Weight Maintance Program .. Update

[Craftlady]

Splitting the dinnertime portion for later on in the evening before bedtime, didnt work. Skinny starting harrassing me at 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Meal time is normally 5:00-5:30 a.m.

I leave the food out for 5-7 mins. Once they stop eating and leave the bowl, it gets taken up. Sometimes I have to prompt Skinny and Thumper to continue eating when they just take like 5 bits. Typical kids. LOL Cindy and Eleanor are done within 5 mins. LOL


Saturdays test.... An interesting discovery...
I put out 1/4 cup out in each bow. What they didnt eat went into a small container with their names on it. It appears so far that Skinny and Thumper eat 1/2 of what I put out of the 1/4 cup measurement. Basically 1/8 cup. If they show me they are hungry inbetween scheduled meals I offer the "leftovers". If they dont show me they are hungrey inbetween scheduled meals, I add to the leftovers to make a total of 1/4 cup.

If they continue on this pattern of eating both Skinny and Thumper will have their 1/4 cup 2 x a day without feeling like they are being deprived.

The bedtime meal is a 1 spoonful "treat" to tide them over.


Eleanor eats all her 1/4 cup portion. She has no leftovers. I have to ignore her begging inbetween meals. She will eat 24/7 if you let her. :eek:

Cindy is a wonderful eater. 1/2 can of wet a day. Total of 1/4 cup of dry kibble a day. She doesnt leave leftovers either.

Hummm wonder if it's a Tortie trait not to leave leftovers?????? LOL

I doubled checked their weight records, Skinny was only one who didnt gain in a year. :(
Eleanor gained 3 lbs in a year. 15.08 lbs (3 lbs over weight according to our vet). Skinny didnt gain 12.09 lbs. (vet says he is perfect) Thumper is 15.09 (3 lbs over weight according to our vet, she gained 1 lb from last year)
I have to watch Thumper because if Skinny wants to play and chases her after eating, she upchucks :eek:

[Catsnclay]

Aren't feeding schedules a pain?! :rolleyes: About 2 years ago we went through the same thing you are going through. Fluffy was the hardest one, and still to this day 1/2 hour before their lunch or dinner time he will come and find me and whine for the next 1/2 hour untill its time :mad: :rolleyes: I think he has a "feed-clock" inside of him!! lol

Just remember, YOU are the boss and stick to your plan. They will all eventually come around to getting use to the new ways!!

Have fun!! :D

[catmandu]

THAT,IS A PRETTY INTERESTING FEEDING SCHEDULE,AND I WOULD THINK,THAT YOU ARE GETTING A PRETTY GOOD IDEA,OF WHAT,THE CATS,ARE EATING.
THERE ARE JASUT TOO MANY FOUND CATS,TO WORK,THAT OUT,AND I AM TOO OLD,AND APPROACHING SENILITY.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/catmandu/catphotos854.jpg

[Craftlady]

I'm really trying to stick with this plan. Since I'm home all day I can fine tune as needed. It's a doable plan. The unmeasured free feeding of SD and Purnia One, then before those two good foods (but free feeding puts weight on) I didnt know better and free feed Special Kitty (Walmart brand) which has a zillion fat content. The weight got put on. :o I dont want my gang to end up being diabetic cats because I didnt watch what they ate or followed a good plan.

I'm inspired since we humans (hubby and I) are eating better and exercising on a daily basis. We can do it, the felines can too ;)


I read interesting article. 15 lb cat should not loose more than 1/2 lb in 4 weeks. I would think it would take longer to loose 1/2 lb than a month.

[rg_girlca]

I really congratulate you on keeping such a schedule for your kitties in order to keep them healthy and congratulations also to you and your hubby for eating better and exercising.

I found it hard keeping Willy on his special kitty food and keeping him away from the adult food. I have had to put the adult food up high now where he can't get to it, but the big guys can. Then I have to feed Willy in a closed room or else the big guys will eat all his food.

[Craftlady]

I'm glad that everyone is eating the same kibble makes it easier :)
Cindy doesnt leave any wet food for anyone to eat up LOL

[krazyaboutkatz]

This sounds like a great feeding schedule.:) I also used to free feed but some cats are little piggies and will eat everything in sight. This is Sky. Now I give them 4 small feedings a day because I learned that if I only gave them 2 larger feedings they wouldn't finish it and Sunny would gobble it down so fast that he'd then throw it up right away. If there are any leftovers, I put them in one bowl and let them free feed from it. Unfortunately Sky is usually the only one who will eat the leftovers but I don't want to waste them because they're eating expensive good quality food.:) Now when Starr comes home, I'm going to have to try to find a way to keep his kitten food away from the others. This should be fun.:rolleyes: