response 12 of 66:

Mar 18 20:47 UTC 2001

I know what Hepatic lipidosis is as I had a room-mate whose cat got that 
after running away for a couple of months. She was fat when she left and 
really skinny when we found her. She might not have survived at all if 
it werent for being fat in the first place though. <<shrug>> That cat is 
fat again and healthy these days but we had to feed her for months 
through a hole cut into her neck. 

Anyhow, I still would be interested in knowing how much less fat cats 
live compared to thin cats. I have seen cats who were double their 
"ideal" weight who lived for quite a long time. My own cat is kind of on 
the fat side although I dont think she is 5 lbs overweight and I just 
let her eat as much as she wants. She gets *really* stressed when there 
isnt food in her bowl. 

response 14 of 66:

Mar 25 21:05 UTC 2001

My cat is pretty active. I have tried taking her for walks but she hates 
being on a leash. I am thinging about making a "cat pen" in the back 
yard for her at some point. 

response 16 of 66:

May 1 00:34 UTC 2001

Sorry for neglecting this item --- there have been other things occupying my
worrying time, I guess. I am still rather concerned with Pepper's weight,
especially as my suspicions were confirmed with a weigh-in at the vet's today:
he back up to 23~24 lbs. :(

The young vet said there was no real observed correlation between overweight
cats and life span. He did (gently, this time) warn us that *if* Pepper was
to get sick, and he were still overweight, that the quality of his life would
be dramatically lowered and chances were that he would not recover. Of course,
then he hedged and said that nothing was proven, there were still studies and
whatever happening.

An interesting thing he told us: A lab study had monitored a large sample of
overweight cats and found that most of them were fed dry food. The researchers
found out, evidently, that these cats crave protein, and have to consume more
carbohydrates when given dry food only. Pepper has only ever had dry food,
and he will not eat anything else. 

Oh, and the vet did say that the Prescription Science Diet cat food was for
urinary tract health, and was not a reduced-carb/calorie food. So, we've
decided to cut back to 3/4 cup per day. Pepper's not going to be pleased with
that situation, and it will be more difficult on us, because the other cat
doesn't have a weight problem and gets more food. 

Jiffer mentioned trying a leash and taking the slug for a walkie. I had to
laugh, remembering the time when Pepper was a "kitten" of 4 or 5 months, and
we purchased a shiny new harness and leash for him. We spent a week or two
getting him used to the harness, and then decided to try taking him down the
3 flights of stairs to the ground. First, he wouldn't leave the apartment on
his own volition, and we had to carry him down the stairs. He was howling the
entire way down, poor thing. I sat him down in the grass, and he went
spread-eagled, and dug in all four sets of claws. He absolutely could not be
moved. I couldn't ever bring myself to try it again. For days he avoided us,
acting exactly like he had right after we rescued him.

Later, after we were back in Austin, we decided to try getting Pepper a
playmate --- that's how we got Sam the tuxedo cat. Our plans again were foiled
by feline intelligence --- Pepper ended up showing Sam how to be lazy! :\
Maybe the centrefolds from CAT FANCY will work, I don't know.

response 18 of 66:

May 1 06:28 UTC 2001

Well, mine has been:  get a herniated disk, a 3 yr old cat, 14 month old demon
of a cat, and then wake up for a few hours of the day.  "Momma's up!  PLAY
TIME!!!!!"  They expend more energy than a tazmanian devil.  Also, they've
been watching "birdies" since my father put up my bird feeder, and my eldest
was watching 2 Mourning Doves eat off the ground about 8" from her.  she was
small, smushed, ears flat, breathing shallow, twitching ever so slowly....
Huntress :)

response 20 of 66:

May 2 03:40 UTC 2001

I supliment the diet of Tanis and mostly precious (mostly her because she
kinda gives me little choice, she's funny, likes to eat tomatos, lettiuce,
cheese, broccolli, mushrooms, etc) but I give them kitty tuna and chicken when
I eat it (the chicken, not me eating the tuna).  Tanis isn't a big fan of
"other" food, he's not sure what to do with it.  Precious has a few bites,
and then finishes with dry food. 

The cats were afraid and still are of "outside" but my wish is to KEEP them
afraid.  When tanis was a few months old, my roomate said "let him out, he
can play a little" and then that's ALL he wanted to do.  (my cats are
declawed) and he'd do it against my wishes.  Precious was let out a few times,
and would just rub on the front stoop on the concrete, like a big scritch,
but she also would get in the habit of trying to get out.  Now, they're in
a new place, and I don't let them near the door, so they have the fear of
"out there" going again.

response 22 of 66:

May 2 13:23 UTC 2001

Awwwwwww!  Mine do that a lot.  But I find the more hurt I am, the more
they're cuddly, like protecting me from each other, they play on the floor
in my room, or in the living room, and Tanis pouts when he can't cuddle RIGHT
next to my back to make sure he can take care of me if I need it.  he even
tries to help with my PT when she comes, although he doesn't get that laying
on my stomach HURTS all by it self, but when his 12 self sits on my butt, that
doesn't help!!  I say OWWWWW, the PT lady shoos him off, and then he comes
and rubs his head on my cheek saying he's sorry. 

I dunno if I told this story already, and if I did, please forgive the repeat,
but when Tanis was about 5 months old, he got out, and RAN, and got to the
next door neighbor's porch (it was a townhouse and than involved running under
this tiny "fence" between our doors, and under the neighbor's gas grill, and
when I ran around, he hid under a chase lounge chair, the kind with the rubber
slats running across it...  <chuckles>  I said to him "THAT isn't going to
save you!", stuck my hand in, and extracted him by his collar THROUGH the
chair, he didn't know I could do that....Hehe.....  didn't try running away
after THAT one.  

response 24 of 66:

May 7 12:24 UTC 2001

Good to hear these things from the cat's point of view.  I'm still 
pondering whether or not to introduce Sasha to canned cat food.

Currently she's irked because she no longer has open feeding really. 
But she does need to lose some weight...

response 26 of 66:

May 9 03:02 UTC 2001

<licks paw, wipes face>

response 28 of 66:

May 22 04:40 UTC 2001

tragedy likes cheese and the occasional piece of popcorn.
Tuna juice and some little pieces of lunchmeat.

Other than that she's strictly a dry food grrl.

SOmetimes it's just funny watching them try to eat people fod and not
really knowing what to do with it.

Julie's cat Joey likes popsicles and corn.

Oh yeah, and this is damn gross but my cat likes to eat q-tips with
earwax on them.  I said that for barry's benefit.

response 30 of 66:

May 22 13:21 UTC 2001

my dad's dogs like to eat them too...  <shudders>  My poor precious has a
fungus or something in one of her ears, so she gets ear drops and q-tips now
at least once a day, so her infatuation with them is gone.  Tanis likes to
play with them until they're all fuzzed out at both ends, and then finds a
newer one.

response 32 of 66:

Sep 3 03:12 UTC 2002

I have noticed a weird habit in my cat, he *loves* the hairball formula of
Iams... weird kitten I have...