Fat Cat!

Re: Fat Cat!

nikki84 — Mon, 02 May 2011 18:48:14 GMT

Hi,

Fat fighter clinics are always challenging but so rewarding when the client plays ball!
I always offer them the opportunity of reducing their current diets before going onto R/D as most clients will just see you as another person trying to sell them something!
Get them to bring in the packaging for the current food so you can work out accurately using the recommended guidelines what should be fed. Split their meals into 3-4 feeds daily.
I normally give clients 6 weeks to see if there is any difference as it takes 6-8 weeks for a metabolism to alter to a reduction in food intake.

Once you have prooved that the 'commercial diet' won't help with weight reduction clients are usually happier to start on R/D.
Feeding balls, scatter feeding and hiding food works well. I find that cats love laser pens and will go mental for them. Our practice has started selling them as they have helped a number of cats shead the pounds.
Get Hills to send you some weight clinic packs as these are nice to give to the clients. Keep an individual folder for each clients pet. Take photos and measurements and it will make the client feel like you are doing much more.
Write diet plans, call them on a regular basis for an update.

Sounds like alot of hard work but I always find the more effort you make with the client, the more they will warm to you and follow your advice :)

Re: Fat Cat!

Phrin Vernon RVN — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:52:22 GMT

I am no expert at weight clinics, esp with cats, but I always advise clients to feed little and often, and make them work for it - ie feed at the top of strairs or cat gym, and don't let them hang around there all day................... take the cat downstairs or outside - they can smell the food - let them find it!

Re: Fat Cat!

Jessica Perkins — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:47:13 GMT

Oh another one, check how many times per day she is feeding him cause ideally 3 meals would be great, well ideally grazing all day on allocated amount to keep his metabolism going but thats hard when there is 2 cats so 3 meals would be your next step.

Re: Fat Cat!

Jessica Perkins — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:45:18 GMT

Hey Emma,

Firstly is this cat an indoor cat as he will only require a fraction of the amount of a normally outdoor active cat?

Ensure she is not feeding him any human food cause if he is that fat she probably is. Even cutting that out would make a massive difference. If she doesn't want to pay for a prescribed diet find out what price range she is looking to spend, go to your supermarket and look at what the foods have to offer, either a light version or look at the contents for a higher value in fibre and lower fat this may also help.

I also find it useful to do a price comparison for the client so they know how much a day it would cost to feed the cat a prescribed diet against the supermarket brand. Sometimes it isn't a massive difference, depending upon which brand she feeds.

Hope this helps

Re: Fat Cat!

Alana Dent — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:00:22 GMT

Feed bigger meals in the morning than at night - he then has all day towork it off. And like the girls say, make him work for it! Put his food upstairs, on places he needs to jump to get too. The treat ball already mentioned works great as well!

Re: Fat Cat!

Katie Mansfield — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:16:32 GMT

Have you asked her if she keeps the cat indoors? One of ours got really big a few years ago so we did all everyone's suggesting but my neighbours were being "kind". Even attaching "do not feed - on special diet" to the collar didn't work so put him under house arrest.

Needless to say he lost weight and then the neighbours started asking if if he was ill!!!!!!!

K x

Re: Fat Cat!

Sal the 1st — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:30:09 GMT

with my fatty cat I give only about a quarter of his ration in a food bowl and the rest he has to work for. He has a food ball and we do have loads of hiding places for the rest of his food. loo roll middles with a few biscuits in the middle and the open ends stuffed with newspaper,empty soft drink bottles he has to roll around to get the food out, windowsills he has to jump onto, half open drawers he has to figure out how to get into - if he has to hunt the food out he is using his brain (well theoretically he has one) and expending a bit of energy into the bargain. Have had him on r/d but tbh makes him quite windy have found the rcw is better for him. We also have a feather box - chasing feathers is a good one for him, laser torches he loves catching rubber ducks in the bath - is also a good one if you have a cat that likes water

Re: Fat Cat!

Catherine Raymond — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:08:21 GMT

Some cats love being on their back and having their tums rubbed. This works wonders if there is some wiggling around. Has she tried making the puss work for the food by hiding it? I know it is a little harder in a multicat household. I always say one extra wiggle or paw movement is better than none.

Had one overweight puss that annoyed the hell out of his mum for food when on light, r/d, obesity, w/d, and then out of desperation tried m/d and now no 4am wake up calls, and have happier owner and cat.

Re: Fat Cat!

Royalsuper_fairy — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:01:32 GMT

That was the point I made with her when she said that she had just reduced the diet. Just nice to have some one else say the same as me

Re: Fat Cat!

Steph Worsley — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:28:26 GMT

I would try and push calorie restricted diet for them (as i'm sure you know) as just reducing the normal food will reduce other needed nutrients. different cats respond to different toys so maybe a panic mouse, ice cubes on a laminate floor etc, toys on a sting, even b its of paper screwed up can encourage a bit of exercise