It was weighing day in the cosy apartment, and the results were less than I had hoped - or, rather, they were more.
4th April, 2017
Josie: 6.21 kg (13.69 lbs)
Renn: 8.91 kg (19.64 lbs)
Tucker: 8.33 kg (18.36 lbs)
Cammie: 4.80 kg (10.58 lbs)
Parker: 7.87 kg (17.35 lbs)
18th May, 2017
Josie: 6.34 kg (13.98 lbs)
Renn: 8.76 kg (19.31 lbs)
Tucker: 8.49 kg (18.71 lbs)
Cammie: 4.71 kg (10.38 lbs)
Parker: 8.16 kg (17.99 lbs)
The disappointing news is that Parker has gained back much of the weight he had previously lost while living with me. In just a month and a half, he has added almost a third of a kilogram. However, I think I know the reason and, if it is correct, it is my fault. The orange boy is fed principally soft-food, but with some hard-food twice a day. The last time he was weighed, he was being fed a variety of hard-food for which he did not care much. This has since been replaced with a more enjoyable brand. I have been giving him too much of it. I have now cut the supply he is fed in half, so it is more like a treat than a meal, and I will see what results in a month’s time.
I am more pleased with Cammie’s weight. Though she has diminished a little since early April, the intervening days included her illness, when she threw up everything she ate and eventually refused to eat all together. Aside from the more dangerous possibility of organs shutting down, I was worried that she would lose too much poundage. If she had, the subsequent weeks have allowed her to regain much of it.
Renn has shrunk, while Tucker and Josie have grown, but none has changed to a dangerous extent; Josie and Tucker in particular have histories of fluctuating within a small range. It may even depend on how soon before the weighing they ate, so I am not concerned with them. Regular weighing is, of course, how I will keep track of those concerns.
So, while my anxiety over the princess veers back to putting more moisture into her, that over my foster-cat returns to reducing his bulk. I hope to find more encouraging results in June. Time, and my reluctant elimination of half of his favourite food, will tell.
Jinx has been my largest kitty weighing under 13 lbs. But Annabelle is tiny in comparison at under 8 lbs. Both Boo and Ping hover around 10-11 range. Your kitties all seem to be in tip top shape and healthy.
ReplyDeleteJinx does look sturdy, though certainly not heavy. Annabelle doesn't look six pounds, never mind eight!
DeleteExcellent way to keep track of the important thing of weight. I still don;t understand why Katie gains weight when even the Tech who babysat for her agreed she doesn't eat that much.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of health reasons for a cat to gain weight without eating a great deal. Has Katie been to the vet lately? If she is middle-aged, it wouldn't hurt to have a senior blood panel done, as well as urine tests.
DeleteWe don't mention "weight" around here. :-D
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your crew. It's challenging, especially when each one has different eating habits and of course different preferences for food.
guyz....well, de best nooze iz de entire werd D.I.E.T. dinna come outta yur dadz mouth.....ya noe.... & cammie; purrhapz ewe wood like kitten food...canned...??? it will help put a wee bit oh weight on az itz high in caloreez....we haz used it heer in TT several timez ~~ heerz two a flashlight fish kinda week o end guyz ~~~~ ♥♥
ReplyDeleteWhen you have a multi-cat household, it's difficult to make sure everyone follows his particular diet. It seems that the cats that should put on weight lose, and the ones that should lose weight gain. But all you can do is try your best to monitor their intake. My cats range from 16 pounds, (Alex) to 9 pounds,(Jessica). But all that said, as long as everyone is healthy, l'm happy.
ReplyDeleteThere are really good insights into weight management for one's kitties. I totally sympathize on the challenges with giving them food they like while still controlling their weight.
ReplyDeletePet lovers please check out my homeless cat blog for posts of the abandoned/feral cat colony I manage.
Debby in Arizona
http://www.RescuesAndMore.blogspot.com
How do you weigh the kitties? Jessie was weighed at her frequent vet visits but she never allowed me to weigh her at home. Worrying about her weight caused me considerable anxiety.
ReplyDeleteI weigh them using the electronic scale owned by the rescue-group to which I belong. It is the same sort used by veterinarians. Perhaps a rescue-group near you will allow you to use theirs once in a while. Another means that may work is to weigh yourself using an accurate bathroom scale, then do it again while holding Holly.
DeletePoppy goes up and down. I know I should restrict her grazing but I would lose my sleep and my sanity if I did. She won't touch the diet biscuits and I don't believe in starving her.
ReplyDeletePets seem to like diet food as much as humans do. I would very much like to see Tucker lose weight, as well as Parker, but, like you, I won't starve him and, to be honest, I'd rather see him over-weight and happy than otherwise. I know it is unhelthy but, in the long run, he will enjoy his life more. Unlike people, cats will never know why we are limiting their food, or giving them nutrition they don't like.
DeleteI have the opposite problem, I am trying to get Phoebe to gain weight.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they all are doing well. As long as they are happy and content.
ReplyDeleteWell, mommy says she'd be really happy, as there's no significant loss or gainage. Always a good thing. We're glad all kitties are feelin' well. Big hugs
ReplyDeleteLuv ya'
Dezi and Raena
I suspect our cats are like people: they have a set point that their weight will hover around and their metabolisms will slow or accelerate to maintain that weight ( illness aside). Perhaps that's why when we attempt to diet our over eight kitties, they'll loose at first and then slowly gain the lost weight back. Most of my kitties are older and it's a fight to keep some of them well fleshed.
ReplyDeleteI don't really mind having my cats with a few extra pounds because if they become sick, they can lose weight very quickly. This gives them some slack, as it were. But you're right in that beings simply have a natural weight, cats as well as people.
DeleteI just had a weigh in with my kitties too. Everyone but Muffin was down, and Muffin couldn't have cared less :)
ReplyDelete