Before I go to the vets-------- My cat sits funny.

[Gregorian]

Bart is overweight, to start out. Around 23 pounds, I'm embarrassed to say. It's impossible to get his weight down. He's about 7 years old, and for the last few months, he's been sitting with his legs splayed out like the picture hopefully shows. I pay good attention to him, and he has no ticks, or fleas. His walk is fine. And I don't think he has any kind of urinary problem. Maybe he just sits improperly and there's nothing wrong? I'm finally thinking that this could be the sign of a problem other than just being a big fat cutey.

[hippiegranny]

1. i think he might just be a "fatty"

we have three "fatties" and worried about their weight until one vet finally told us that cats are like people, some are slim, some are not. she said not to worry about their weight, they are the body type they are supposed to be.

[Gregorian]

3. Well, that eliminates the guilt. :)

But still, one cat sits normally, and one has recently decided to sit weird. I suppose it's time to see the vets for the regular routine anyways.

Everytime I see a dog that's smaller than my CATS, I feel awful. I just love crazy, energetic cats. I think it's like humans- if they grow up in a metro area, they learn that socialization. If they grow up in the country, they have that slower quotient. Or it could be growing up around children. I'm just a big boring adult. I'll bet they never learned how to be playful. That's part of the fatness factor.

[demnan]

2. He's so sweet!

And I as a fatty myself can only say can you play with him more that will give him some exercise

My cats have lost weight - and I think I have too! from being outdoors. Hey leash training may not be in your future but a little play with this wonderful fella wouldn't hurt.

[Gregorian]

4. That's funny.

I was just posting that above, at the same time you were. Yes, I really need to get them walking with me. One of the problems is that they're still getting used to my new place. They never go more than 100 feet from the house. It's not exactly safe feeling yet. Yesterday there was a bear climbing around in my apple orchard. It was so cool. But you are absolutely right. I think I'll start doing some cat walking.

[kestrel91316]

5. He sits like a fat cat.

Cat vet here - be careful with a cat that heavy. He is now more prone to diabetes, arthritis, and urinary obstruction. Best to put him on a low-cal diet with your vet's supervision.

[Gregorian]

6. Oh he's not going to like that.

I'm glad you saw my post. I'll see what to do about his diet. I've been forking out the bucks for Science Diet, which is mostly salmon. The hardest part will be on me. It's impossible to say no to their pleas. They're perfect beggers. Knowing the right thing to do will help.
Thanks a lot kestrel.

[kestrel91316]

8. Gregorian, PLEASE:

NO FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fish is very high in magnesium and predisposes your cat to struvite crystals in the urine. It is also a very potent and common dietary allergen in cats. Yes, Science Diet is otherwise excellent food, but please avoid anything with fish in it. Your cat already has major risk factors for urinary disease and feeding fish is playing Russian roulette.

Try the original flavor, or turkey or chicken. You can also safely feed Max Cat (not the fish flavor) as it is excellent quality. These are the two brands I see the fewest urinary problems with.

That said, do not try to starve a cat into submission to feed them something different. Work closely with your vet to ensure a safe transition onto diet food. If your cat boycotts food more than three days he is at high risk for hepatic lipidosis, which is often fatal. Not to terrify you, ok, but you should be aware of risks here.

[Gregorian]

9. Thank you again!

edit- Oops. Science Diet is chicken. That was incorrect about the fish.


They've been on nothing but the Science diet since the beginning. I so appreciate learning from you about the fish diet as a possible problem. Now I can avoid that trouble.

This could be the beginning of the process to get them back to normal size. I expect it could take a couple of years to do.

[Lorien]

13. Read about what's really in products like Science Diet

and you may discover why Bart has the problems he does:
http://www.api4animals.org/79.htm

[Gregorian]

14. It's horrible. We've been duped again.

And it's totally common sense. I just assume people are honest. What a crock! My poor kitties. You are so kind to share this with us. I'm on a quest to improve their lives now. This whole thing has me realizing how true it is that if we don't do it ourselves, we are at the mercy of those who do it for us. And these days that's asking for trouble.

PS- There's a lot of information on the link. I'll be looking at the sample diets.

PPS- Oh no. They mention using organic meats, especially if feeding liver. I have periodically been feeding them chicken livers from Safeway. I would bet they are loaded with antibiotics. This also has be rethinking my own diet.

[Lorien]

17. Yeah, I'm only eating organic, non-processed foods now

the FDA has us duped! I swear, they're in cahoots with big Pharma to keep us all addicted to unhealthy foods that make us sick! Ever since I made the switch (an expensive and time consuming switch, unfortunately) I have more energy, my allergies aren't as bad, my hypoglycemia is gone, my weight is dropping, and I don't have as much "brain fog"-and when I do eat something mass produced I find that I soon have a headache and feel a bit nauseous. As a self employed person I MUST stay healthy, and I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Oddly enough, I switched my cats over to organic/ holistic foods before I took the plunge (I couldn't handle any more huge vet bills). It was seeing the profound effects that it had on them first hand that inspired me to do the same for myself.

[kestrel91316]

18. Lots of silly fearmongering in the API link there .................

We DO NOT recommend making your own pet food. It is way too easy to screw up and harm your cat (I have seen it often enough to convince me this is foolish). Use extreme caution if you choose to do so, and be ready to accept the adverse consequences if you make an error.

Never feed your pets any incompletely cooked meats or animal products (some books by nonveterinarian quacks recommend this) because this constitutes a well-recognized public health hazard and hazard to your pet's health (at least in the fact-based world of science as opposed to the faith-based world of pseudoscience). Raw food diets are DANGEROUS and IRRESPONSIBLE.

There is nothing inappropriate abut pet food containing meat by-products, contrary to what certain folks would have you believe. When an animal in the wild (say, a cat) eats prey (say, a mouse) they eat the whole thing, ESPECIALLY THE "ICKY" PARTS that we humans would turn our noses up at. If all a cat eats is the "choice cuts" from an animal, it will soon develop a fatal case of nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. This is not theory. This is fact. I diagnosed a case of this several years ago and we had to euthanize the cat because it developed brittle bones and spinal fractures from eating nothing but the best cuts of meat from Honeybaked. Tragic, foolish, and completely ppreventable.

Please consult your own veterinarian about any concerns you have about nutrition. We vets are in a position to know what diets our patients are doing the best on, and we know what makes them sick. It's no big mystery, nor is there some awful conspiracy to make tons of money by sickening pets. Please use caution when you hear "advice" of this sort from people with only an agenda and no credentials.

Remember, WE are the ones who swear an oath to protect our patients' interests above all else.

[Lorien]

19. it's about human-grade meats vs. "pet-grade" meats

the foods I feed my cats contain ground bones and organ meats, but they DO NOT contain meat that is illegal to feed to human beings; downer animals, diseased animals, non-livestock from "rendering" plants, slaughter house sweepings including urine and fecal matter-all is considered completely fine by FDA standards for pets, but not for people. It's all about profiting from food industry waste-THAT'S the corporate agenda.

And yes, I DID consult with my veterinarian. He says "stay away from commercial pet foods at all costs, including "premium" brands like Science diet and Iams". He thinks the diet I feed my pets is excellent (and no-I DO NOT make it myself-I have plenty of great brands to choose from). He is with the Herndon veterinary clinic on E. Colonial Dr. In Orlando if you wish to debate him on this matter.


The proof of what a human grade, zero corn and low grain/ no grain diet can do for a pet is sitting at my feet; my nearly 17 year old Miro; once fat, with bad skin, low energy, and daily vomiting (he ate Science Diet and Nutro). Now trim, glossy energetic, and he keeps his dinner down. I'll never feed him a pet-grade diet again.

[Madrone]

20. My vet....

My vet put my recently diagnosed diabetic cat on a raw meat/fish ONLY diet a couple of weeks ago. He's already stopped urinating by the GALLON. I'd say it, along with the vitamin horse pills I'm giving him each evening are making a difference!

Now I'm going to research raw diets for cats w/ kidney failure, since my kidney failure kitty can't eat like the diabetic, and the diabetic can not eat the kidney failure cat's chow. My vet has me email him with anything I find for his review and suggestions.

My priority now is keeping both cats as healthy as possible with as similar a diet as possible - because keeping them out of each other's food is IMpossible.

[Gregorian]

22. Thanks AGAIN.

You've just saved me a ton of time and effort. I was getting ready to do just what you've advised against.

Now I have to determine which food is going to work for my cats. I think it needs it's own thread.

[demnan]

21. Take him off Science Diet

and try to get him to eat another healthier food. I had Lily on Science Diet but she was getting really fat. (She's a small cat so really fat for her is 13 - 14 pounds. Now I've got her down to a not swelte but more energetic 12 pounds. And for a 14 year old cat she looks pretty good, even if she does sit funny!

[Lorien]

7. Looks (and sits) just like my cat

Try switching him to Innova Evo dry food and Merrick wet. He'll eat as much, but the Innova Evo has no grains or fillers (it's Adkins for cats) so he'll get more nutrition and still lose weight. My Miro has been on it for a year and he's lost ten pounds; he's downright frisky these days!

[Gregorian]

10. Really? Ten pounds?

That's outrageous. I feel some real optimism that I can get my cats to be healthier and happier.
Miro is almost exactly like my Farnsworth.

Damn, these forums are great. Thanks for your help in this.

[Lorien]

12. He was 27 pounds at his worst

went down to 24 with the introduction of new kittens. Then I switched his food; now he's 13 1/2. 10 pounds would be the best weight for him, but I'm pleased that he's lost as much as he has! (His weight seems stable now, too).

[meti57b]

11. My cats lost weight from a diet of canned food instead of dry food.

Our cats-only vet recommended giving them canned food and that would cause them to lose weight. It worked. Of course, at first they didn't eat as much because they really like their dry crunchies but after a while they got to like it and their weight stayed down in the recommended range.

[Gregorian]

15. Amazing. I thought just the opposite.

Well, now I've got forty pounds of dry food I won't be using. Now I know it's possible to reverse their chubbiness. And they're going to be happier. What a weird world- we think we know what we're doing, but the reality is that sometimes we are allowing suffering to happen without realizing it. It took three years before I realized that the cats had chiggers. All we need to do it pay attention, and think. Think about if it were us in their situation.
If that's your cat in the picture it sure is a cute one. I think I'll go visit mine now. They're out in the grass being very happy. All the swallows have their young birds flying around today, and the cats just love to watch. I'm sure they'd love to do more than watch, though.

[meti57b]

16. Hi, when the vet told me canned food for weight loss, ....

I couldn't see how that could make a difference but I gave them canned food anyway just to make the vet happy. Sure enough, they lost weight to about the weight they should be and maintained it. At the right weight, they are far more active and have much more fun running around the house, leaping over things.

Yes, that's one of my cats in the pic. It shows him busy thinking up some new trouble to get into. Thank you for your very nice compliment.

Like the cat vet on your thread says, your little guy is probably just overweight. I suggest the canned food. If he won't eat it at first, mix in a little of his favorite dry crunchies and gradually decrease the amount of crunchies.

One other benefit of not giving the cats dry food ... I think they really do prefer dry food. I keep a bunch of it in a jar and when I call them, I rattle the jar and they all come. I give them a few pieces for a treat. Saves me from having to look all over the house for the cats. (They are strictly indoor cats, but they can get hard to find in the house.)