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Hot air and ill-informed banter

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

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Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

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One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

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This fight is for everything.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / The Cat Diet

Reader Interactions

100Comments

  1. 1.

    Walker

    I am not sure I can tell a difference. My cat Marcus is about as big as Tunch is, and he certainly has certain poses that are more flattering than others.

  3. 3.

    Throwin Stones

    Can’t really see it.
    But we have one over 20lbs and another just shy of 30, so I’m in no position to give advice.

  4. 4.

    John Cole

    I can tell- it would have been spilling over on his sides more in the position he is in for the last pic, and he is far less jowly. Plus, his coat looks the best it has in a while (you will just have to take my word that he is the softest cat I know), and he has more energy.

  5. 5.

    Roonieroo

    I can tell the difference. I think it is a bit harder to tell with white kittehs but having gone through the weight battle with our two girls, I can see the the difference.

    Did your vet give you a target or tell you what his ideal weight is?

  6. 6.

    dr. bloor

    Hmmmm…at this point, I suspect the easiest way for Tunch to shed those unwanted pounds would be to graft some opposable thumbs onto his paws and teach him how to use Photoshop.

  7. 7.

    John Cole

    @Roonieroo: No target weight. I just stopped free feeding and give him between 1/2-2/3 a cup a day, and I switched foods and set up defined feed times (7am and again at 5-6 pm). He is definitely healthier.

    Let’s hope the same approach works for his hairless monkey.

  13. 13.

    TheFountainHead

    Let’s hope the same approach works for his hairless monkey.

    I have to admit I was supremely puzzled by this sentence for at least five minutes.

  14. 14.

    Krista

    Let’s hope the same approach works for his hairless monkey.

    Am I the only one who thinks of something altogether different when reading that phrase?

    And yes, Tunch is starting to look less and less like a perambulating ottoman and more like a cat. Good work, John!

  15. 15.

    Tattoosydney

    Instead, in today’s photo he just looks like he’s calculating how long he could live off you.

    He’s very cute, though (and his muffin top has certainly shrunk).

  17. 17.

    Stuck

    Let’s hope the same approach works for his hairless monkey.

    Ah yes, the New World coleabuss monkey.

  19. 19.

    greynoldsct00

    He’s looking great John. I put my four on a regulated diet of canned food twice a day and even my non-pudgy cats have more energy and are happier.

  20. 20.

    valdivia

    so i have two cats and one eats his brother’s food all the time and he is, um, pretty healthy (hugest cat in the world as a friend once called him). Anyone here have a remedy to the ‘how to put a cat on a diet when there are two of them’ problem?

  22. 22.

    greynoldsct00

    Anyone here have a remedy to the ‘how to put a cat on a diet when there are two of them’ problem?

    I put the piggy in the powder room until the other finishes…that’s what I have to do

  23. 23.

    John Cole

    @valdivia: I have no clue. One of the reasons we are getting Tunch in shape now is because I want to get him a friend, but I want him to shed about 5 pounds first so I do not have that problem.

  25. 25.

    Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse

    Looking good, Tunch!

    valdivia, use the big one’s size against him. If his brother is a better jumper, put his food on a high shelf or counter that the other cat can’t reach.

    Or create a cat den (even a big old cardboard box) with a hole cut small enough for brother but not the big guy. Brother can go in and out and eat at leisure, while huge cat has diet portions outside.

  27. 27.

    Dave

    @valdivia:

    We have Beezus (the large one) and Winnie (the svelte one). We place the dry food at a location that Winnie can jump to but Beezus can’t (like on top of the fridge). Then we leave the wet on the floor.
     
    Sadly, we still haven’t solved how to keep Beezus from swatting us on the nose at 3 AM.

  28. 28.

    Roonieroo

    @valdivia: I had that problem with 5 in our house. 2 we had to deal with overweight and 2 that were normal and 1 that was underweight.

    Before we switched to raw feeding, which frankly solved all the weight problems but I won’t jump on that soapbox, we dealt with the differing weight/food requirements by doing what John is doing and feeding very specific feeding times. When the ones that would not steal food were done and walked away, we picked up the food.

    That can be hard when your feeding and leaving and requires you hang around while they eat. But it’s worth it because it will definitely help with balancing out the "household weight", if you will.

  30. 30.

    valdivia

    thanks y’all. The big one is a pretty adventurous jumper which amazes me because he is so big but I will try putting the food in places he does not go to.

  32. 32.

    Andrew

    Tunch looks like a good candidate for a Furminator. I bet you could pull out three or four cats worth of hair in one session.

  35. 35.

    Robert Sneddon

    First pic is in landscape mode, the second pic is portrait and the last is a narrow-cropped portrait shot. You’re deluding yourself.

    BTW from the photographic evidence of what’s left of the other cat in the first picture, if you do get Tunch a "friend" you may as well coat it with BBQ sauce and put it between two slices of wholemeal bread. Tunch would appreciate it.

  38. 38.

    Neal

    He looks good. Lots of good.

    My mother-in-law has a cat named Julio. He’s quite large. He has this little flab of skin that hangs down from his belly that makes him look sort of like a buffalo.
    My mother-in-law doesn’t like it when I call him "Mr. Buffalo".
    Funny thing is she got a female kitten a couple of years ago who looks very similar to Julio – and now that Lily is about grown up she’s quite hefty herself.

    My wife and I have three and they are all at healthy weights. Not sure what it is. We let the two girls eat whenever they want (inside) and our outside guy gets to eat two times a day.

  39. 39.

    gbear

    You’re going to get a second cat when the first cat is on a diet? That’ll be fun. Tunch is going to have a learning curve about the concept of ‘food that is not mine’.

  41. 41.

    Ming

    Tunch looks great, John — there’s a substantial difference between the photos.

    Re: one fat, one thin cat — if you happen to work at home (I know, not likely), another method is to give 3-5 tiny meals. When I fed once a day, the little one would get full before finishing and the big one would finish her own and the other’s. With the snacks, the little one gets enough over the course of the day, and the big one doesn’t get more than she needs. They both came to a great weight and have stayed there.

  43. 43.

    DMac

    Cats are obligate carnivores. Dry kibble contains a high percentage of carbohydrates in the form of grains and vegetables and is very fattening for cats and can also lead to feline diabetes. Switching to meat is recommended for any cat.

    http://www.catinfo.org/

    The three key negative issues associated with dry food are:

    1) type of protein – too high in plant-based versus animal-based proteins

    2) carbohydrate load is too high

    3) water content is too low

  44. 44.

    headpan

    Diet, schmiet. He’s splendiferously gorgeous either way.

    (you will just have to take my word that he is the softest cat I know)

    I don’t want to take your word for it. Pass him through screen pronto so that I might snorgle heem.

    (2nd pic, "eat shit and die" look — priceless
    3rd, "I’m heart-stoppingly gorgeous and I know it" look)

  46. 46.

    Tim F.

    If this was a paper that I was reviewing, I would insist that you either (a) take your pictures from the same angle with the same focal length/zoom, or (b) weigh your cat. Preferably (b).

  47. 47.

    headpan

    I’m just gonna fess up. I want your cat John. But if I can’t have him, I will be glad to ship to you, free of charge(!), one ornery, tortie female with serious belly issues, to be his new companion. One look at her and he will feel positively svelte. Plus, I think she needs a man in her life.

  49. 49.

    John Cole

    @Nazgul35: Hater.

    @headpan: You can’t have him.

    BTW, the reason I have Tunch is precisely because of his ‘tude. When I was at the pound when I got him, I actually went several days in a row. I went into the room with all the cats, and I took them all out of their cages to play with them to get a sense of their personality. All of the other cats, when I took them out, ran and hid.

    Tunch, on the other hand, looked around the room, walked over and smacked me, then proceeded to act like he owned the place. I immediately said- “THAT ONE!”

  50. 50.

    Krista

    His fur DOES look absurdly soft. I’d love to nuzzle my face into it, if it wouldn’t result in my eyes being swollen shut and a major asthma attack. So John, you’ll have to be my snorgler-by-proxy.

  52. 52.

    Mary Jane

    I had a "big-boned" cat – 20 lbs (Mr. Mellow). I got a prescription for Science Diet W/D from my vet, and it worked really well. You can only feed it to the cat for a certain period of time, while he is losing weight, it’s not an every day food. So it’s not a maintenance food, just a weight-reducing one, but it’s effective.

  53. 53.

    Surly Duff

    One of the reasons we are getting Tunch in shape now is because I want to get him a friend, but I want him to shed about 5 pounds first so I do not have that problem.

    Yeah, don’t want the other cat making fat jokes about Tunch and giving him any confidence issues.

  55. 55.

    David Hunt

    His fur does appear to be improving based on the pictures. He also just seems to have a more pleasant expression/stance. If he more active and happy, that’s a great step. Also, I think I can detect a bit a slimming, but that’s more difficult to tell.

  56. 56.

    Gus

    Doesn’t matter if he’s fat or not, he’s damn cute in all three pictures, even with the "fuck you" look in the middle one.

  57. 57.

    Bubba Dave

    Put me down as another member of the Catkins Diet cult. One of my cats developed diabetes– 2 insulin injections a day– and putting her on M/D canned food got it under control with no more insulin, plus she lost weight. The junior cat also eats the stuff, and is the first cat I’ve ever had not to be obese.

    High protein/fat wet food is absolutely the way to go. Cats didn’t evolve* eating rice and corn, they eat small lumps of meat and organs. The vet who recommended M/D called it "mouse in a can."
    *or "weren’t created eating rice and corn," if you’re in certain Southern and Midwestern states

  58. 58.

    Bill H

    @DMac

    Dry kibble contains a high percentage of carbohydrates

    Well, not to call you any unflattering names, but "dry kibble" is a little on the generic side. Enovo Evo actually contains no carbs. We have to buy it at the vet’s office but it is very reasonable in cost, our little girl loves it almost as much as she does her "treats," and her weight remains nicely on the slightly rotund side of normal. A bowl of it "lives" on the kitchen floor beside a bowl of water, and she strolls in from time to time during the day, strolling back into the living room licking her chops and wearing a contented demeanor.

    When I’m refreshing it every morning, some usually lands on the top of her head, as she generally is sticking her head in the bowl before I’m done pouring. Even though there was some left from the day before. Apparently it had gone a bit stale or something.

  60. 60.

    DMac

    Evo has carbs. It just doesn’t contain any grains. Check the label.

    EVO is based on ground chicken and turkey meat, bones, fat, cartilage and connective tissue. It includes whole, raw fruits and vegetables which contain health promoting phytochemicals and micronutrients. EVO has Hi-Protein, Low-Carbs, and No Grains.

    I agree that it is the least worst of the dry kibbles.

  63. 63.

    DMac

    John,

    Wellness canned is a pretty good food. Will Tunch eat chicken? Try chopping up an uncooked chicken leg or thigh, bone in, and putting a few pieces on his Wellness.

  64. 64.

    John Cole

    @DMac: He refuses to eat any wet food. I have never met another cat that does this, so I can not figure out what it is. He will not eat any fish, he does not like tuna, he will not eat meat. When Oliver was still around, he would run through a wall to get to the kitchen when he heard a can opening, but Tunch simple refuses to touch the stuff.

    He likes dry food. I would switch him to wet food as comrade mary is always trying to get me to do, but he just refuses to eat anything but kibble.

  66. 66.

    headpan

    He refuses to eat any wet food. I have never met another cat that does this

    You haven’t met my schmoo, then. She will not touch tuna. She demands nothing but Whisker Lickins treats (crunchy or chewy) while the other two are tuna addicts. I’ve tried to feed her canned cat food as well, same response.
    And here I thought *mine* was the only one, too. I really find it very, very curious.

  69. 69.

    Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse

    He refuses to eat any wet food. I have never met another cat that does this, so I can not figure out what it is. He will not eat any fish, he does not like tuna, he will not eat meat. When Oliver was still around, he would run through a wall to get to the kitchen when he heard a can opening, but Tunch simple refuses to touch the stuff.

    John, meet Fergus. He eats Science Diet Oral Care kibble, and that’s about it. No canned food, no meat, and even no human food, with these exceptions:

    1) Canadian potato chips in baroque flavours like Cheddar-Ranch, or BBQ-Blue Cheese, or Ketchup and Dill. (Blame my ex-husband for this. I do.)
    2) A couple of months ago, he started gulping my leftover tea-with-milk if I didn’t guard it. He won’t drink milk alone, though.
    3) Most recently, he has started drinking my cold-tea-with-lemon if it’s left unguarded. Overcaffeinated little bastard.

    He likes dry food. I would switch him to wet food as comrade mary is always trying to get me to do, but he just refuses to eat anything but kibble.

    You have me confused with someone else, I think. I’ve had cats who demanded wet food, and I managed to get them back to one serving a day, but I’m not quite the carnivore evangelist you make me out to be.

  70. 70.

    DMac

    @John Cole:

    I had one of those kibble addicts. It takes perseverance, and you can usually switch them over with trickery. I’m happy to report that Spook the Kibble Addict now slurps up his wet food, though it took about 6 months to fully make the transition.

    Here are Lisa Pierson’s suggestions.

    We had good luck with smearing wet food on Spook’s paws. That got him used to the idea of ingesting it. Also, put a small mound of wet food in a bowl and sprinkle his kibble over and around it.

    Also here.

  72. 72.

    Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse

    Hmm, DMac. Maybe there is hope for Fergus, too. I think his episodes of bulimia, followed by slow, thoughtful snacking, is his way of training himself.

    (Y’all are grossed out by that? Good. It’s not as if you have to live with it.)

  74. 74.

    headpan

    Comrade Mary – If I dared leave a glass of liquid unguarded in my house, it would be on the floor in 5 seconds or less. For the tortie, apparently there is nothing more fascinating than knocking over a glass of whatever and watching it spill and drip all over the place. Then, and only then, might she consider taking a taste.

  75. 75.

    BSR

    Long time reader, first time poster.

    You really need to do everything you can to get Tunch’s weight down. I lost my little buddy Dusty to Heart failure about 5 weeks ago. He was about 14 years old and 27 pounds. It was always kinda funny and cute having a huge cat, but in the end it was sad.

    One day out of nowhere he just started having trouble breathing. It turned out his heart was enlarged (from carrying his fat ass around) and his chest was filling up with fluids making it hard for him to breath. After a month of getting his chest drained of fluids every few days I had him put to sleep and buried him in my back yard, it was a horrible way to go and he had pretty much stopped eating or having any fun.

    I am not writing this to be a jerk or ruin anyones mood, just a warning for you and all my friends on this site, fat pets might be cute but in the end it will go badly.

    On a happier note, after a suitable grieving period I got a dog (something I had always planed on doing when Dusty passed on). http://omadog.blogspot.com

  76. 76.

    ET

    I am looking at that last picture, and other than the faux devil horns above his eyes, he looks like he was originally a orange stripey that someone held by the tail and dipped him in bleach.

  77. 77.

    headpan

    Oh crap, now we have bulimic cat stories. Don’t get me started. My third kitteh just does not get that if you inhale your food solid without chewing and then immediately go running around the house like a crazed ferrett, that stuff is probably gonna come back up in a minute.

  78. 78.

    Alan

    I have read that cats don’t metabolize fat the way humans do. Which can cause problems–possibly fatal–if your cat gets sick and refuses to eat.

    I only feed my two cats once a day. Although, I keep bowl of hard food available in case they want to snack. Neither are overweight. And one is 19 years old.

  79. 79.

    Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse

    Terrific. We welcome YOUR president to OUR country, and how does he repay us? He attacks OUR kittehs!

    Your shakes and shingles are toast, people. And don’t come begging to us for maple syrup or Blackberries until that bad, bad man apologizes.

  80. 80.

    Beej

    Our two eat Science Diet Prescription k/d, the 14 year old because she needs to for health reasons, the 10 year old because it’s impossible to stop him. Both get a small morning ration of tuna. We leave the SD out at all times in their bowls, right next to the water. Both are close to ideal weight and have never had a weight problem even though k/d is higher in fat than many foods. On the other hand, John, we used to have a cat that looked a great deal like Tunch (the coloring and markings are very similar to those of the Turkish Van breed. So is the extremely soft fur.) and he could gain a couple of pounds just by sniffing the air while chicken was cooking. Cats are like people. Some are more likely to be overweight than others. Probably has something to do with how they’ve evolved as domesticated animals.

  81. 81.

    Krista

    Canadian potato chips in baroque flavours like Cheddar-Ranch, or BBQ-Blue Cheese, or Ketchup and Dill. (Blame my ex-husband for this. I do.)

    /pregnant lady perks up ears at thought of Cheddar-Ranch or Ketchup and Dill Chips.

    The BBQ- Blue cheese ,those are the Doritos Collisions, right? What are the other ones you’re talking about?

  83. 83.

    Objective Scrutator

    @John Cole: Do you know why Tunch won’t eat the wet food? I’m more familiar with cats that refuse to eat the dry food, myself.

    Whatever your diet for him is, it’s working excellently. Tunch is a beautiful cat.

  84. 84.

    Farley

    @valdivia: Here is what we do with our dogs (don’t know if this is a good idea for cats, though): Give them 15 minutes to eat and watch over them as they are eating. In our (dog)house, this prevents thievery. I don’t have to wait long, as our dogs always finish their food in under a minute.

    I’m not a fan of free-feeding.

  85. 85.

    AhabTRuler

    I have been trying to convince Momo to eat the wet stuff, but she has been reticent. The best results I have had are when I mix a small handful of the kibble in with the wet.

  88. 88.

    Socraticsilence

    I hope he can safely pass the poor orange Tabby he seems to be excreting in the last picture.

  91. 91.

    Laura Clawson

    My Henley also dislikes the wet food. He’s eaten it once or twice, but mostly if you put it out he just turns up his nose at it. Annoying since I have a ton of very good wet food someone gave me.

  92. 92.

    passerby

    @headpan:

    Headpan, when I first got my cat (a stray) he would do this and drink from the spill. Then he started drinking out of my water glass as I sat at the table or at the computer. To remedy this, I set him up with his own drinking glass, next to mine. Now he won’t ever drink from a bowl or any thing that’s on the floor level.

    I have this theory that he smells my saliva and thinks my drinking glass must be the communal watering hole–newsflash kitty, it ain’t.

  93. 93.

    Gay Veteran

    Weight the cat already! You could try the truck scales at the weight stations along the interstates. ;)
    Beautiful cat. :)

  94. 94.

    Smeege

    Tunch –

    I, too, am a healthy, strong Cat Man. I, too, keep hearing all of these comments about my "weight." Things like "fatboy," "moose," "chunk," "chubby-bubby," "tank," and "go-rilla." This is a travesty. We are not obese. We are Strong and Healthy. If your human doesn’t understand this fact, you can always carve it into his flesh as he sleeps.

  95. 95.

    paul in kirkland

    How difficult was it to get him to eat less?

    I also have a "big-boned" cat – if she had a profile on an online dating service she’d no doubt say she was Big & Beautiful – and getting her to eat less is a total PITA. Constant wailing.

    How long until the wailing stops?

  98. 98.

    valdivia

    thanks all of you for your recs for how to deal with my ‘healthy’ cat. the problem with our boyz is that the thin cat won’t eat when we serve the food the other one finishes the food in a minute and then eats his brother’s later on. But good to know about stopping the free feeding.

  100. 100.

    mac

    Looking good. As soon as your cat finishes crapping out that tabby in pic three it might just be a bit under-weight.

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