I highly recommend just feeding your pet twice a day and not leaving a full dish out twenty-four seven. Most cats, like most people, are grazers. If the food dish is available they'll keep coming back.
What's the problem? Like people, cats can have heart issues and diabetes. Have you ever given a cat insulin? It can be done, but why put yourself and your feline through it if a healthy diet can help avoid it? Hopefully watching his diet will help give you and your furry friend many long years together.
50 comments:
yes, people forget that their cats aren't humans and don't need to be fed three or four times a day, but just once or maybe twice.
I totally agree with you Sandra about just feeding cats twice a day and not leaving food down all day.
Great post.
Yvonne.
Yes, twice a day is enough for cats, no matter how often they beg or run to the fridge and cry to you that they are starving! Hugs, Vaerie
How true it is. Prevention is much easier than a cure too. Cats do NOT respond well to dieting. And have rather a lot of pointy bits to make their displeasure clear.
Sad that cats and dogs end up with the same kinds of ailments from overeating.
We've always left food down and Calvin, Spunky, and Rocko remained skinny as all get-out. Only Hobbes gained weight and that was right after she was fixed. We did end up giving her insulin shots for 7 years, but she didn't develop it due to extra pounds. She developed bad allergies when we moved to NC (imagine that) and needed cortizone pills and shots, which the vet warned would eventually make her diabetic. And, he was right.
Giving Hobbes insulin shots was ten times easier than cramming liquid bi-polar medicine down Rocko's throat every night though!
Good advice, dear friend Sandra!
People tend to nibble all day long and pack on extra pounds if a bag of snacks is left on the kitchen counter, and it makes sense to pick up a dog or cat's food dish after a reasonable time period. I hate to see obese pets of any kind because their owners are literally killing them with kindness. We all need to learn that food is not love. Food is fuel and surplus is stored as fat and is harmful to people and pets.
Thank you, dear Sandra!
I make sure to chase Cassie around and get those pounds of haha although dumb steroid shots can cause diabetes too and she's had a few of those
You're so right, Dez. And if it's out there, they'll eat it:)
My weenie, Sister, is diabetic and it has been a trial. Two injections per day (at first I had to lay down on her on the bed) and have to cook her food as she won't eat the diabetic dog food. Then cataracts and removal, but she is my child and I'd do anything in the world for her. Wish I'd have been more conscientious of her diet. I blame it on the treats made in China, but don't let your vet put your animal on steroids as that is what triggered it.
Thanks, Yvonne:)
They are certainly good at that! Grin.
It's hard to flip over once you start leaving food out. A cat's displeasure can be uncomfortable....
WE had to give our cat McDoogal insulin injections the last few years of his life. It was traumatic for all of us. Oddly, he was a lean cat. As was Onyx. I could leave food in Onyx's bowl all day and he only ate when he was hungry. And then there was Arafel....my gobbler. There's always one, LOL. I miss them all dearly.
Bleubeard has never had a problem. I've left a full bowl for him his entire life. He gets a bit "fluffy" in winter, but once spring rolls round, he looses all that he's built up to keep warm over the winter months. I've noticed this year, since I've stopped allowing him to go outside (he likes to sit on the front porch), he didn't add more weight. So it was an insulation thing for him.
But NOT Squiggles. That little bugger will eat and graze and eat and graze and all of a sudden, this sleek kitten has become a FAT cat. I've had to restrict his diet and he is NOT happy about it. Thanks for pointing this out to others who leave full bowls of food for their cats who don't know when to say "I'm full."
Lizzie's a social eater -- which means I worry about her when I travel and the sitter comes in. She'll bug me to come "feed her" only when I get there, the bowl is full and she won't start to eat till I pet her. She somehow manages, though -- I suppose hunger does that to you!
Our cat Aayla, who has died from cancer earlier this year, was a fat cat. She was so afraid she would never get food that she would do everything for it.
Our other cat was a very bad eater, so we usually left food out, in limited amounts. Still very hard to get her to lose weight!
Good luck with the rest of your A to Z journey!
Sylvia van Bruggen
A great piece of advice and it shows no matter which creature (including humans), we can all add a few pounds easily. Having said that, the human being is the laziest animal on the planet. It's not the sloth - because the sloth moves slowly to conserve energy.
While I'm here trying to catch up - on the subject of 'felines' you might like my post today under 'F'. :)
It's amazing isn't it? How they suffer from the same ailments we do.
You brought up a good point, Diane. It's probably not an issue for highly active cats. Just let me say here, two of my three are not. Grin.
I had to laugh about the allergies in NC. Isn't that the truth.
You've taken very good care of your babies:)
Hi Shady, The killing with kindness is so true and it is sad.
Bummer on the steroid shots. Those suckers have all kinds of nasty side affects.
I'm sorry to hear she's had so many issues, Donna. We try to do what's right for our pets and it often times backfires through no fault of our own.
I know you do miss them, Mae. Hugs.
Maybe it's time for a replacement.....Or do you have a critter I'm not aware of?
No critter at the moment, but I think before the year is out I will have a new feline for company. It's time :)
I'm glad:)
Interesting, how it affects some and not others. When mine get in a snit about not having the food bowl down I give them a treat. The party mix is a little more than a calorie a treat. And I'm stingy with the treats:)
I understand that, Jeanie. Mine eat like crazy whether I'm in the room or not, but if I'm not home, it's a different story.
I'm sorry for the loss of Aayla. Hugs.
It's tough when one is finicky and the other wants to eat constantly.
Heading your way now.
we due knot noe any... fat catz.... due we ....toona !!! ☺☺☺
grate add vize guys ~~~~ troo lee
pet obesity haz bee comez a major problem...sad lee
we iz out til monday…sew heerz two a Baikal oilfish kinda week oh end ♥♥♥
See ya Monday:)
Followed =)
http://beautorgeousworld.blogspot.com/
Exactly right Sandra!! Great advice!
Great advice!
Thanks, Magic;)
Thanks, Taylor!
My two cats graze, but their not fat, overweight. They know when they've had enough; not like dogs who will just eat and eat until all the food is demolished...and usually that takes just a matter of minutes...seconds, even! :)
We have Mia, our resident fat cat and a bit of a psycho. We rescued her from people who claimed she was great with other cats and dogs. They couldn't wait to get rid of her. She came fat and I bet their son, who originally had the cat, just fed and fed her. She will steal everyone else's food...it's a real struggle. We try to exercise her but she prefers to sit, watch, sleep and hiss at the other animals.
When we had cat/s two times a day for food, sometimes only one.
My Mongo is a fatcat but his twin sister is slimlined. And she's in charge of the food, so go figure.
I had to help my mom give her cats medicine and I know it isn't fun!! I swear that cat gives me death eyes every time I go to their house!!
glad you shared
Sounds like you've got smart cats, Lee:)
Thanks, Shortybear:)
I feel your pain. It's challenging getting weight off of a cat.
Twice a day is what we feed the cats and the dog.
Does Mongo hate his sister for being thin? :)
You've got that right, Savannah. You were probably on public enemy #1 list:)
Thank you for the interesting information for cat lovers.
jeanna_massman at hotmail dot com
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