Overweight Cats

First, my apologies for this long absence. I was caught up in deadline mania and failed to realize how long it had been since my last posting.

Today, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Mittens, the Siamese with fungal infection of the sinuses who at one point was so emaciated that she was in danger of fatty liver disease, is most definitely out of the danger zone. The vet is elated with the cat's progress. She has to continue taking her medication for at least several more months, but she's definitely improving. She is so energetic now that she was galloping around the apartment the other day, keeping me from sleeping.

Now for the bad news. Mittens is officially overweight. She weighs 10 1/2 pounds, which is at least a pound and a half more than she should. The healthy weight range for adult cats is 7 to 9 pounds. If your cat is a bigger sized cat -- like a Maine Coon -- then you have more leeway. My neighbor CJ has a cat who's exceptionally long. He weighs 14 pounds but does not look fat.

But Mittens. Alas. She is a small-boned cat so every ounce she gains shows. I was so eager to fatten her up that I'm afraid I went overboard.

Some people think that overweight cats are cute but in fact it's not healthy. Just like with people, overweight is not healthy.

I'm now feeding her cat food for less active cats. Trying to resist feeding her every time she begs for food -- which she does with alarming frequency.

I am also trying to get her to play more, but she is not particularly interested in cat toys. I am going to have to implement strategies to help her lose her excess weight -- and above all, to keep her from gaining more weight.

Do you have cats that are overweight? How are you facing the challenges of slimming down an overweight cat?

The Cats are Back!

It's been a really long time since I last updated this blog. Life happened, and I forgot to take back control of the helm. Illness, family death, an intercontinental move and turmoil in general just kind of got to me. But I'm back on track -- and now I've got my own temp cat. Mittens, a 13-year-old chocolate point, bi-color Siamese. I got her from my friend Pixie because she (Mittens, not Pixie) has been sick. And just like me, Mittens is well on her way to recovery.

Mittens has a rare illness for a cat -- fungal infection of the sinuses. Actually, that was great news because the vet had originally suspected cancer. I'll write more about Mittens' and other feline diseases in a later post.

Suffice it to say that Mittens got a very good recommendation from her vet when she first went in for her biopsy to determine if she had a tumor or not. I've copied the typed statement from her vet:

Recommendations:

She is a good girl.

She did well under anesthesia.

I found a mass in her retropharyngeal region -- we biopsied the mass and the results will be back by Tuesday.

Please continue the meds you are currently using.

Prednisone twice a day and cyproheptadine once a day.


So, biopsy results show that Mittens is a bona fide good girl. Perhaps her cells graduated from "Good Kitty U."

Now, how many kitties get to be certified "a good girl"? Mittens is still resting on her laurels. Well, just resting. She's a cat, what can I say?