Strict Weight Management

Has begun. All our gang (exception of Cindy) is getting to heavy and Ms. Eleanor is leading the pack for eating everyones left overs. :eek: After talking with the gal from the rescue it can be done and in 5 months we will see a good reduction in weight. I'm hoping to get everyone down to around 11 lbs. We are at 15 1/2 with two girls and 13 lbs with Skinny.

We are on Nutro Weight Management for 1 yr now. At 1/4 cup 3 x a day they are maintaining not loosing, with exception of Eleanor who gained 3 lbs in a year. She eats everyones leftovers.

Normally 1/4 cup each cat ..... 3x a day. A pattern has been developing recently that everyone eats all the 1/4 cup in the morning but the evening meal they are eating 1/2 of what I put out on the second 1/4 cup. So then I add the 3rd round at 11p.m. for over night.

Plan Of Action
2 spoonsfuls = 1/4 cup of kibble


Morning meal... 5 a.m. 1/4 cup each cat.

5p.m meal... I only put 1 spoonful out. For most part everyone ate it all up.

11 p.m. meal... I will put out 1 spoonful.

P.S. To Plan of Action
Within 2 weeks or sooner to do away with the 11 p.m. meal.

Hoping to do 1/3 to 1/2 cup a day per cat.


Dont worry Cindy wont starve :) She is a good eater and eats everything I give her at a meal. :) I may end up putting a bowl of kibble for her to munch during the day up high, none of the others around here can get up high. :p

Right now all the kibble bowls are taken up from their areas.
Eleanor wasnt to thrilled LOL


I will have to be strong with Eleanor when she begs for kibble in the middle of the afternoon. :) :) I might have to invest in ear plugs. LOL

It can be done. MY gang are all fed their specific amount. (for most it is 1/4 cup twice a day). I don't allow too much left-over snatching, just once in a while and I rotate who is allowed to snitch. My cats have maintained their weight for years this way.

I had to laugh when rescue gal was explaining to me. She sets a time limit. 10 mins tops the bowls go up. Now she has one that inhales another that is a senior cat (20 yrs old) it takes the kitty a 1/2 hr to eat. So as each one finishes their portions they get put in another room. They are all feed in the kitchen and stands there with them as they eat. I chuckle at that picture in my mind. Ok your done, your outta here LOL

I watched everyone as they ate. Eleanor started eating Skinny's bowl as he was trying to get there to eat, he was late coming down for dinner. Eleanor got the squirt bottle and a stern NO. Boy was she surprised. LOL

Saturday a.m. Update.......

Skinny started at 3:15 a.m. trying to wake me up to eat. This continued until 4:45 a.m. when I got up to feed everyone. Eleanor and Cindy scarfed down their meals within a few minutes. It's gotta be a tortie strait. LOL

Skinny and Thumper took some extra attention to make sure they ate more than just 6 bites of food. They get distracted way to easy.

Hubby starts back to school Monday (students start Aug 8th) with getting up at 4:15 a.m. So this may alter our eating times. Also, I have to think about his need for sleep. The 11 p.m. may have to have a few more morsals to tide them over so Skinny (ring leader) isnt harressing me at all hrs of early a.m. esp before 4 a.m. Otherwise I may have to wait until fall break in October to start this very strict diet routine. We'd have 2 weeks to get them use to it and not have to worry about adults being sleep deprived. LOL

Each one of the adults only left like 4 kibble pieces in each bowl. I gathered them up into a container to recycle at the next meals. Nutro is to expensive to pitch uneaten whole pieces. :)

ONE WEEK UPDATE
UPDATE:
Tomorrow will be 1 week on our new eating plan, so far so good :)

Thumper, I've learned to split up her 1/4 cup portion. She will eat then rest for 5 mins and finish up. I think she gets overwhelmed seeing to much in a bowl at anyone given time.

Eleanor eats everything you put down in front of her.

Cindy has found out how to open the food container and help herself to a quick snack. Mom's had to put it away in a cupboard.
She's a very good eater. Almost whole 5.0z can of wet a day and she gets 1/8 cup of kibble 3x a day. A few kibble snacks a day when she wants a quick bite :)


Skinny is a light muncher. 1/8 of cup at anyone meal. He always has "leftovers" for the next mealtime.

Pretty much the 10-11 p.m. snack is just that 1/8 cup (1 spoonful) to tide them over to the morning. They've been eating between 5:15 a.m and 6 a.m. much easier to deal with then anytime earlier. :)

I am glad it is working, but those cats have YOU pretty well trained! (LOL) MY feedings are strictly twice a day ..... eat it while you can get it. :p

Quote:

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Originally posted by jenluckenbach
I am glad it is working, but those cats have YOU pretty well trained! (LOL) MY feedings are strictly twice a day ..... eat it while you can get it. :p

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I train them, They train me .. We be one big happy family :D :D :D

On a serious note... The 2x a day.... we barfed (ate to fast), we wanted food at 3:30 a.m.
With hubby starting school year (he is teacher) sleep/rest is a priority at our house. 3x a day we dont barf. The 10-11 pm is a "treat" meal. They dont get treats through out the day.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Craftlady

Cindy has found out how to open the food container and help herself to a quick snack. Mom's had to put it away in a cupboard.

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I always had the impressions that cats are the more intelligent the more they like to eat:D :D :D

I think your consequence is very impressive. Wish you a good success:)