Cat Diets are NO FUN

Baby my rescued socialized Manx cat is obese and needs to go on a diet. Know that the Manx cat breed is generally a bigger cat. But when you cannot locate their ribs due to the layer of fat then it is time for a diet.

This is not Baby but is a good photo of Manx cat...see there is NO tail 

So Baby has to shed some pounds and we can no longer feed him Rachel Ray grain free food, because it is dry kibble and high in carbohydrates, plus there is not enough fluid in dry foods. So I am feeding all of our cats Friskees Special diet turkey and giblets canned food, because this food provides a balanced died that is low in carbs.

So the cat diet started today and it is not a FUN day for Baby.

My obese cat ate a half a can of the turkey food this morning and I will feed him the other half tonight. Know that this cat likes to eat and is acting like he is starving to death.  Today my cat had more activity due to the pacing and begging for food.

That  first day will be the hardest since my cat is used to getting temptations catnip treats in the afternoon and well he cannot have treats.  My veterinarian thinks that my cat is eating out of habit, and not because he is hungry. I will let you know in a week how Baby does with his diet.

Learn more about Manx cats here

Sudden Illness Takes The Life of Rescued Cat

Three months ago I took my 21 year old cat in for their 6 month checkup at the veterinarians.  They did the wellness exam, checked his blood and his urine, also checked his blood pressure and I was told he was in great health and that he could live 5 to 10 more years.  

My cat was a rescue after he had been put out at age 16.  He liked spending the day in the garden and I took him in at night. I asked the veternarian if the time in the garden was okay, she said yes that he would be depressed if I took him in full time.  So he got vaccinated and his annual feline leukemia vaccine. 

Brought Skippy home and everything was fine until last Tuesday when he deiced to eat very little and drink less.  Which was not normal for this cat that ate like he had hallow legs.  I called and made an appointment at my veternarian, told them something is wrong.   That night Skippy continued to decline although he did sleep on the chair next to my bed.  But by morning he was very week and was having difficulty walking.  

I picked him up and rushed him to the veterinarians office where they told me he had fluid in his lungs, was too old for treatment and this sudden illness was brought on from Feline Leukemia  FeLV that advanced into cancer.

The diagnosis put me in shock, because three months prior my cat was tested and it was negative, then he got the vaccine.  I never saw a bite wound, and yet the veternarian said he was infected and due to his age and weakened immune system my cat got cancer.

Then I was told that just like the human flu shot the FeLV shot is not 100% that if I wanted to keep my cat healthy I should have kept him indoors. Let me tell you I am still in shock over the death of my cat and feeling great sadness.

Ref: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9966138-21-year-old-cat-goes-to-rainbow-bridge a post by Sgolis