Conference misery::feline_v1

    Just how much does she weigh?
    
    Giudi

    If she's really eating as small an amount as you indicated and you're
    not allowing them to free-feed at all she may be Hypo-thyroid.
    
    My parents have a dog that weighed 95 lbs on 1 cup of meal a day!
    The dog was so hungry that it ate anything it could - slippers,
    soap, the couch.....  Finally the vet checked the dog's thyroid
    functions and discovered that she was hypo-thyroid.  Once on
    medication her weight dropped to 55 lbs on 2.5 c of meal per day.
    She's a shepherd/husky mix.  Now at age 10 she's off the medication
    still at 55 lbs.  She had knee surgery on both back legs last
    year so its a good thing they did get her weight under control.
    Basically she looks great.
    
    Anyway - ask the vet about checking the thyroid functions.
      Let us know.
      Nancy DC

    Re -.1  
    
    She's a small framed cat -- at one time the vet said she should weigh
    about 8-10 pounds -- she weighs (if my scale is accurate) about 14-15
    pounds. (My other cat which is a little bigger "framed" weighs 16 --
    and the vet said he's fine).
    
    In my Cornell book, it said if you can't easily feel the rib cage, that
    it's a good possibility the cat is overweight. Well, she does have
    ribs, but it's a little difficult to find.
    
    Re -.2
    
    Hypo-thyroid -- never thought of that. I will ask the vet if that's a
    possibility.
    
    Will keep you informed.
    
    Cheryl (Shanti & Charlie)

    I have one "porker" and three "slinkies".  Casey weighed in at 9.6
    lbs, and he's not big boned by any means.  Yes, Casey is F-A-T !
    The vet said not to worry about it, he's not so grossly overweight
    that he needs a starvation diet.  Rusty weighed in at 9 lbs, and
    he's twice Casey's size.  Of course, he's still young and his current
    health problem is not helping him to gain the weight that he needs.
    I have increased Casey's exercise instead of decreasing his food.
    I have a hard time depriving any of my critters food.  I feel so guilty.
    I would be upset at myself if they had a medical problem, and I
    starved them, thinking they were just fat.
    By increasing his exercise, I mean that mom runs all over the house
    like a crazed idiot, being chased by Casey & B.K., and being stared
    at with a puzzled expression by Rusty & Pepper.  R & P are just
    now catching on that they are supposed to "catch" me.  Then its
    Mom & dad on the livingroom floor, tossing cat toys so the cats
    will dive at them.  It tires me out, and Casey has lost weight,
    so it must work!
    Of course, B.K., R, & P need to gain weight, so thats why food is
    free choice. 
    
    
    L- & the gang

    >I have increased Casey's exercise instead of decreasing his food.
    >I have a hard time depriving any of my critters food.  I feel so guilty.
    >I would be upset at myself if they had a medical problem, and I
    >starved them, thinking they were just fat.

    That is the nice thing about some of the "diet foods" like Hill's R/D.
    I can give Argus a "normal" size portion that has all of the vitamins
    and minerals that he needs but is virtually all fiber and practically
    no-calorie. Basically, he gets "filled" from the fiber.

    Argus weighed in at 22 lbs last Aug when the vet put him on a strict
    R/D diet. He is down to about 15 lbs now and looks a lot better (and is
    a lot more active). He still has another pound to go. I guess what I am
    trying to say here is that it takes a long time to trim down an obese
    cat with just exercise.  Even with a special, strictly enforced reducing
    diet and portion control it can take a long time to shed just a few
    pounds.

    Deb

    Poor HopeyCat had to lose a few pounds, and he *does* have to be
    kept separated from the other cats and their food.  The others are
    all on "growth" diets, and sure enough, when Hopey ate it, he grew.
    And grew.  Not good for his trim show figure.

    re: .6   I have a similar problem.  I M*U*S*T put some muscle on
    Ms. Fuzzable (Bonnie B) but Flat-face eats everything in sight.  So
    far he's not fat, but I guarantee that if I start feeding growth
    food he'll be the one that grows.  
      Nancy DC

    
    The vet has TOLD me in no uncertain terms that Ebony is at least 5 (if
    not more) pounds overweight. (He's about 17-18lbs and stretches to
    about 3.5 - 4 feet).   
    
    My problem is that I also have a petite little girl who needs to eat
    (she's right around 6-7 pounds and small framed).  She's the type of cat
    that likes to nibble, go away and clean herself, then come back and
    nibble some more...........if Ebony hasn't already chowed hers down
    too which is usually the case (I always hear my husband yell, "Ebony,
    get your head out of your sisters bowl...." doesn't work though......
    
    I just have the hardest time moving one to a different room (I only
    have a 4 room place and I don't want them to eat in the cellar) and 
    I hate to deprive Eb of his favorite passtime.....EATING.  
    
    So what do I feed them:
    
    Before the vet visit I was splitting a can of 9-lives between them with
    a scoop of Wiskas crunchies twice a day.   NOW I just give them each the 
    1/2 can & crunchies in the AM and JUST crunchies at night, but I feel
    terrible.   I was going to put him on Science Diet light, but it only 
    has ONE flavor and my guy needs variety!!!!!
    
    Anyway, I'm trying to get his weight down with as little discomfort to 
    my guy, we'll just have to see what happens next time he goes to the vet.

    The canned food that you are giving them probably isn't the problem.
    Canned food is 78% moisture.  The dry food probably has more calories
    ounce per ounce than the canned.  Why not try cutting back a bit
    on the crunchies, or, give SD lite maintenance, and then give the
    canned food in different flavors for variety.
    
    Jo

    If you feel cruel "depriving" Eb, then think how cruel you would
    be if you let him develop the kinds of health problems that come
    from being obese.
      As I was told in Nursing Schools..."Sometimes you have to hurt
    to help."  (we were talking about varicose vein surgery at the time
    but it applies here too  ;-)

    
    RE; .9 > Thanks for the suggestion, Jo, I'll try it.  I have noticed
    that they've been drinking A LOT of water (but that's good) since
    I've been giving them more dry than wet food - I'll switch things
    around and maybe pick up the S/D crunchies, they like the sample I got
    a while back, but didn't like the wet at all!
    
    RE; .10 > Nancy, I'm tryin' but I can't just cut everything out at once, 
    it would break his little heart and mine too. (Not to mention that Eb 
    is verrrrrry vocal and we'd never get a moments peace -- he's already
    pissin' and moanin' about not having both crunchies and canned twice a
    day).  I do agree with you, I'm just gonna have to do this slooowwly.
    
    Thanks again for the feedback.
    
    BjM
    

    re: .11  Ya, they CAN be vocal about what they want.  Have they
    got us twisted right around that little paw or what?

    Just a word on canned food, I cut my fatties down on canned food
    and they seemed to have lost a little weight!  
    
    You might put your tiny one in the bathroom with an extra snack
    in the evening if she needs it.
    
    E.T.

>>    You might put your tiny one in the bathroom with an extra snack
>>    in the evening if she needs it.
    
EXactly!  I have 3 "plump, but could get fat" furry roommates...and one
skinny one.  All have access to kibble only - and the plump have not
gained anymore weight.  Nick, my skinny guy, gets "special" goodies
every evening.  All the other cats know about it - and Sam even tried
to steal it if I'm not alert - but they mostly just go off and sulk
while Nick gets his canned food.  Although the canned food is less
fattening (PROVIDED you get a lower-fat canned food), the taste is
so much preferred, it leads to overeating in my crew....they will
eat the kibble, but it ain't their idea of heaven so nobody gains
weight.  They lose weight during the hot weather and the vet said
they are all well within the weight range we need.

Special treats are NOT food - catnip, new toys, play time, or lots
of cuddles, but NEVER food.