Cosmo: Weight Loss Journey For A 22.2 Lb Kitty Man

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CosmoBot

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This scale is likely cheaper than the ones I noted above. Weighs up to 25 pounds.



Brecknell PS25 Gray Digital Postal Scale 25lb x 0.2 oz 8" x 6" Platform
Nice! Bennie from CatInfo used a baby scale with a tray. It seems like that might be necessary to keep the kitty on the scale, and also so that you can actually see the weight while the cat is on there. Like this one.

ALSO! I found on there that she said fatty liver disease is an issue if:
"Hepatic lipidosis (HL) is a life-threatening condition that can occur when a cat is either completely anorexic (not eating anything) for 48 hours or more or is consuming less than 50-75% of his daily caloric needs over several/many days.”

Cosmo is consuming 30.67% less than daily requirement for maintenance, so he's eating 69.33% of his daily needs.

That's riiiight in the middle...hmm...
 

rubysmama

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I do think I should talk to a vet to get clarity on net weight loss.
I think you should too. Weight loss, even in humans, shouldn't be too fast. And especially in cats, due to their propensity to develop fatty liver disease/hepatic lipidosis, which I see you mentioned in your last post.

So, again, I think talking to a vet is a great idea. To get their advice/opinion. And maybe to get an accurate weight. They might even let you bring him in for weekly weigh ins.

Are there any cat only vets in your area? They might have more experience with overweight cats and calorie reducing diets.
 
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CosmoBot

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I think you should too. Weight loss, even in humans, shouldn't be too fast. And especially in cats, due to their propensity to develop fatty liver disease/hepatic lipidosis, which I see you mentioned in your last post.

So, again, I think talking to a vet is a great idea. To get their advice/opinion. And maybe to get an accurate weight. They might even let you bring him in for weekly weigh ins.

Are there any cat only vets in your area? They might have more experience with overweight cats and calorie reducing diets.
I think you're right. I think I did find a cat-only vet here. We're changing our pet insurance and want to get a new vet. Sounds like it's time. I noticed in the other threads that a lot of folks did not actually consult with vets. In Mickey's thread, the new vet his furrever home took him to put him on a really high calorie *diet* food and he actually gained weight. But it really cannot hurt to just talk to a vet.

I am going to go ahead and increase his food by 1 portion. (Our auto-feeder uses "portions" which come to a certain amount of ounces I won't bore you with).

If we do that, his overall calories will be reduced about 14% from his original amount, vs the over 20% reduction he's on now. We can always decrease again later when this amount of weight loss won't be so much of his total percent body weight.

It's a bummer because he is actually QUITE a bit more lithe now with only a 1lb decrease. But better safe than (very) sorry.

Thanks RubysMama and FeebysOwnber for all your help!!
 

rubysmama

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Glad to help. Well, er, to offer support, since I've never had to put a cat on a diet, so don't have any experience.

TCS only has this one short article on overweight cats:
Is Your Cat Overweight?

There are, however, several on cat food, and feeding cats. I'll list the ones that you might find helpful in expanding your knowledge of the various types of cat foods.

What Do I Need To Know About Feeding My Cat?
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)
How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?
How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
Choosing The Right Food For Your Cat - Part 2
Grain-free Cat Food – What Does It Mean?

There was also this special forum where Veterinarian and feline specialist Dr. Rachel Boltz, DVM shared information about cat feeding and nutrition:
Cat Nutrition with Dr. Rachel Boltz, DVM
 
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Glad to help. Well, er, to offer support, since I've never had to put a cat on a diet, so don't have any experience.

TCS only has this one short article on overweight cats:
Is Your Cat Overweight?

There are, however, several on cat food, and feeding cats. I'll list the ones that you might find helpful in expanding your knowledge of the various types of cat foods.

What Do I Need To Know About Feeding My Cat?
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)
How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?
How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
Choosing The Right Food For Your Cat - Part 2
Grain-free Cat Food – What Does It Mean?

There was also this special forum where Veterinarian and feline specialist Dr. Rachel Boltz, DVM shared information about cat feeding and nutrition:
Cat Nutrition with Dr. Rachel Boltz, DVM
Oh WOW, these are awesome. Thank you!! Def adding these links to my info doc that I've shared on this thread. So helpful!!! <3 :heartshape:
 

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Having done this weight loss journey with Saipha, I'm rooting for you! Luckily for us, I caught her weight gain when she was 13 lbs, so she only had to lose 2 lbs. Today she's a happy, healthy, and svelte kitty!

One suggestion I'd make is to get an actual baby scale or postal scale. I used a baby scale that was accurate to half an ounce. Seeing the really wide variation you're getting makes me think that your bathroom scale is not the most accurate nor the most precise (if you measure 3-4 times in a row, are the numbers roughly the same?). I was aiming for 2 oz of weight loss a week, which bathroom scales are not good enough to handle! Yes, how recently a cat poops can affect things, but only a few ounces worth, not a whole pound!
 

Tobermory

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Lily (my avatar) was overweight. She’s at a good weight now, but I still weigh her weekly. I was using my bathroom scale, too, but I worried it wasn’t accurate enough to track weight loss in a cat. So I bought this one. It’s so flat and solid that all three cats will actually just sit—or even lie down—on it without my restraining them, even my wild child, Mocha.
Also, I always weigh Lily after she has visited the litter box. That’s probably easier for me than for you because Lily pees once a day, early in the morning, and poops every other day, early in the morning. Weird, but convenient for weighing!
 
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Having done this weight loss journey with Saipha, I'm rooting for you! Luckily for us, I caught her weight gain when she was 13 lbs, so she only had to lose 2 lbs. Today she's a happy, healthy, and svelte kitty!

One suggestion I'd make is to get an actual baby scale or postal scale. I used a baby scale that was accurate to half an ounce. Seeing the really wide variation you're getting makes me think that your bathroom scale is not the most accurate nor the most precise (if you measure 3-4 times in a row, are the numbers roughly the same?). I was aiming for 2 oz of weight loss a week, which bathroom scales are not good enough to handle! Yes, how recently a cat poops can affect things, but only a few ounces worth, not a whole pound!
This is great advice, thank you! Yep, I've been thinking that we need to get a baby or postal scale. My husband weighs him and does it a few times in a row to make sure it's accurate, but I do think we need something that can get 1/2 an ounce.

Congrats on Saipha's weight loss! Is she the kitty in your picture? Beeeautiful <3 <3 <3
 
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Lily (my avatar) was overweight. She’s at a good weight now, but I still weigh her weekly. I was using my bathroom scale, too, but I worried it wasn’t accurate enough to track weight loss in a cat. So I bought this one. It’s so flat and solid that all three cats will actually just sit—or even lie down—on it without my restraining them, even my wild child, Mocha.
Also, I always weigh Lily after she has visited the litter box. That’s probably easier for me than for you because Lily pees once a day, early in the morning, and poops every other day, early in the morning. Weird, but convenient for weighing!
Lily is gorgeous! This is awesome, thank you. So funny that she has a pee/poop schedule! :flail: That does make it easier :lol: When I'm home, I'm going to keep my ears out for when he's in there and weigh him right after. Thanks for the tips!
 

Tobermory

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Lily is gorgeous! This is awesome, thank you. So funny that she has a pee/poop schedule! :flail: That does make it easier :lol: When I'm home, I'm going to keep my ears out for when he's in there and weigh him right after. Thanks for the tips!
Here it is in action with Iris. :)
159D009C-42ED-4CE7-8958-14BAD7770B17.jpeg
 

Tobermory

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oh. my. god. LOOK AT THAT PRETTY KITTAY!! What a good girl!! :heartshape::lovecat:I love her cool shag and little lip spot :updown:
Awww, thanks. She is a good girl. And unlike her sister/litter mate, Lily, she’s always been skinny. No wonder they don’t get along! :)
 
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