here are instructions on how to home test diabetic cats: http://felinediabetes.com/glucose.htm Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
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>At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup >a >day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. >This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so >little >could gain weight on that.
Yes, I think you should ask your vet because that also sounds like too little food to me. What I would do in this situation is probably switch to a good quality canned food and try to increase his amount of exercise per day. I know you have tried, but there are little things you can do that can add up to a significant amount of calories per day. I read about one person who carried the bowl of food up and down the stairs a few time (with the cat chasing after, wanting the food) just to have the cat get more exercise. yngver (delete "nojunk" to e-mail)
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Rosemary- Nutro makes a Lite dry food which was successful in helping my cat lose 2 pounds over a 6 months span. Not a lot of weight, but enough for him to be back in his ideal range. Because it’s Lite, it has more carbohydrates than regular Nutro Max adult, but it also has much less fat. My cats really like Nutro. There’s a nutritional comparison of all types of food at: http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/jmpeerson/ Hope this helps, Michele – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet >is >> called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > <snip> > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. >More >> food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > <snip> >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. >> That is the decision. > Denise responded: >Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat >can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just >cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry. > I have a fat cat myself (and I’m fat myself). I confess I haven’t tried to put > my cat through the multiple diet attempts I’ve tried to put myself through. I > feed my 2 cats Hills Science Diet Hairball Control Formula Light dry food, and > between them, they each appear to eat about 3/4 cup per day. It’s a fairly > high fiber food. > Lately after reading all these innova/nutro max posts, I have been rethinking > what to feed my kitties, but I’ll confess again that I face a basic dilemna: > I don’t want my cat to be hungry all day. I know what it’s like to be hungry > all day. I think my cat WILL be hungry all day on even lower fat higher fiber > food than she’s on now, in even more restricted amounts. > Furthermore, I know from personal experience that it takes a certain amount of > fat in one’s diet to feel satiated, even if your stomach is so full you’re > about to POP. You could have eaten 15 heads of lettuce and still feel hungry > if you have had no fat or protein in the last couple of days. Obviously I’m > exaggerating here, but that’s the way it works. The more you restrict the fat > & protein, the hungrier you get, no matter how full your tummy is of fiber. > Sorry. I’ve been there. Me & the panda bears eating all that bamboo. It > passes right through and somehow something in your body knows that and your > brain doesn’t send satiety signals saying "ok I’m not hungry anymore". > I believe that cats are obligate carnivores (meaning they must eat meat to > survive). I believe that cats don’t like big changes in their diet (meaning I > shouldn’t change anything quickly, and any changes should be slow and gradual, > mixing food, etc.). > I think I’m probably feeding them too much carbohydrate as it is (I think > most of us are feeding our cats too much carbohydrate). I know you’ll probably > think I’m a real nut (if you don’t think I am already) but I think all of us > people are probably eating too much carbohydrates too, at least in the way of > processed grains & sugar, and that’s why so many people & cats have diabetes > now. Have I given up those evil foods? Sometimes, once for 8 months at a > stretch, but it’s very hard, and those are the only things that settle your > stomach when your stomach is upset. > Unfortunately, my fat kitty is also my kitty that easily gets colitis when she > eats something unusual (like insects when she happens to find/catch some — > they’re indoor kitties). And she’s pretty slow to try something new anyway. > She really will only even take a few sips of tuna water when I offer it. She > seems to act like she’s happy to just keep doing what she’s doing, with the > light hairball control dry stuff. > So I don’t know what to do. And I really feel for you about your kitty who > keeps leading you to his food bowl! I don’t know how you’ve had the > self-discipline to get this far! > Rosemary, the Atkins diet dropout and bad kittymom
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I checked in to these over the counter blood tests about 6-7 years ago and everybody, from the corner druggist to the state university professor at the vet school who specializes in diabetes to the chemist at one of the companies I called that made them said that they were inaccurate for animals. The chemist said that they were working on it, but that cat’s blood chemistry varied widely from animal to animal so they were not having much luck. (Or something like that, but it is hard to remember.) He said management was putting a high priority on animals because of the sales opportunities. Maybe they have succeeded by now. Mildred, the diabetic, would have been ideal to test. She was very compliant and never flinched when I would give her shots unless I was very careless. I gave that cat thousands of shots and I never had a problem. Same with pilling. She was so easy to work with. BTW, if you have a diabetic cat, it is a good idea to keep corn syrup around to rub on gums in an emergency. Fortunately, this only was needed twice.
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I agree that it is too little, but I have been fiddling for over 5 years. If I feed him 3/4 of a cup he balloons rapidly. I am not kidding. He can add 2 or 3 lbs in 6 months easily. When I fed him what IAMS recommends for weight loss, about a cup and 3/4 a day, he jumped as high as 21 lbs. So I started backing down very very slowly. No crash diets here. A year later he was back down to 18 lbs. Another year later 16 lbs. And then he held steady. I think the normal amount fed to boarded cats is 1/2 cup a day since they don’t get much exercise in the cage. At 1/2 a cup he holds steady at 15 – 15 1/2 pounds. Last year, on his 1/2 cup a day diet he went up to 16 1/2 lbs once, but came back down in a month or two. This really surprised me. I could not understand how a cat being fed so little could gain weight on that. He not an overly built cat meaning no broad shoulders or wide hips and looking down it him he looks like a sausage. His health is more than fine. His coat is perfect, no tartar buildup on teeth. Nothing unusual at all. Because of the diet, I have him checked twice a year. I think next time, I will ask for a blood test, just too see if there is anything there.
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<snip tale of dieting kitty> >I upped his rations for a few days two >weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup.
Just curious, is this per day or per feeding? On my kitties’ bag of Nature’s Recipe weight control formula, it states that a 15-20 lb. cat should be fed 1 3/8- 1 7/8 C. per day to decrease weight, or 1 3/4- 2 C. per day to maintain weight, stating to adjust as needed per activity level. I don’t know if this seems like a lot, but I have one 18 and one 13 lb. cat, and am feeding them about a cup each per day, broken down into 3-4 feedings. They both seem happiest with this set up (I had to change the amounts around, too), although I don’t see the larger one losing any girth. >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or >Unhappy, thinner cat.
Personally, I would much rather see my Bart happy and fat! I saw him much less fat and suffering from liver disease a few years ago, and don’t care to duplicate that scenario again (he’d stopped eating and became ill around the time I tried switching him to diet food–I assume that’s the cause but I’m not totally certain). Besides, I think he’s so cute and cuddly with his extra weight, and he has no trouble in the least in getting around (and into stuff)! Kirsten
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>> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet >is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly.
<snip> > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. >More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary.
<snip> >So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Denise responded: >Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat >can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just >cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry.
I have a fat cat myself (and I’m fat myself). I confess I haven’t tried to put my cat through the multiple diet attempts I’ve tried to put myself through. I feed my 2 cats Hills Science Diet Hairball Control Formula Light dry food, and between them, they each appear to eat about 3/4 cup per day. It’s a fairly high fiber food. Lately after reading all these innova/nutro max posts, I have been rethinking what to feed my kitties, but I’ll confess again that I face a basic dilemna: I don’t want my cat to be hungry all day. I know what it’s like to be hungry all day. I think my cat WILL be hungry all day on even lower fat higher fiber food than she’s on now, in even more restricted amounts. Furthermore, I know from personal experience that it takes a certain amount of fat in one’s diet to feel satiated, even if your stomach is so full you’re about to POP. You could have eaten 15 heads of lettuce and still feel hungry if you have had no fat or protein in the last couple of days. Obviously I’m exaggerating here, but that’s the way it works. The more you restrict the fat & protein, the hungrier you get, no matter how full your tummy is of fiber. Sorry. I’ve been there. Me & the panda bears eating all that bamboo. It passes right through and somehow something in your body knows that and your brain doesn’t send satiety signals saying "ok I’m not hungry anymore". I believe that cats are obligate carnivores (meaning they must eat meat to survive). I believe that cats don’t like big changes in their diet (meaning I shouldn’t change anything quickly, and any changes should be slow and gradual, mixing food, etc.). I think I’m probably feeding them too much carbohydrate as it is (I think most of us are feeding our cats too much carbohydrate). I know you’ll probably think I’m a real nut (if you don’t think I am already) but I think all of us people are probably eating too much carbohydrates too, at least in the way of processed grains & sugar, and that’s why so many people & cats have diabetes now. Have I given up those evil foods? Sometimes, once for 8 months at a stretch, but it’s very hard, and those are the only things that settle your stomach when your stomach is upset. Unfortunately, my fat kitty is also my kitty that easily gets colitis when she eats something unusual (like insects when she happens to find/catch some — they’re indoor kitties). And she’s pretty slow to try something new anyway. She really will only even take a few sips of tuna water when I offer it. She seems to act like she’s happy to just keep doing what she’s doing, with the light hairball control dry stuff. So I don’t know what to do. And I really feel for you about your kitty who keeps leading you to his food bowl! I don’t know how you’ve had the self-discipline to get this far! Rosemary, the Atkins diet dropout and bad kittymom
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. > Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. > The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with > her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. > This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got > him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed > and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If > he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when > he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Not necessarily. Ask your vet about diet foods like OM. This way, the cat can eat enough that he feels full, yet still lose weight. Sometimes just cutting back on their normal food will leave them feeling hungry. -Denise – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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> her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an > accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad > they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t.
actually, blood sugar testing kits are sold over the counter. Some people do use them for diabetic cats; however, sticking a cat once daily for blood even is a huge problem for many cats. —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–
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>>Ask your vet about diet foods like OM.<<
Tried that for about a year. No change. Put him back on IAMS diet food since it seemed to make no diff.
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I learned on this newsgroup that a cat needs a certain amount of calories to avoid liver problems. Also, a cat should not lose weight too fast. You may not be feeding your cat enough to maintain its health. First, ask your vet how much your cat should weigh. Then, call the company that makes the food you feed your cat and ask how many kcals are in the size can you buy or in a certain measure of dry food. Then when Phil kicks in with the formula, you can figure out how much food you need to feed your cat to get it to lose weight but maintain its liver function and energy level. You and your wife sound like such caring people. These cats are lucky to have found their way to your home. Annie, who also has a chunky cat, but is working on it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is > called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. (snip) > He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it > comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. > When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of > low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home > (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 > of a cup. > Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well > adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not > interested in anything but his food bowl cat. > I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the > teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies > etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he > holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. > I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is > running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets > is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of > it. > I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More > food, more activity, less food more sedentary. > I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two > weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful > cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I > cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. > So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. > That is the decision.
Response:
I love how vets say this when you present an obese cat to them and a diet is called for. Sure they will. And pigs can fly. Since my wife and I adopt used cats one at a time, we have had two obese ones. The first one had diabetes and obesity and was on a strict diet that went with her insulin. She lived to be 15. One other thing was that the only way to get an accurate sugar level was by blood test. Urine tests were misleading. Too bad they don’t make sugar blood testing kits, but they don’t. This new guy, we have had for 5 years and weighed about 18 pounds when we got him. He is 8, neutered at 7 weeks (they do that at the shelters here), declawed and does not like the feeling of walking on grass, if you know what I mean. If he gets out, he cowers. A yellow Lab puppy was introduced to his household when he was 6 months old. I can only imagine the fun that Lab had with his "toy." He has an eating disorder. He wolfs the food down so fast that many times it comes right back up, so he is fed with a teaspoon. When we first got him, I let him have as much food as he wanted (about a cup of low diet IAMS dry) while he adjusted, but then after he got used to his new home (about six months), I began to taper off just a tiny bit. I cut him down to 7/8 of a cup. Well. Hmph. Did his nose go out of joint. Where once I had a happy, well adjusted (if there is such a thing) playful cat. I now had a food obsessed, not interested in anything but his food bowl cat. I kept cutting him down maybe an 1/8 of a cup every 2 months or so, ignoring the teeth punctures on the back of my ankles, ignoring the all-day crying frenzies etc until he actually began to lose a little weight. At a half a cup a day, he holds fairly steady at 15 to 15 /12 lbs. I try to play with him, but playtime lasts a whole 30 seconds before he is running to show me his empty food bowl. In fact, about the only exercise he gets is running to the food bowl and sitting around crying. Can’t get his mind off of it. I swear that he adjusts his activity to the amount of food that he gets. More food, more activity, less food more sedentary. I tried an experiment to prove this. I upped his rations for a few days two weeks ago to 5/8 of a cup. Sure enough, all of a sudden I had a bouncing playful cat. We chased each other around the house and had a grand time. This week, I cut him down a little. Sleeps all day. So, to the point. Happy, fat cat or Unhappy, thinner cat. That is the decision.
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