New picture of my fatboy Shadow

"Arjun Ray" wrote in message
...
In , "Cheryl"
wrote:


I know Shadow was overweight at some point, but was he muscular
before
that?

Oh yes. He was always muscular (thick neck, thick legs, very solid)
but he gained weight when my Marley got sick with megacolon and he was
eating all of the food from both of their bowls. I really get sad
when I think back on all of the things I missed between both of those
boys. Food gone = everyone eating. Not. Funny how you don't even
notice weight changes when you see them every day. I've never bought
a scale but now that I have 2 new kitties that are young (~2 years,
and ~7 months) I think it's something to seriously consider. Shadow
went from 19lbs early last year to 12lbs at his worst, and back up and
now 20lbs. My fault... when the diarrhea started he was so hungry all
the time. It seemed the food went straight through him without
anything being used. Until the vets and I could find a way to stop
that, I just let him eat when he wanted to thinking it would stave off
malnutrition, and after all that time without eating... Stupid, but
what do I know. He's now doubly at risk for diabetes so he gets
regular blood work. I'm also getting meaner about cutting down and
finally out of the dry food. Nobody gets dry food at night and I only
put out a small amount when I leave for work. I hope that it might
help him drop some of the weight but for real, his life expectancy is
shorter now... not that I plan on letting stuff go with him.. oh hell,
now I'm rambling. sigh I just hope that even if he doesn't get to
run outside much, the workouts on the stairs coming downstairs more
where the entrance to the enclosure is will help some!

In some recent pictures, my Scruffy looks pretty good, but in some
subtle way he isn't the same. He used to be very muscular, solid
all
over, like a decathlete. His tomcat jowls are basically gone, and
he
looks dry and drawn a lot. From close, you can tell he's wasting.

It's hell watching them seemingly waste away.

http://www.nyct.net/~aray/cats/temp/

404... I see that was a temp location. Do you have an updated URL?

But still better than a few months ago. When he crashed in
February, he
was down to 9 lbs 4 oz. As of a few days ago, he's back up to 11
lbs 11
oz.

Well that should make you feel good! Yay Scruffy! I'm not sure about
anyone else but when you help them fight for their life when they are
so ill there is such a bond, almost a parental bond.. where you'll do
just about anything to save them.

"Arjun Ray" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
In , "Elaine Rene"
wrote:

| I think Chaka's weight always varied from 10 to 12lbs, depending on
| season, but now he feels heavier when we pick him up. I know that
| sounds silly but I think a heavy cat in his young, very good shape
| years will still feel light when picked up.

Possibly. But 10-12 sounds like a large variation - probably not good
as Chaka gets older.

Its in the normal range for him because of the differences in his activities
throughout the year. If he was stagnant and indoors all year round, yes it
would be a concern.
As long as it dont go under or over the 10 to 12lbs.


Over time I've become more sensitive to
Scruffy's weight variations, but I rely on my Tanita scale to know for
sure.


I have seen what that is on the net. You cant go wrong!


Scruffy is Phoenix's hero. Losing him is going to be tough for all of
us.


Surely.


Elaine

"Arjun Ray" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
In , "Elaine Rene"
wrote:

| I think Chaka's weight always varied from 10 to 12lbs, depending on
| season, but now he feels heavier when we pick him up. I know that
| sounds silly but I think a heavy cat in his young, very good shape
| years will still feel light when picked up.

Possibly. But 10-12 sounds like a large variation - probably not good
as Chaka gets older.

Its in the normal range for him because of the differences in his activities
throughout the year. If he was stagnant and indoors all year round, yes it
would be a concern.
As long as it dont go under or over the 10 to 12lbs.


Over time I've become more sensitive to
Scruffy's weight variations, but I rely on my Tanita scale to know for
sure.


I have seen what that is on the net. You cant go wrong!


Scruffy is Phoenix's hero. Losing him is going to be tough for all of
us.


Surely.


Elaine

He's such a beauty!!


"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
Hard to believe he is sick by looking at him. He was enjoying the sun
today. I still wonder if some of the tummy fat is bloat, but the vet
has checked him out many times.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...82978103lvhuIP

He's such a beauty!!


"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
Hard to believe he is sick by looking at him. He was enjoying the sun
today. I still wonder if some of the tummy fat is bloat, but the vet
has checked him out many times.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...82978103lvhuIP

In , "Cheryl" wrote:
| "Arjun Ray" wrote in message
| ...

| I know Shadow was overweight at some point, but was he muscular
| before that?
|
| Oh yes. He was always muscular (thick neck, thick legs, very solid)
| but he gained weight when my Marley got sick with megacolon and he
| was eating all of the food from both of their bowls. [...] Shadow
| went from 19lbs early last year to 12lbs at his worst, and back up
| and now 20lbs.

Whoops! You mean he's overweight again? (Doesn't look it from the
picture.)

| I just hope that even if he doesn't get to run outside much, the
| workouts on the stairs coming downstairs more where the entrance to
| the enclosure is will help some!

Stairs are good exercise. :-)

| http://www.nyct.net/~aray/cats/temp/

| 404... I see that was a temp location. Do you have an updated URL?

Must have been a temporary network/server glitch. It's 200 again now.

| But still better than a few months ago. When he crashed in February,
| he was down to 9 lbs 4 oz. As of a few days ago, he's back up to 11
| lbs 11 oz.

| Well that should make you feel good! Yay Scruffy!

Yup, especially since the crash made me change vets (the old one didn't
think it was an emergency calling for immediate IV therapy.) The subQ
regime since then has done a world of good. (I'm paying a fortune for
litter, what with his softball sized clumps, but I don't mind.)

| I'm not sure about anyone else but when you help them fight for their
| life when they are so ill there is such a bond, almost a parental bond..

Can't speak to the parental part, but a bond there certainly is. I
could have shooed him away the day he tried to adopt me. I didn't, and
that was that.

| where you'll do just about anything to save them.

Yes, but I can't save him from CRF:-( I can only do the right thing for
him.

In , "Cheryl" wrote:
| "Arjun Ray" wrote in message
| ...

| I know Shadow was overweight at some point, but was he muscular
| before that?
|
| Oh yes. He was always muscular (thick neck, thick legs, very solid)
| but he gained weight when my Marley got sick with megacolon and he
| was eating all of the food from both of their bowls. [...] Shadow
| went from 19lbs early last year to 12lbs at his worst, and back up
| and now 20lbs.

Whoops! You mean he's overweight again? (Doesn't look it from the
picture.)

| I just hope that even if he doesn't get to run outside much, the
| workouts on the stairs coming downstairs more where the entrance to
| the enclosure is will help some!

Stairs are good exercise. :-)

| http://www.nyct.net/~aray/cats/temp/

| 404... I see that was a temp location. Do you have an updated URL?

Must have been a temporary network/server glitch. It's 200 again now.

| But still better than a few months ago. When he crashed in February,
| he was down to 9 lbs 4 oz. As of a few days ago, he's back up to 11
| lbs 11 oz.

| Well that should make you feel good! Yay Scruffy!

Yup, especially since the crash made me change vets (the old one didn't
think it was an emergency calling for immediate IV therapy.) The subQ
regime since then has done a world of good. (I'm paying a fortune for
litter, what with his softball sized clumps, but I don't mind.)

| I'm not sure about anyone else but when you help them fight for their
| life when they are so ill there is such a bond, almost a parental bond..

Can't speak to the parental part, but a bond there certainly is. I
could have shooed him away the day he tried to adopt me. I didn't, and
that was that.

| where you'll do just about anything to save them.

Yes, but I can't save him from CRF:-( I can only do the right thing for
him.

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...

I bought a roll of the material from http://www.friendlyfence.com/ff/
They have kits but I just got the roll of 7 1/2' high x 100' long and
attached it to the deck posts with plastic strapping.

Thanks! I bookmarked the site this time so I wouldn't lose it again. I
remember the picture of Shadow climbing it, despite the company's assertions
that cats wouldn't climb it. He looked so determined! I'm going to try to
design a sort of enclosure, but we'll see if it ever gets built. I love to
dream, but I don't have much talent for building things!

rona

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...

I bought a roll of the material from http://www.friendlyfence.com/ff/
They have kits but I just got the roll of 7 1/2' high x 100' long and
attached it to the deck posts with plastic strapping.

Thanks! I bookmarked the site this time so I wouldn't lose it again. I
remember the picture of Shadow climbing it, despite the company's assertions
that cats wouldn't climb it. He looked so determined! I'm going to try to
design a sort of enclosure, but we'll see if it ever gets built. I love to
dream, but I don't have much talent for building things!

rona

"MaryL" wrote in message
...


I bought the Tanita 1583 digital scales to keep track of weight for
Duffy
and Holly. They are expensive, but they are very accurate (down to
0.5 oz.)
and should last forever. You can see the scales he
http://www.tanita.com/professional/p...tric/1583.html

Yikes. That price would cover the dental Shamrock is in desparate
need of.