Small set back

Midnight gained just a bit since his last weigh in. He is 18 1/2 lbs currently, a few ounces up. This isn't to surprising, because the new area we moved into does not sell his old food for an affordable price. We have had to switch to a new brand, and are currently playing with how much needs to be fed to meet his needs. The new food actually has fewer calories, so we are able to give him a bit more (he likes that) and we are working finding the right balance. But we will get there!

A plus to the new place is there are lots of birds (mostly geese...ug) living just outside. There is a pond and they plod around and swim. Midnight and the others are fascinated. They run around between windows, jump up, and try to swat at the geese through the window. Should help with his exercise routine :)

Fat Cat on the Move!

Midnight as of January: 21.6#
Midnight as of May: 18.2#

3.4 pounds. In human terms, that is roughly 60 pounds. Not to bad over four months! But he still has a way to go.

Midnight will be taking his weight loss endeavors on the road. He will be traveling to Columbus, Ohio for the next few months, and come next fall to Scotland! Many people have trouble maintaining weight loss when traveling, hopefully the same will not prove true with cats! I'm actually hoping that travel will help Midnight; with new places to explore, he will be more active.

New goal: By the time we ship out to Scotland, we would like Midnight to be 16#. The lighter the load the better when moving overseas!

Spring!

Spring!

Spring is here, and Midnight is much closer to bikini ready! Down another 1/2 pound :)

Now that the weather is nice, we are contemplating a new form of exercise...taking Midnight out on walks. Yes, we are crazy cat people. You see a dog walking down the street it isn't at all surprising, but a cat?

We will start by introducing Midnight to a harness and associating it with his favorite foods. Will keep you posted on how that works!

Also, since we have started to feed Midnight on his own, the social balance of the others feeding hierarchy has been disrupted. Twilight, the second in command, is now eating what Midnight was previously stealing. He is growing just a bit, and we are now having to feed him separately to.

Adjusting

Oh no! Midnight's weight loss progress is slowing to just a few ounces. This may be because he still eats with all the other cats, and may be stealing from everyone else. Midnight is now sentenced to solitary meals so we can be sure he is getting the right amount. To up it a little, we are also going to mix some low fat food in with his normal diet. All in all, he has lost about a pound and a half, so he is still doing well.

Progress

A few more ounces are down :) Slowly getting there. Here's a video of a toy found at the dollar store, that kept the entire menagerie busy for a few hours. Cheap entertainment! And helps blow calories to.

Exercise!

Now that Midnight is slowly losing weight, we want to keep it up. Exercise is a key to any weight loss program, but to make a cat exercise it has to be fun! It is always voluntary, so make it worth their while. Midnight enjoys running laps around the apartment (chasing a laser pointer) and doing "jumping jacks" with a dangling feather. Making him work for his food is also a great way to get him moving. Hiding food in tunnels and under or on top of boxes makes him stretch, wiggle, and jump.

Videos to come! There are also some awesome cat exercising articles with plenty of other ideas. Check them out! http://www.catchannel.com/behavior/playtime/article_5361.aspx , http://www.ehow.com/how_2145249_exercise-indoor-cat.html

One step closer!

Midnight weighed in today...and is now 1 pound less! An ideal speed to lose weight, right on track. He is now a 20 pounder.