Baby went to the vet on a monthly basis since January so we could monitor his weight and sugar levels. In an effort to get him to lose weight as quickly as possible, but without causing hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome), I put him on an all protein diet. He did not like chicken so I decided to go with tuna. Unfortunately feeding him tuna was not a smart health move. But, I did not know that at the time. I just thought that cats love tuna so it would be the perfect protein food of choice. While his sugar went down to a reasonable level, he developed large intestinal diarrhea. That is when I told the vet what I was feeding him and learned that tuna was not a good idea. Apparently it can cause an inflammatory condition called steatitis. He recommended I switch him to a dry, prescription food. During the first few months I portioned Baby’s dry food. But, eventually I stopped. I also made continuous efforts to exercise Baby. I found out he loves to chase headphone cords. But, after a while I stopped. Baby dropped to 18.5 pounds during his time in training, but has since gone back to 19.4 because of my laziness. He is still below his starting weight but gaining.
As a result of the whole experiment I have learned some of things. I have confirmed that cats are likely to be subjected to foods that are high in carbs which cause weight gain because that is what is sold in stores. I have also learned that as an owner who cares a lot about my pet, I get lazy about regimenting my cat’s diet and exercise and blame it on a hectic life. The two bits of information make for an amazing parody of the life of an American human: one who eats fast food because it is cheap even though it is unhealthy and thwarts exercise after work because the day was just too busy. Pets are part of the same obesity epidemic that plagues Americans. It is sad to think about. As a result I plan to recommit myself to the diet and exercise plan for Baby because I want him around for a long time; even if all he does is sit around and ignore me.