We sort of already knew this. At their last vet visit during the winter, Stella was "solid" and Bucky was "chubby." Both have quite the belly, although you cannot really see Bucky's through his long fur.
We did a little weigh in last night...
Bucky: 14
I kept telling myself that he is just a large cat, but that is definitely not a healthy weight.
Stella: 15
Yes, my tiny little kitten has somehow surpassed Bucky. She likes to eat.
So now we are staging Biggest Loser: Pets in our home. I have been reading about weight loss strategies for cats, since we cannot exactly just throw them on a treadmill while Jillian Michaels yells at them. We are starting with a few main changes. They'll get to eat 4 times a day, but will not have food just out all the time. Just plenty of water. We are also giving them both wet and dry food. Although I hate the wet stuff, it is apparently higher in protein than the dry stuff, which is mostly carbohydrates. I read some articles that said cats are carnivores - they need meat. Actually, a mouse a day is supposedly the perfect meal for a cat. I don't need mice in my house though, so I will stick with food from the store.
And exercise? Well, we are doing our best to get these lazy cats to play. I am just glad that they chase each other a lot.
Stella is used to eating all day long, so she currently thinks she is starving. It is hard not to give in to those little kitty cries, but it is for her own health.
Any suggestions for successful pet weight loss strategies?
