Status of Hobbes' diet (long sigh!)

Some of you may remember that when Hobbes had his annual exam last year
he weighed 22 lbs and TED suggested he needed to lose weight. She wanted
him to weigh 17 lbs by this time. He went in today for his annual exam
and vacs. He was such a good boy!! He gets so stressed when we visit the
vet (due to bad experiences with previous vet) that he growls and hisses
at everyone who comes near him. Today I took his brush with me (he loves
being brushed) and while we were in the exam room waiting for TED I
brushed him and he relaxed. He didn't hiss at her until she reached
under him to listen to his heart and then it was only a half-hearted
hiss.

I'm feeling really down on myself right now however. I've let him down
on his diet. He weighs 26 lbs! I simply have to figure out what to do to
help him lose weight. We've gone to weight management food but since he
free feeds I think he's just eating more. I guess the free feeding days
are over. The girls are not going to understand at all, but if it helps
to keep Hobbes alive they'll just have to get over it.

His teeth need to be cleaned so TED went ahead and took care of the pre
surgery blood work today as well as a thyroid test so now he's had
Thyroid, CBC and chemistry profile. At least I'll hopefully know that
he's healthy even if he is fat.

Julie

Aw, poor Hobbes. Weight-loss purrs coming over for him, and purrs that the
tests all come back negative. Frank sends special teeth-cleaning purrs, as
he is prone to tartar and has to have his teeth cleaned regularly.

--
Marina, Frank and Nikki
marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi

Julie Cook wrote in message ...
Some of you may remember that when Hobbes had his annual exam last year
he weighed 22 lbs and TED suggested he needed to lose weight. She wanted
him to weigh 17 lbs by this time. He went in today for his annual exam
and vacs. He was such a good boy!! He gets so stressed when we visit the
vet (due to bad experiences with previous vet) that he growls and hisses
at everyone who comes near him. Today I took his brush with me (he loves
being brushed) and while we were in the exam room waiting for TED I
brushed him and he relaxed. He didn't hiss at her until she reached
under him to listen to his heart and then it was only a half-hearted
hiss.

I'm feeling really down on myself right now however. I've let him down
on his diet. He weighs 26 lbs! I simply have to figure out what to do to
help him lose weight. We've gone to weight management food but since he
free feeds I think he's just eating more. I guess the free feeding days
are over. The girls are not going to understand at all, but if it helps
to keep Hobbes alive they'll just have to get over it.

His teeth need to be cleaned so TED went ahead and took care of the pre
surgery blood work today as well as a thyroid test so now he's had
Thyroid, CBC and chemistry profile. At least I'll hopefully know that
he's healthy even if he is fat.

Julie


Awww, poor Hobbes! DH's office kitty Tiger also seems to be *gaining*
weight eating the weight-control food. He is coming to resemble more
and more a little stripey basketball. Mike is *losing* weight when he
shouldn't, because he is tired of the U/R food he has to have, the
poor darling. It's so hard to manage these little guys' weight! Mike
is concentrating hard and sending special purrs to Hobbes, hoping by
the power of purr to transfer this weight-losing thing. I myself send
sympathy and good-luck vibes, knowing how hard it is to deny anything
to big green pleading eyes. :-(
------
Krista

I don't know if this will help, but once a guy on TV explained how he gives
his kitties the food they like less if they start to gain weight. I haven't
needed to do that with Soncek, but I do notice that as I give him different
food every day, there are some of the foods he doesn't like so much, so he
eats it much more slowly (and therefore less of it). It only works with dry
food unfortunately (wet food would go bad if I left it for him).
Lots of hugs and best wishes for you to find a good and easy way for Hobbes
to lose weight,
--
Polonca & Soncek

"Julie Cook" wrote in message
...
Some of you may remember that when Hobbes had his annual exam last year
he weighed 22 lbs and TED suggested he needed to lose weight. snip

"Julie Cook" wrote in message
...
Some of you may remember that when Hobbes had his annual exam last year
he weighed 22 lbs and TED suggested he needed to lose weight. She wanted
him to weigh 17 lbs by this time. He went in today for his annual exam
and vacs. He was such a good boy!! He gets so stressed when we visit the
vet (due to bad experiences with previous vet) that he growls and hisses
at everyone who comes near him. Today I took his brush with me (he loves
being brushed) and while we were in the exam room waiting for TED I
brushed him and he relaxed. He didn't hiss at her until she reached
under him to listen to his heart and then it was only a half-hearted
hiss.

I'm feeling really down on myself right now however. I've let him down
on his diet. He weighs 26 lbs! I simply have to figure out what to do to
help him lose weight. We've gone to weight management food but since he
free feeds I think he's just eating more. I guess the free feeding days
are over. The girls are not going to understand at all, but if it helps
to keep Hobbes alive they'll just have to get over it.

His teeth need to be cleaned so TED went ahead and took care of the pre
surgery blood work today as well as a thyroid test so now he's had
Thyroid, CBC and chemistry profile. At least I'll hopefully know that
he's healthy even if he is fat.

Julie

{{{Julie}}} It's hard to be a mean meowmie and make them watch their weight
and I'm no success story either. Midnight, Robin and Tucker could all stand
to weigh less and so I've already got my New Year's Resolution for them
set...
Taking away the free feeding is hard but maybe you can buy some kitty toys
and plan for extra playtime with them instead...
Good luck!
Christine

Julie Cook wrote:
Some of you may remember that when Hobbes had his annual exam last
year he weighed 22 lbs and TED suggested he needed to lose weight.
She wanted him to weigh 17 lbs by this time. He went in today for
his annual exam and vacs. He was such a good boy!! He gets so
stressed when we visit the vet (due to bad experiences with previous
vet) that he growls and hisses at everyone who comes near him. Today
I took his brush with me (he loves being brushed) and while we were
in the exam room waiting for TED I brushed him and he relaxed. He
didn't hiss at her until she reached under him to listen to his heart
and then it was only a half-hearted hiss.

I'm feeling really down on myself right now however. I've let him down
on his diet. He weighs 26 lbs! I simply have to figure out what to do
to help him lose weight. We've gone to weight management food but
since he free feeds I think he's just eating more. I guess the free
feeding days are over. The girls are not going to understand at all,
but if it helps to keep Hobbes alive they'll just have to get over it.

His teeth need to be cleaned so TED went ahead and took care of the
pre surgery blood work today as well as a thyroid test so now he's had
Thyroid, CBC and chemistry profile. At least I'll hopefully know that
he's healthy even if he is fat.

Julie

Purrs for Hobbes, I wish it was as easy to lose weight as it is to gain it.
--
Adrian
A House Is Not A Home, Without A Cat.

in article , Julie Cook at
wrote on 11/23/03 1:21 AM:

Some of you may remember that when Hobbes had his annual exam last year
he weighed 22 lbs and TED suggested he needed to lose weight. She wanted
him to weigh 17 lbs by this time. He went in today for his annual exam
and vacs. He was such a good boy!! He gets so stressed when we visit the
vet (due to bad experiences with previous vet) that he growls and hisses
at everyone who comes near him. Today I took his brush with me (he loves
being brushed) and while we were in the exam room waiting for TED I
brushed him and he relaxed. He didn't hiss at her until she reached
under him to listen to his heart and then it was only a half-hearted
hiss.

I'm feeling really down on myself right now however. I've let him down
on his diet. He weighs 26 lbs! I simply have to figure out what to do to
help him lose weight. We've gone to weight management food but since he
free feeds I think he's just eating more. I guess the free feeding days
are over. The girls are not going to understand at all, but if it helps
to keep Hobbes alive they'll just have to get over it.

His teeth need to be cleaned so TED went ahead and took care of the pre
surgery blood work today as well as a thyroid test so now he's had
Thyroid, CBC and chemistry profile. At least I'll hopefully know that
he's healthy even if he is fat.

Julie


The best solution seems to be good canned food at regular controlled
intervals and exercise. No free feeding. If you give them a kibble snack it
probably won't hurt, but Hobbes doesn't seem to have an off switch. It has
soemthing to do with the carbs in dry food. You get better energy calories
with wet food. It's more satisfying (though I'm sure at first they are
"where's the food?"). Purrs for Hobbes to get in shape.

Karen

Julie Cook wrote:

I'm feeling really down on myself right now however. I've let him down
on his diet. He weighs 26 lbs! I simply have to figure out what to do to
help him lose weight. We've gone to weight management food but since he
free feeds I think he's just eating more. I guess the free feeding days
are over. The girls are not going to understand at all, but if it helps
to keep Hobbes alive they'll just have to get over it.

It sound hard, putting different cats on different diets. I wonder
how people do it? Nine pounds is a lot of weight - your girls
probably only weigh a little bit more than that.

Funny your name for your hungry nose is Hobbes
my Henri surname* Hobbs* RB. is very close and he
was a good eater and weighed[ before he became ill]
nine point three kilo'severyone commented on his
size,I wish I was able to post photo's of him and Wilson
but I'm afraid I cant I 13 years I have a mountain of
Henri pics and am fast building up another of Wilson.
Cheers Jean P.
polonca12000 wrote in message
...
I don't know if this will help, but once a guy on TV explained how he
gives
his kitties the food they like less if they start to gain weight. I
haven't
needed to do that with Soncek, but I do notice that as I give him
different
food every day, there are some of the foods he doesn't like so much, so he
eats it much more slowly (and therefore less of it). It only works with
dry
food unfortunately (wet food would go bad if I left it for him).
Lots of hugs and best wishes for you to find a good and easy way for
Hobbes
to lose weight,
--
Polonca & Soncek

"Julie Cook" wrote in message
...
Some of you may remember that when Hobbes had his annual exam last year
he weighed 22 lbs and TED suggested he needed to lose weight. snip