People can't even keep their pets thin

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reinhard
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People can't even keep their pets thin

Post by reinhard » Mon Jan 09, 2006 8:29 pm

This I really don't understand.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060106/od_nm/pets_obese_dc

Kinda makes you despair that they could lose weight for themselves, doesn't it?

Reinhard

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Michele
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Post by Michele » Tue Jan 10, 2006 1:46 am

It really is a shame, I still think that having your pet fixed can lead to some problems. The last 2 dogs my parents had were just beautiful animals, after we got them fixed, they didn't have any energy, they only wanted to sleep, and they developed fatty tumors on their bodies. And the older one was very fat, she couldn't walk, so how could she loose weight? it was just very sad. :(
I personally wouldn't do that again to an animal.

But I do agree that they have to be careful about what they eat. They will only eat what we give them.
I realize how important portion control is for my diet, and to keep the stuff thats high in calories out of my reach.
Some times it is very hard, but look at what we do to ourselves and to the animals that we care about.
S. Michele

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navin
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Post by navin » Tue Jan 10, 2006 3:06 am

And what's even more interesting... this was happening to my cats to an extent, and with the guidance of my vet, my cats are now doing their own version of No-s! Instead of free-feeding them and just filling the bowl when it gets low, I give them two discreet meals a day. They never get table scraps, and get treats for "Special" occasions. (I do have one who is not overweight, and maybe even underweight, so I give him a few more treats.)

Urban ranger is great for pets too, but it works far better with dogs than with cats. :)

Yes, getting a pet neutered or spayed ("fixed") can cause them to exercise less, but still the benefits far far outweigh the problems. Males tend to be less aggressive and spray less or not at all (especially cats). Females won't go into heat. And most importantly, they won't contribute to pet overpopulation.
Before criticizing someone, you should try walking a mile in their shoes. Then you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

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carolejo
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Post by carolejo » Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:13 am

I have a couple of friends who just put their cats on a (long overdue, in my opinion) 'calorie controlled diet'.

I'm very very lucky with Lyra. She regulates her own food intake very well. Even if it's a small plate of fresh cooked chicken or pork (which she'll nearly take your hand off for!) she eats only what she needs and then comes back much later to finish it off. Animals in the wild don't generally overeat, so I guess *we* must have done something to our pets if so many of them are overweight. It's a generalisation, but I find that pet cats who have always had access to good quality food and never had to go hungry tend to regulate their own eating. If a cat was mistreated, stray or just allowed to go hungry for large periods (particularly when it was first weaned as a kitten) it will tend to be much greedier - mentality "I'd better stuff myself and eat ALL this food NOW, cos there might not be any more, EVER!" Competition for food (more than 1 cat in a household) also tends to cause them to eat more.

Lyra obviously was very lucky and never had to go hungry. If, however, I had a cat in the future who overate, I'd definately be very careful what and when I fed to it. I've seen some cats get so fat that they can no longer wash properly and take care of themselves. As far as I'm concerned, that's ANIMAL CRUELTY to allow things to get so bad, which ever way you look at it.

On the point of neutering your pets, I agree with Navin that the consequences of NOT doing so are actually much more cruel in the long run. Not to mention the hassle of trying to keep a female cat indoors when she's on heat!! And all those Tom cats spraying at your door!

C.
CaroleJo

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