Mickey, my 27 lbs foster and his journey back to a healthy weight

[mschauer]

OK guys, take a deep breath! 

You have to understand, they have another cat about the same age as Mickey who has eaten nothing but dry food his entire life and is perfectly healthy. Also they believe the "dry food is better for the teeth" thing. And yes, I given them all the information showing how that isn't true. But their kibble fed cat has never needed a dental but one of the first things they had to do for Mickey was get him a dental. So it really I don't find it difficult to understand their perspective.

I'll keep working on them. In the mean time Mickey is very happy and healthy. And I really do believe they will get him on the losing track. Eventually! 

 

[ldg]

I don't know what to say, I really don't. I understand they're friends... but in my world, a cat's welfare is more important. Different priorities, I guess.

If I were in this position... I'd be sad, disappointed, angry... and I'd forget the patience, and have a heart-to-heart (trying to do so without the anger. :heart2: ). And if they're really friends, they'll do what's right for Mickey - whether that's take care of Mickey properly, or give him back to be fostered until a proper home can be found.

I'm sorry they didn't turn out to be the parents for Mickey you thought they'd be.

I'll pay for the freaking bag of dry food if they don't want to just throw it away.

 

[peaches08]

Well, they agreed to take on a special needs cat. Normal doesn't apply in these cases. However, I am hoping that things improve.

 

[ldg]

OK guys, take a deep breath! 

You have to understand, they have another cat about the same age as Mickey who has eaten nothing but dry food his entire life and is perfectly healthy. Also they believe the "dry food is better for the teeth" thing. And yes, I given them all the information showing how that isn't true. But their kibble fed cat has never needed a dental but one of the first things they had to do for Mickey was get him a dental. So it really I don't find it difficult to understand their perspective.

I'll keep working on them. In the mean time Mickey is very happy and healthy. And I really do believe they will get him on the losing track. Eventually! 

I was distracted while writing my post, so you posted while I was responding.

I see the issue... I guess I had a different understanding of what their understanding was in adopting Mickey.

 

[otto]

OK guys, take a deep breath! 

You have to understand, they have another cat about the same age as Mickey who has eaten nothing but dry food his entire life and is perfectly healthy. Also they believe the "dry food is better for the teeth" thing. And yes, I given them all the information showing how that isn't true. But their kibble fed cat has never needed a dental but one of the first things they had to do for Mickey was get him a dental. So it really I don't find it difficult to understand their perspective.

I'll keep working on them. In the mean time Mickey is very happy and healthy. And I really do believe they will get him on the losing track. Eventually! 

This Mickey is not that cat, he has different needs. While you are working on them, all his progress is going backward. He's happy, because he doesn't know what a ticking time bomb he is, obese and forced to eat an entirely inappropriate diet. He won't be healthy for long. And we all know it.

Too much time and effort has already been invested in this cat to have him backslide from the most basic of ignorance. Not ignorance. Stubbornness.These people DO know what is right, they simply refuse to act on it. That is worse than ignorance. They DO know better. Their unwillingness to do right by Mickey is infuriating and heartbreaking.

It is truly making me weep, thinking about how happy he is to be able to play in those last videos, when the first one shows him wanting to play oh so much, but barely able to sustain the activity for more than a minute.

You know, and I know, that on that food, he will be right back where he started, and it will not take long.

He doesn't deserve that.

 

[mschauer]

I really appreciate everyone's concern for Mickey. 

I really do have confidence though that they will improve his diet and he will start to lose weight again. I am still pushing them in that direction. Just gently. 

 

[mschauer]

I see the issue... I guess I had a different understanding of what their understanding was in adopting Mickey.

There was no written in stone agreement with them about what they would feed Mickey. I wouldn't presume to dictate to someone what they should feed their cat. BUT, when we were discussing them adopting him they did agree that it would be best to keep him on Fancy Feast in the amounts I told them. That was completely undone the first time Susan took him to their vet. The vet told her he had "never seen a cat lose weight on Fancy Feast" and sold her the big bag of prescription weight lose kibble. Charlie is also getting frustrated. He knows Mickey needs to lose weight and I'm pretty sure he accepts that it doesn't take a prescription food to accomplish that. But, he has to deal with both his wife and his vet saying otherwise.

The saga continues...

 

[ritz]

It's like an alcoholic getting out of a treatment center and going to live with people who kind of know they themselves have a drinking problem.  But don't do anything about it.

Sorry.  I sincerely hope your hard work--and Mickey's health--don't go up in smoke/insulin.

 

[mschauer]

OK, we have an update. Charlie and Susan are now feeding Mickey 1 can of Fancy Feast and 1/2 cup of the dry weight control food per day. That makes for a total of 250 calories. They were giving him 1 cup of the weight control food and nothing else for a total of 300 calories a day. So that's a move in the right direction! 

I'm pretty sure 250 calories will still be too much since I was giving him more like 155 but I think it is fine to start at 250 and work their way down to what ever it will take for him to start losing. I've suggested that if they need to reduce the calories further that they decrease the dry rather than the wet. I'm hopeful that they will do that if for no other reason than because it will be easier than reducing the wet.

There's still hope! 

 

[ldg]

mschauer, I really don't get it. Do they not understand math? 250 calories is 61% more. Why, exactly, would ANYONE think a cat would lose weight on 61% more calories than he was eating. And he was comfortable on that amount.

How often are they weighing him? I can't believe he hasn't gained weight since being there eating this much food. :dk:

I know I should be glad they're feeding him the wet food. But I'm having trouble getting over just being... dumbfounded at their... logic. Really, outside looking in, it really can only be called, as otto put it, stubborness. Ignorance isn't an excuse here, they know how much he was eating when he was with you. I don't get it at all.

 

[mschauer]

mschauer, I really don't get it. Do they not understand math? 250 calories is 61% more. Why, exactly, would ANYONE think a cat would lose weight on 61% more calories than he was eating. And he was comfortable on that amount.

How often are they weighing him? I can't believe he hasn't gained weight since being there eating this much food.

I know I should be glad they're feeding him the wet food. But I'm having trouble getting over just being... dumbfounded at their... logic. Really, outside looking in, it really can only be called, as otto put it, stubborness. Ignorance isn't an excuse here, they know how much he was eating when he was with you. I don't get it at all.

I know, I'm having trouble understanding their process myself.  In talking to Charlie I find myself frequently using the "common sense dictates" in trying to make my point. 

 

I really think the primary problem here is their vet and the fact that it was Susan who took Mickey in for his first visit. I work with Charlie and over the time I had Mickey I talked to him a lot about what I was doing with him and and why. It was my talking to Charlie about what a great cat Mickey is that convinced them to adopt him. But I rarely see or talk to Susan. I can understand why see would take the vets advice over mine.

As for the crazy calorie math, I pointed out to Charlie that 250 calories is still a lot more than I was feeding him. BUT, given that he has been eating 300 calories for several weeks now it probably wouldn't be a good idea to suddenly drop him down to below 200 calories.

I really don't think it matters what calorie level they start at as long as they closely monitor his weight and lower the calories until he starts losing weight. They weight him once a week. And as I've tried to make clear before they are well aware that him not losing weight is not an option.

 

[tjcarst]

1/2c of dry is a lot along with the wet, why not go back to 1/4c dry and use it as treats?  Does Fancy Feast only come in 3 oz cans?  I hope they are not feeding 5.5oz of wet, plus 1/2c of dry.

 

[ldg]

It's 3 ounce cans.

 

[mschauer]

Mickey says Happy Thanksgiving!

Mickey.jpg

• mschauer
• Nov 29, 2013

Charlie and Susan finally have him on a losing track. He was 17 lbs 10 oz when they adopted him. He gained 7 oz while they were trying to work out a weight loss plan for him. He was down to 17 lbs 7 oz a week ago. They are out of town this week so I won't get another weight update until next week. Hopefully he is still losing.

They have finally realized that maybe their vet is't the best source of cat dieting information. 

 

They had been steadily reducing his calories but were always feeding more than what I found I needed to feed him to get him to lose weight. About 3 or 4 weeks ago they finally started feeding him 180 calories of Fancy Feast which is what I was feeding him just before he went to them. He lost a little bit at that calorie level with me but most of the time he was with me I found I had to feed him more like 165 calories for him to steadily lose.  He has lost 2 oz each week since they've had him on 180 calories. Hopefully that will keep up but I wouldn't be surprised if he levels out pretty quickly and they need to lower the calories a bit more. It would be great though if he could keep eating 180 calories.

When they first started the 180 calories they said he was throwing up bile in the afternoon 2 or 3 times a week and was acting very hungry between meals. I told them that I feed him 3 times a day to keep him from getting too hungry. They started doing that and he stopped throwing up. 

I knew they would eventually get to where they are now. Some people just seem to have to do things the hard way. 

 

 

[ldg]

Happy Thanksgiving to Mickey! He's SO darn cute!

Thank you soooo much for the VERY HAPPY update! It's great to hear they've finally come around to ... where we hoped (thought) they'd be starting.

:heart2: Mickey. :rub:

 

[jcat]

Happy Thanksgiving to Mickey! He looks good - not exactly svelte, but those 10 lbs. have made a huge difference. :cross: that he continues to lose.

 

[otto]

Thank you so much for the update. I am soo relieved to see it, as I think about Mickey all the time and wonder how he is doing, and am always praying he is no longer being fed that awful dry "food".

I just can't ever stop thinking about how much he loves to play and how terrible it would be for him to balloon back up and be reduced to barely able to wave a paw in play again. I just can't bear for that to happen.

Gosh what a beautiful boy he is! :heart3:

 

[peaches08]

Such a cutie and glad to hear he's back on a better diet!

 

[catspaw66]

He is looking like a new cat. Glad to hear that his new servants are realizing that the vet is not the best authority on nutrition.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

This is such great news.  And what a handsome boy he is!  I just want to give him a huge hug