Black as a mouse, Big as a house, Tail like a snake, I make the earth shake

Sergie was saying to me the other day, "When Alma lived outside, she was slim and fashionable. Now, she's fat and ugly."

He's right, and it makes me sad to think of what I've done to her. But, I thought she was pregnant and spayed her (she, thank God, wasn't), then stuck her in a room where her kittens were free-feeding on kitten food. I'm not sure what else I could have done, but she ballooned up like a blimp. I think it makes her feel bad too.

When I was in PetSmart last, I picked up a Cat Fancy (they're irresistable with their pretty cats and great articles!) partially because they advertised an article about cat diets. Even kitties need New Year's resolutions.

This was a goldmine of information. Instead of the usual "give your cat less to eat and play with him more," they offered usable advice. Such as, wet food is better than dry food for a diet. Wonderful! A cat that is happier as she gets healthier for once. They referenced a cat calorie counter: you enter your cat's age, weight and sexual status, then the type and amount of food and treats you feed him. You are given a comparison of your cat's nutritional needs vs. what he is getting.

To weigh your cat, you should pick her up and get on a scale. Then put her down and subtract your weight.

I found out that Orpheus should have been getting a 1/4 can of wet food and 3/4 cup of food a day instead of the 2/3 cup of food and the can to lick.

Alma and Henry each should be getting about 1/2 cup of food a day, in addition to their wet food and treats, instead of the 2/3 cup food - which is about 1/3 of a cup of food less between them. (I estimated Alma's ideal weight to be roughly what Henry currently weighs.)

Athena, who I wasn't able to weigh, I guesstimated to be about 2 pounds smaller than Henry. This means that she should be getting 3/8 cup food + wet food and treats. She was getting 2/3 cup as well.

Besides the more accurate portion sizes, I'm not doing anything fancy in terms of feeding. I'm just dividing the appropriate amount between the four bowls and letting each cat each as much as they need. It seems to be working - even though, between them, they're consuming about a 1/3 cup less food daily, there's no whining and begging for more food. If somebody gets too thin, I'll start providing their portion separately from the others.

The final vein of information was a sidebar suggesting a new activity: throwing a treat down a long hall. This is especially effective for my pudgy little Athena. I call the game, "Manna from the Heavens." First, there's a lot of running and pouncing. Then, there's an Easter egg hunt as everybody searches for any treats that might have been missed. That's after they wash, of course. It's a real hit and keeps the cats occupied for a surprisingly long time after the treats stop flying through the air.