FRIDAY CAT BLOGGING….The big news of the week, of course, was the 500-page report from the National Academy of Sciences saying that one out of four pets in the Western world is obese. “Fat deposits on the face, arms or legs and tummy are clear signs of obesity,” says this USA Today summary.
So I looked around the house: do we have any obese pets? At first glance, Inkblot might appear to have a fat deposit or two, but I don’t think I’d call him obese. Not really. Leonine, perhaps, or Churchillian, but not obese. Sure, he weighs in at a bit over 18 pounds, but it’s all muscle.
By contrast, Jasmine is a petite little thing who barely tips the scales at seven pounds. You can see a size comparison on the right, and while it might seem unfair since Inkblot is so much closer to the camera, it’s actually remarkably true to life. When they’re close together, it really is like seeing an SUV next to a Yugo.
(By the way, I love this advice:
If your cat looks like Garfield, the popular but rotund comic cat, it’s time for less food or low-calorie fare. But even fat cats should always have access to a bowl of food, the report says. Cats can eat up to 20 times a day: That’s OK, as long as they don’t eat too much.
So: leave the food bowl out but make sure they don’t eat too much. Sounds like a neat trick.)
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