OT: for those who live with cats

x-no-archive: yes

Though my two cats became slimmer and sleeker than ever on Innova EVO
high protein food, Jasper continued to puke a lot. After a few years of
that, I switched a few months ago to Halo foods Sensitive formula,
Spot's Stew. It's grain free, also high protein. It's a stomach and
skin formula.

WHOA, what a diff. First of all, Jasper stopped puking, and only has
occasional puke fests instead of daily ones; he's a water gulper.
They've both virtually stopped shedding, though, it's just amazing. I
noticed there were no more gobs of hair on the wood steps when I wipe my
way up them, and we have off white sofas that have always required
vacuuming, wet sponging, lint rollering, etc. My bed, too, required
about ten sheets of lint roller daily. I still get fur off of Zoe when
I use the Furminator, but only a handful, not a whole new cat like
before. Our house cleaner noticed that there was almost no hair on the
sofas.

Jasper looked so skinny to me one day I thought he was emaciated, but
when I weighed him, he'd gained a lb, not lost, just all lean muscle, I
guess. Both cats are unbelievably shiny.

But really, even with Zoe curled up on my desk chair or the corner of my
bed overnight every night, there's no mat of hair anywhere, just a few
strays that don't seem to build up.

Halo sensitive comes wet or dry, but my cats gave up wet food years ago,
inexplicably.

Susan

In article <7o34bsF3oglkoU1@mid.individual.net>,
Susan <susan@nothanks.org> wrote:

> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Though my two cats became slimmer and sleeker than ever on Innova EVO
> high protein food, Jasper continued to puke a lot. After a few years of
> that, I switched a few months ago to Halo foods Sensitive formula,
> Spot's Stew. It's grain free, also high protein. It's a stomach and
> skin formula.
>
> WHOA, what a diff. First of all, Jasper stopped puking, and only has
> occasional puke fests instead of daily ones; he's a water gulper.
> They've both virtually stopped shedding, though, it's just amazing. I
> noticed there were no more gobs of hair on the wood steps when I wipe my
> way up them, and we have off white sofas that have always required
> vacuuming, wet sponging, lint rollering, etc. My bed, too, required
> about ten sheets of lint roller daily. I still get fur off of Zoe when
> I use the Furminator, but only a handful, not a whole new cat like
> before. Our house cleaner noticed that there was almost no hair on the
> sofas.
>
> Jasper looked so skinny to me one day I thought he was emaciated, but
> when I weighed him, he'd gained a lb, not lost, just all lean muscle, I
> guess. Both cats are unbelievably shiny.
>
> But really, even with Zoe curled up on my desk chair or the corner of my
> bed overnight every night, there's no mat of hair anywhere, just a few
> strays that don't seem to build up.
>
> Halo sensitive comes wet or dry, but my cats gave up wet food years ago,
> inexplicably.
>
> Susan

Fascinating, Susan. Thanks for the update!

I switched my four over to EVO dry last spring (I think it was), and
they've all done well. In one there was almost miraculous change.
Caley, my girlie, had spent the previous couple of years sleeping
upstairs next to a radiator and rarely venturing downstairs. Now she's
down almost all the time, and I've seen her *playing* which she hadn't
done for a very long time. I think she's lost some weight, and she's
clearly feeling better. The only downside is that she's back to giving
my face a good scrubbing when we cuddle. I think she can't decide if
I'm her mother or her kitten!

I've seen Spot's Stew in stores and online. I think there's a canned as
well as a dry, and my furkids do have a little canned food at dinner
time, although they free feed on the EVO dry. I'll try them out on a
little. Their favorite wet foods are Natural Balance and Trader Joe's
pink can. I figure everyone gets a little fast food from time to time!

Priscilla

Susan wrote the following on 12/6/09 8:33 PM:
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Though my two cats became slimmer and sleeker than ever on Innova EVO
> high protein food, Jasper continued to puke a lot. After a few years of
> that, I switched a few months ago to Halo foods Sensitive formula,
> Spot's Stew. It's grain free, also high protein. It's a stomach and
> skin formula.

Unfortunately, the last time I checked, oats and pearled barley were
considered grains, and Autumn is allergic to them. I have to go with
grain-free food for my cats, not just wheat, corn, and wheat gluten free
(barley also contains potential allergen gluten).

I've been transitioning my ladies over to raw, with one hold-out. I have
got her eating a 50-50 mix of Wellness grain-free canned turkey and raw,
and I'm gradually increasing the proportion of raw.

Karen R.

"Peppermint Patootie" <peppermint_patootie@yahoo.com> wrote in message
newseppermint_patootie-6347B7.17560807122009@individual.net...
> In article <7o34bsF3oglkoU1@mid.individual.net>,
> Susan <susan@nothanks.org> wrote:
>
>> x-no-archive: yes
>>
>> Though my two cats became slimmer and sleeker than ever on Innova EVO
>> high protein food, Jasper continued to puke a lot. After a few years of
>> that, I switched a few months ago to Halo foods Sensitive formula,
>> Spot's Stew. It's grain free, also high protein. It's a stomach and
>> skin formula.
>>
>> WHOA, what a diff. First of all, Jasper stopped puking, and only has
>> occasional puke fests instead of daily ones; he's a water gulper.
>> They've both virtually stopped shedding, though, it's just amazing. I
>> noticed there were no more gobs of hair on the wood steps when I wipe my
>> way up them, and we have off white sofas that have always required
>> vacuuming, wet sponging, lint rollering, etc. My bed, too, required
>> about ten sheets of lint roller daily. I still get fur off of Zoe when
>> I use the Furminator, but only a handful, not a whole new cat like
>> before. Our house cleaner noticed that there was almost no hair on the
>> sofas.
>>
>> Jasper looked so skinny to me one day I thought he was emaciated, but
>> when I weighed him, he'd gained a lb, not lost, just all lean muscle, I
>> guess. Both cats are unbelievably shiny.
>>
>> But really, even with Zoe curled up on my desk chair or the corner of my
>> bed overnight every night, there's no mat of hair anywhere, just a few
>> strays that don't seem to build up.
>>
>> Halo sensitive comes wet or dry, but my cats gave up wet food years ago,
>> inexplicably.
>>
>> Susan
>
> Fascinating, Susan. Thanks for the update!
>
> I switched my four over to EVO dry last spring (I think it was), and
> they've all done well. In one there was almost miraculous change.
> Caley, my girlie, had spent the previous couple of years sleeping
> upstairs next to a radiator and rarely venturing downstairs. Now she's
> down almost all the time, and I've seen her *playing* which she hadn't
> done for a very long time. I think she's lost some weight, and she's
> clearly feeling better. The only downside is that she's back to giving
> my face a good scrubbing when we cuddle. I think she can't decide if
> I'm her mother or her kitten!
>
> I've seen Spot's Stew in stores and online. I think there's a canned as
> well as a dry, and my furkids do have a little canned food at dinner
> time, although they free feed on the EVO dry. I'll try them out on a
> little. Their favorite wet foods are Natural Balance and Trader Joe's
> pink can. I figure everyone gets a little fast food from time to time!
>
> Priscilla

I have my cats on a pretty strict 1/2 cup/day of SD - a mix of Light &
Senior. Herrie is now Mr. Svelte, but Kenya - she being the main reason
they're on the diet - is still very overweight. She was this weight when I
adopted her a year+ ago - she'd gained the weight while at the shelter for 7
months. I'd assumed she'd lose some pounds (or at least ounces!) once she
had the run of the house, was going up & down stairs, etc., but... nope.

I was talking to my vet about it at the end of the summer when they had
their annual check-ups. She said she'd been rdg. about the results of new
studies (or a study??) that found that overweight cats don't always lose
weight based on calorie consumption - something about their satiety getting
screwed up. (It's been a while & my memory didn't retain all of her info.)
She went on to mention a high-protein diet that is supposed to work with
these findings, and that she has put her cats on, 'cause it might work for
Kenya. But I can't remember if EVO is the name she mentioned. If Kenya's
body continues to resist weight loss, I'll prob. get back to her (the vet)
on it.

Cathy

x-no-archive: yes



Peppermint Patootie wrote:

> I switched my four over to EVO dry last spring (I think it was), and
> they've all done well. In one there was almost miraculous change.
> Caley, my girlie, had spent the previous couple of years sleeping
> upstairs next to a radiator and rarely venturing downstairs. Now she's
> down almost all the time, and I've seen her *playing* which she hadn't
> done for a very long time. I think she's lost some weight, and she's
> clearly feeling better. The only downside is that she's back to giving
> my face a good scrubbing when we cuddle. I think she can't decide if
> I'm her mother or her kitten!
>
> I've seen Spot's Stew in stores and online. I think there's a canned as
> well as a dry, and my furkids do have a little canned food at dinner
> time, although they free feed on the EVO dry. I'll try them out on a
> little. Their favorite wet foods are Natural Balance and Trader Joe's
> pink can. I figure everyone gets a little fast food from time to time!

It does come in cans as well. The only starch in the dry is oat and
barley. My cats leaned out and got shiny on EVO, but the near end to
shedding and the increased sleekness/musclyness and Zoe's dander
disappearing is just amazing.

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Karen R. wrote:

> Unfortunately, the last time I checked, oats and pearled barley were
> considered grains, and Autumn is allergic to them. I have to go with
> grain-free food for my cats, not just wheat, corn, and wheat gluten free
> (barley also contains potential allergen gluten).
>
> I've been transitioning my ladies over to raw, with one hold-out. I have
> got her eating a 50-50 mix of Wellness grain-free canned turkey and raw,
> and I'm gradually increasing the proportion of raw.

I was investigating raw feeding when I decided it was too much work and
got the Innova EVO, which slimmed my cats down incredibly, and made them
shinier. It was the puking that made me pick up the Halo Sensitive.

I was surprised to see the oats and barley in it, but it's still very
low carb, high protein, with high EFAs/Omega3s and not having cat hair
matted all over my bed, desk chair and sofas is just icing on the cake.

I always make changes gradually, too, I hope that works out for your guys.

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Cathy wrote:

> I have my cats on a pretty strict 1/2 cup/day of SD - a mix of Light &
> Senior. Herrie is now Mr. Svelte, but Kenya - she being the main reason
> they're on the diet - is still very overweight. She was this weight when I
> adopted her a year+ ago - she'd gained the weight while at the shelter for 7
> months. I'd assumed she'd lose some pounds (or at least ounces!) once she
> had the run of the house, was going up & down stairs, etc., but... nope.
>
> I was talking to my vet about it at the end of the summer when they had
> their annual check-ups. She said she'd been rdg. about the results of new
> studies (or a study??) that found that overweight cats don't always lose
> weight based on calorie consumption - something about their satiety getting
> screwed up. (It's been a while & my memory didn't retain all of her info.)
> She went on to mention a high-protein diet that is supposed to work with
> these findings, and that she has put her cats on, 'cause it might work for
> Kenya. But I can't remember if EVO is the name she mentioned. If Kenya's
> body continues to resist weight loss, I'll prob. get back to her (the vet)
> on it.

My daughter adopted an extremely obese cat who does have appetite
control issues and has to be kept from the other roommate's cat's food
dish. He's finally lost enough weight to clean himself and play with
his tail and run around and play on Grain free, high protein canned
food, portioned out in small rations twice per day. It took a few
months for his appetite to diminish, but it has and he doesn't eat
everything in sight any more right to the bottom of the dish.

He's still a plump cat, but not an obese couch potato any more.

Satiety comes from protein, studies show, and so does increased lean
body mass. I couldn't believe Jasper had gained a lb when I weighed him
because I was concerned about how skinny he'd gotten.

Susan

Susan wrote the following on 12/7/09 10:17 PM:

> I was investigating raw feeding when I decided it was too much work and
> got the Innova EVO, which slimmed my cats down incredibly, and made them
> shinier. It was the puking that made me pick up the Halo Sensitive.

I have frozen raw food available to me locally, so it is no more trouble
than canned. Less, actually, because it comes out of the container more
easily and my messy eater is much neater with it.

Now the cost is another issue... Some people mix up a large quantity of
raw at one time and freeze it in serving size portions. This one has all
of the needed nutrients mixed in, and so far my ladies are thriving on
it. And the litter box does not fill up as much, because they are able to
use more of the food they are ingesting.

Karen

x-no-archive: yes

Karen R. wrote:

> I have frozen raw food available to me locally, so it is no more trouble
> than canned. Less, actually, because it comes out of the container more
> easily and my messy eater is much neater with it.
>
> Now the cost is another issue... Some people mix up a large quantity of
> raw at one time and freeze it in serving size portions. This one has all
> of the needed nutrients mixed in, and so far my ladies are thriving on
> it. And the litter box does not fill up as much, because they are able
> to use more of the food they are ingesting.

It's available here, too, at great cost and then there's the storage issue.

The shrinking poops are a phenomenon of low carb/high protein dry food,
too. Not all that squishy bulk.

My ex has an allergic cat and just cooks up pork, I think, under vet
instructions. No nutritional additives under his vet's instruction, no
grinding of bones and organs, and the cat in question has been thriving
for years. All that taurine and other alarm may be overblown, but I
haven't really investigated it too much.

Susan

Cathy wrote:
> "Peppermint Patootie" <peppermint_patootie@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> newseppermint_patootie-6347B7.17560807122009@individual.net...
>> In article <7o34bsF3oglkoU1@mid.individual.net>,
>> Susan <susan@nothanks.org> wrote:
>>
>>> x-no-archive: yes
>>>
>>> Though my two cats became slimmer and sleeker than ever on Innova EVO
>>> high protein food, Jasper continued to puke a lot. After a few years of
>>> that, I switched a few months ago to Halo foods Sensitive formula,
>>> Spot's Stew. It's grain free, also high protein. It's a stomach and
>>> skin formula.
>>>
>>> WHOA, what a diff. First of all, Jasper stopped puking, and only has
>>> occasional puke fests instead of daily ones; he's a water gulper.
>>> They've both virtually stopped shedding, though, it's just amazing. I
>>> noticed there were no more gobs of hair on the wood steps when I wipe my
>>> way up them, and we have off white sofas that have always required
>>> vacuuming, wet sponging, lint rollering, etc. My bed, too, required
>>> about ten sheets of lint roller daily. I still get fur off of Zoe when
>>> I use the Furminator, but only a handful, not a whole new cat like
>>> before. Our house cleaner noticed that there was almost no hair on the
>>> sofas.
>>>
>>> Jasper looked so skinny to me one day I thought he was emaciated, but
>>> when I weighed him, he'd gained a lb, not lost, just all lean muscle, I
>>> guess. Both cats are unbelievably shiny.
>>>
>>> But really, even with Zoe curled up on my desk chair or the corner of my
>>> bed overnight every night, there's no mat of hair anywhere, just a few
>>> strays that don't seem to build up.
>>>
>>> Halo sensitive comes wet or dry, but my cats gave up wet food years ago,
>>> inexplicably.
>>>
>>> Susan
>> Fascinating, Susan. Thanks for the update!
>>
>> I switched my four over to EVO dry last spring (I think it was), and
>> they've all done well. In one there was almost miraculous change.
>> Caley, my girlie, had spent the previous couple of years sleeping
>> upstairs next to a radiator and rarely venturing downstairs. Now she's
>> down almost all the time, and I've seen her *playing* which she hadn't
>> done for a very long time. I think she's lost some weight, and she's
>> clearly feeling better. The only downside is that she's back to giving
>> my face a good scrubbing when we cuddle. I think she can't decide if
>> I'm her mother or her kitten!
>>
>> I've seen Spot's Stew in stores and online. I think there's a canned as
>> well as a dry, and my furkids do have a little canned food at dinner
>> time, although they free feed on the EVO dry. I'll try them out on a
>> little. Their favorite wet foods are Natural Balance and Trader Joe's
>> pink can. I figure everyone gets a little fast food from time to time!
>>
>> Priscilla
>
> I have my cats on a pretty strict 1/2 cup/day of SD - a mix of Light &
> Senior. Herrie is now Mr. Svelte, but Kenya - she being the main reason
> they're on the diet - is still very overweight. She was this weight when I
> adopted her a year+ ago - she'd gained the weight while at the shelter for 7
> months. I'd assumed she'd lose some pounds (or at least ounces!) once she
> had the run of the house, was going up & down stairs, etc., but... nope.
>
> I was talking to my vet about it at the end of the summer when they had
> their annual check-ups. She said she'd been rdg. about the results of new
> studies (or a study??) that found that overweight cats don't always lose
> weight based on calorie consumption - something about their satiety getting
> screwed up. (It's been a while & my memory didn't retain all of her info.)
> She went on to mention a high-protein diet that is supposed to work with
> these findings, and that she has put her cats on, 'cause it might work for
> Kenya. But I can't remember if EVO is the name she mentioned. If Kenya's
> body continues to resist weight loss, I'll prob. get back to her (the vet)
> on it.
>

Apache and Dakota get a measure of "James Welbeloved" Turkey and Rice
dry food - wheat, ash and artificial colouring free kibble. Before we
switched to this Dakota would upchuck daily. Now he maybe does it
once a month, or even once every two months.

They also get half a sachet wet food twice a day.

Apache gets occasional "treats" when I'm cooking, or from our plates
at dinner time (she adores cheese, a saucer of milk, steak, pork
chops, raw chicken and turkey). Dakota does not. Apache can steal
(and does) from Dakota's dishes, Dakota can't get at hers. Apache
isn't terribly active (she's 15 years old and can still levitate to
the top of a bookshelf without problems, but likes to spend a lot of
time asleep in the nest she's made out of my old shawl), Dakota is a
bundle of energy.

Guess which one is 8 lbs and which is 18 lbs? - yes, the black and
white furry tornado who is on a restricted diet and always has been is
the one who is and always was "borderline overweight" (according to
the vet - but even he admits that Dakota is pretty much all solid
muscle)(which is why he classified him "borderline").




--
Jette Goldie
jette.goldie@gmail.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfette/
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

In article <7o5v34F3ocbucU1@mid.individual.net>,
Susan <susan@nothanks.org> wrote:

> Satiety comes from protein, studies show, and so does increased lean
> body mass. I couldn't believe Jasper had gained a lb when I weighed him
> because I was concerned about how skinny he'd gotten.

My Benjamin has always been a long lanky fellow. You can pretty much
feel his bones if you pet him. He doesn't look it, because he's got
masses of bunny-soft very long black and white fur which he keeps in
order with the attentiveness of... well... let's just say I call him a
"flamer." He's perfectly healthy, and he likes to eat (bacon as well as
anything in the cabbage family). He's just got the genes to be an
ectomorph.

He's always been that way, though. Every once in a while I think, "He
must be sick!" but then I remember that his body type has been
consistent for 11 years and counting. He's just naturally thin....
errr... I mean svelte. Yes, he'd prefer I refer to him as svelte, or at
least slender. ;-)

Priscilla

"Susan" <susan@nothanks.org> wrote in message
news:7o34bsF3oglkoU1@mid.individual.net...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Though my two cats became slimmer and sleeker than ever on Innova EVO high
> protein food, Jasper continued to puke a lot. After a few years of that,
> I switched a few months ago to Halo foods Sensitive formula, Spot's Stew.
> It's grain free, also high protein. It's a stomach and skin formula.
>
> WHOA, what a diff. First of all, Jasper stopped puking, and only has
> occasional puke fests instead of daily ones; he's a water gulper. They've
> both virtually stopped shedding, though, it's just amazing. I noticed
> there were no more gobs of hair on the wood steps when I wipe my way up
> them, and we have off white sofas that have always required vacuuming, wet
> sponging, lint rollering, etc. My bed, too, required about ten sheets of
> lint roller daily. I still get fur off of Zoe when I use the Furminator,
> but only a handful, not a whole new cat like before. Our house cleaner
> noticed that there was almost no hair on the sofas.
>
> Jasper looked so skinny to me one day I thought he was emaciated, but when
> I weighed him, he'd gained a lb, not lost, just all lean muscle, I guess.
> Both cats are unbelievably shiny.
>
> But really, even with Zoe curled up on my desk chair or the corner of my
> bed overnight every night, there's no mat of hair anywhere, just a few
> strays that don't seem to build up.
>
> Halo sensitive comes wet or dry, but my cats gave up wet food years ago,
> inexplicably.

Maui will sometimes eat the Spot's Stew. She also was liking the Merrick
canned stuff, in particular the Thanksgiving Dinner, Pot Pie and Cowboy
Cookout. But as soon as I bought cases of the stuff she began eating a lot
less of it. Now she prefers the Wellness brand in a pouch. She will eat
the canned on occasion. Of course I can not find this stuff in any quantity
locally and had to mail order it.

Her puking has lessened dramatically since she went on the thyroid meds. No
more hairballs either.

"Cathy" <clfr@roadrunner.com> wrote in message
news:3tCdneYLTMZZM4DWnZ2dnUVZ_tSdnZ2d@giganews.com ...
>
> "Peppermint Patootie" <peppermint_patootie@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> newseppermint_patootie-6347B7.17560807122009@individual.net...
>> In article <7o34bsF3oglkoU1@mid.individual.net>,
>> Susan <susan@nothanks.org> wrote:
>>
>>> x-no-archive: yes
>>>
>>> Though my two cats became slimmer and sleeker than ever on Innova EVO
>>> high protein food, Jasper continued to puke a lot. After a few years of
>>> that, I switched a few months ago to Halo foods Sensitive formula,
>>> Spot's Stew. It's grain free, also high protein. It's a stomach and
>>> skin formula.
>>>
>>> WHOA, what a diff. First of all, Jasper stopped puking, and only has
>>> occasional puke fests instead of daily ones; he's a water gulper.
>>> They've both virtually stopped shedding, though, it's just amazing. I
>>> noticed there were no more gobs of hair on the wood steps when I wipe my
>>> way up them, and we have off white sofas that have always required
>>> vacuuming, wet sponging, lint rollering, etc. My bed, too, required
>>> about ten sheets of lint roller daily. I still get fur off of Zoe when
>>> I use the Furminator, but only a handful, not a whole new cat like
>>> before. Our house cleaner noticed that there was almost no hair on the
>>> sofas.
>>>
>>> Jasper looked so skinny to me one day I thought he was emaciated, but
>>> when I weighed him, he'd gained a lb, not lost, just all lean muscle, I
>>> guess. Both cats are unbelievably shiny.
>>>
>>> But really, even with Zoe curled up on my desk chair or the corner of my
>>> bed overnight every night, there's no mat of hair anywhere, just a few
>>> strays that don't seem to build up.
>>>
>>> Halo sensitive comes wet or dry, but my cats gave up wet food years ago,
>>> inexplicably.
>>>
>>> Susan
>>
>> Fascinating, Susan. Thanks for the update!
>>
>> I switched my four over to EVO dry last spring (I think it was), and
>> they've all done well. In one there was almost miraculous change.
>> Caley, my girlie, had spent the previous couple of years sleeping
>> upstairs next to a radiator and rarely venturing downstairs. Now she's
>> down almost all the time, and I've seen her *playing* which she hadn't
>> done for a very long time. I think she's lost some weight, and she's
>> clearly feeling better. The only downside is that she's back to giving
>> my face a good scrubbing when we cuddle. I think she can't decide if
>> I'm her mother or her kitten!
>>
>> I've seen Spot's Stew in stores and online. I think there's a canned as
>> well as a dry, and my furkids do have a little canned food at dinner
>> time, although they free feed on the EVO dry. I'll try them out on a
>> little. Their favorite wet foods are Natural Balance and Trader Joe's
>> pink can. I figure everyone gets a little fast food from time to time!
>>
>> Priscilla
>
> I have my cats on a pretty strict 1/2 cup/day of SD - a mix of Light &
> Senior. Herrie is now Mr. Svelte, but Kenya - she being the main reason
> they're on the diet - is still very overweight. She was this weight when I
> adopted her a year+ ago - she'd gained the weight while at the shelter for
> 7 months. I'd assumed she'd lose some pounds (or at least ounces!) once
> she had the run of the house, was going up & down stairs, etc., but...
> nope.
>
> I was talking to my vet about it at the end of the summer when they had
> their annual check-ups. She said she'd been rdg. about the results of new
> studies (or a study??) that found that overweight cats don't always lose
> weight based on calorie consumption - something about their satiety
> getting screwed up. (It's been a while & my memory didn't retain all of
> her info.) She went on to mention a high-protein diet that is supposed to
> work with these findings, and that she has put her cats on, 'cause it
> might work for Kenya. But I can't remember if EVO is the name she
> mentioned. If Kenya's body continues to resist weight loss, I'll prob.
> get back to her (the vet) on it.

I tried the EVO but Maui wouldn't eat it.

I had always thought the dry food was best for cats and had previous vets
tell me that it was and that the canned stuff was junk food. However our
current vet says for a cat of her age 17+, she should have mainly moist
food. At her age I will buy her whatever she will eat.

When she was overweight, it was from overconsumption of treats. I was even
buying the lean treats from the vet but she was stealing the whole bag! She
would bite a hole in there, then insert her paws and use them in a
scissoring motion to enlarge the hole. She would then carry the treats in
her mouth to various hiding places all over the house.

She is very bright. She knows she is not allowed on the countertops or
tables and I never see her up there. For years I assumed she couldn't jump
that high. But I was wrong. She is just very sneaky and doesn't allow
herself to get caught. I had to put the bags up high in the cupboard.

She also seemed to think that anything that came in a thick plastic bag was
for her. She has bitten open bags of nuts, seeds and coconut. Whatever she
can get her paws on. My health food store packages these things up and the
packages are the same size as her cat treats. Turns out she actually likes
the coconut. My daughter eats coconut yogurt and she loves it if she finds
one of those cups sitting around. She will stick her head in and lick it
all up.

"Peppermint Patootie" <peppermint_patootie@yahoo.com> wrote in message
newseppermint_patootie-A7DC24.16531708122009@individual.net...
> In article <7o5v34F3ocbucU1@mid.individual.net>,
> Susan <susan@nothanks.org> wrote:
>
>> Satiety comes from protein, studies show, and so does increased lean
>> body mass. I couldn't believe Jasper had gained a lb when I weighed him
>> because I was concerned about how skinny he'd gotten.
>
> My Benjamin has always been a long lanky fellow. You can pretty much
> feel his bones if you pet him. He doesn't look it, because he's got
> masses of bunny-soft very long black and white fur which he keeps in
> order with the attentiveness of... well... let's just say I call him a
> "flamer." He's perfectly healthy, and he likes to eat (bacon as well as
> anything in the cabbage family). He's just got the genes to be an
> ectomorph.
>
> He's always been that way, though. Every once in a while I think, "He
> must be sick!" but then I remember that his body type has been
> consistent for 11 years and counting. He's just naturally thin....
> errr... I mean svelte. Yes, he'd prefer I refer to him as svelte, or at
> least slender. ;-)

My husband's friend has a Persian like that. She looks really big until you
pick her up. She's all fur!

"Jette Goldie" <jgoldie247@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:hfm5hv$hmr$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> Apache and Dakota get a measure of "James Welbeloved" Turkey and Rice dry
> food - wheat, ash and artificial colouring free kibble. Before we switched
> to this Dakota would upchuck daily. Now he maybe does it once a month, or
> even once every two months.
>
> They also get half a sachet wet food twice a day.
>
> Apache gets occasional "treats" when I'm cooking, or from our plates at
> dinner time (she adores cheese, a saucer of milk, steak, pork chops, raw
> chicken and turkey). Dakota does not. Apache can steal (and does) from
> Dakota's dishes, Dakota can't get at hers. Apache isn't terribly active
> (she's 15 years old and can still levitate to the top of a bookshelf
> without problems, but likes to spend a lot of time asleep in the nest
> she's made out of my old shawl), Dakota is a bundle of energy.
>
> Guess which one is 8 lbs and which is 18 lbs? - yes, the black and white
> furry tornado who is on a restricted diet and always has been is the one
> who is and always was "borderline overweight" (according to the vet - but
> even he admits that Dakota is pretty much all solid muscle)(which is why
> he classified him "borderline").

Maui loves dairy products but pukes them right up.

I've never given her any raw meat, but she loves cooked meat. Odd because
when she had some stomach problems when we moved to NY, I tried giving her a
diet of boiled chicken and rice. She wouldn't touch it. Turns out the
problem there was a change of food. I had been giving her Meow Mix but the
flavor they had in NY was not the same as we got in CA and it didn't agree
with her. I have changed her food several times since.

She loves any of the lunch meats that my daughter eats. Also loves plain
ground beef, chicken and turkey. She ate most of the leftover turkey from
Thanksgiving.

"Karen R." <krez56@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hflpro$9ri$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> Susan wrote the following on 12/7/09 10:17 PM:
>
>> I was investigating raw feeding when I decided it was too much work and
>> got the Innova EVO, which slimmed my cats down incredibly, and made them
>> shinier. It was the puking that made me pick up the Halo Sensitive.
>
> I have frozen raw food available to me locally, so it is no more trouble
> than canned. Less, actually, because it comes out of the container more
> easily and my messy eater is much neater with it.
>
> Now the cost is another issue... Some people mix up a large quantity of
> raw at one time and freeze it in serving size portions. This one has all
> of the needed nutrients mixed in, and so far my ladies are thriving on it.
> And the litter box does not fill up as much, because they are able to use
> more of the food they are ingesting.

I was given a sample of raw chicken at the pet food store and I just wasn't
thinking! It was during the summer and I left it out in my van. Imagine my
surprise when I saw how it was packaged. It was in a little plastic cup
with a plastic top on it like you would put salad dressing in. I didn't
give it to her. Somehow I thought it would come all hermetically sealed or
something.