Diet club for Cats (and dogs?)

juliebunny

Hello Introuble and welcome to the diet cat club (well it's all cats so far but all animals welcome!)

You need to work out how much food your cat should have according to his target weight (you'll need to read the tiny print on the cat food and get some kitchen scales!) and then ensure he only gets that per day - if you have just the 2 cats, can you separate them at mealtimes?

A few of us here struggle with the same issue. Ive got a multicat house including oldies, dieters and a kitten, it's a nightmare. I have had to feed my kitten on a part of the kitchen worktop (not where I prepare food) so she is up higher from the others. It sort of works but they still all swap bowls.....

I have found that since I no longer leave food around all the time they have adapted well to the 'eat now or it's gone' regime. They understand that if they don't come and eat when I put the food down, that after 30 minutes it vanishes until next mealtime. I think I felt worse about it that they did because I felt they should have access to food at all time but I real this great book about Natural Cats and the lady said it's actually bad for them to have access to food 24/7 as it stimulates their digestion and never gives it a break....so I don't feel so bad now....plus, if you think about it, we eat then clear up, right?

It works really well when I'm at work, they get breakfast with 30 minutes eating up time then dinner when I get home and a tiny top up at bedtime (to get them in from the garden). When I'm at home during the day though they constantly hassle me for food so I try and distract them with play instead....i think perhaps I assume that when they hassle me it's food, but sometimes I think they just want a play, or even a cuddle but all these years I've been feeding them and now they are chubbas!

juliebunny

cally6008 wrote: »

Our laser pen has gone walkabouts, can't find it anywhere

Mine is actually a pointer, like lecturers use. Got a massive strip of batteries for it from poundland. Pen came from a friend but I think they got it from ebay for a couple of pounds. They only have to hear the rattle of the chain it's on before they all come running!!

cally6008

Leo (boy) only has to hear the click as you press the button and he would be like "where, where". I'll have to have a good look for it or order another one. I wouldn't mind but it had only just had new batteries put in it.

What does anyone think to using a cat nip spray as a distract method to cats meowing for food ? Leo goes mental for it and starts break dancing with his toys. I'm hoping this could be classed as one form of exercise ?

(the other would be him getting hoofed off the bed a dozen times in one night! lol)

juliebunny

Hee hee, yeah don't they just go mad for catnip! I've got a powder version, it looks just like a pot of pepper and my sister once put it on her dinner by mistake!!!!

I heard that you shouldn't use it too often though or they get de-senstised to it's charms!

juliebunny

Hello, no real news on the diet front but my cat Misty had her biopsy on the lump in her mouth on Friday and is now home safe and sound and bright as a button. Just got to wait for the results next week now. It's always a worry putting an older and overweight cat through this, but she's come through it really well. And her appetite is not affected in the slightest....!

paddypaws101

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NeW-2in1-Red-Laser-Pointer-Pen-White-LED-Light-Childrens-Cat-Toy-NeW-/270888597148?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item3f1237f69c#ht_2773wt_994
At this price you can afford to have one in every room!

cally6008

How's everyone doing ?

OH bought pack of 3 laser pens for me, I've lost the other one somewhere but haven't been able to use them yet as ..

Leo's been through an awful time the past few weeks. The builders are across the road and it's set him off stressing so we've had sickness after every meal, diarrhea due to aldi cat biscuits, loose poo due to stress, not eating at all and just generally being a stress head about the slightest noise

We were going to take him to vets last week but traffic was awful in town (roadworks causing one way system to back right up) and I really couldn't be bothered with lecture about fat cats from the vets .. (does anyone else's boy cat appear to have man boobs between his legs when he sits upright ?)

Anyways, Zylkene on a slice of chicken meat followed by a dozen cat biscuits followed by metacam on the friday ... and *touch-wood* he's been ok since. I've cut his food back yet again to 1/4 (quarter) pouch wet and a dozen cat biscuits for each meal and he seems to be keeping it down properly and doesn't seem too hungry either

Waiting for some amazon vouchers coming and then I can order to CatIt design/sensory centre items which should get him playing a bit more as well

Elsa's just Elsa .. could have throttled her for coughing up flem at 5am though, proper loud hoicking she was n all for not much

Armchair23

Hiya,
Just read most (but not all ) the thread. And thought a couple of things that finally stopped my giant cat (Fats Domino - used to just be Domino) from gaining weight.
Even though I watched him and his slimster pal Woody like a hawk at feeding times he was still getting bigger. Dry food was measured he would scarf his down instantly and if possible make a play for the other bowl. Bowls NEVER get left down.
Finally fed up with being treated like a simpleton at the vets I came up with a cunning plan.
I got a microchip cat flap, this means Fats can't get into other houses locally that use a magnetic flap because he doesn't wear one any more !
Then I got on of these
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/cat-feeding-exercise-ball-by-slim-cat-37579
They were called cat toys when I got one but who cares.
His food goes in there (dried obviously) and it slows him down enough for Slimster cat to stand a chance of eating.
Frankly this cat is always going to have a ahem 'big frame' but we seem to be winning at the mo !

cally6008

I jinxed it yesterday by writing my above post

I was woken up at 4-20am to the lovely sound of Leo vomiting yet again.
We're putting it down to unsettled weather and thunder/lightning

juliebunny

Hi Cally, sorry to hear Leo's having a tough time.

I was woken at 5.45am this morning by one of my larger ladies vomiting up a slug (furball) on my rug (carpets made an exit long ago in favour of laminate).

It's unusual for me to actual find the culprit of the floor stains...usually I just get to tread in them or clear up the slimey mark on my one and only remaining carpet. I find that they do seem to vomit more as they get older though.

I keep thinking ooh I really should check in with you guys about the diet club but TBH it's a bit embarrasing to confess that mine are still very heavy and the weight in not moving at all <sigh>

One of my older ladies also has been found to have a lump on her breast tissue area. Given her very bad temperament at the vets and age, and poor prognosis if it is the dreaded C, they told me that it may not be viable or recommended to drag her through biopsy and treatment. With my past experience of another cat, I'm inclined to agree but am now feeling guilty that I'm not getting any treatment for her....so of course she is getting extra treats...she's not overweight yet though happily...I am thinking about taking her to get a second opinion this week though....