Play Time

Ollie is doing very well, and the others are all adjusting nicely to him now. 

 The first group photo, taken a few weeks ago.  Quality isn't that great, but I love that all three of my boys are in the shot! 

 Ollie loves to play!!  He is getting more coordinated each day.  Tanner and Cousin Sophie try to play with him, but he still likes to bite and attack, so Tanner spends a lot of time holding his baby down and teaching him!  Sophie doesn't realize how small he is, and she plays a bit rough, or runs too fast for him still...

This is the safe spot...when he's had a lesson from the others, he comes for comfort.

Playing is hard work...he will put himself to bed when he has had enough.  He loved when I put this blanket over him...it was warm from the dryer.  He slept for at least another hour!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Weight loss this week became a slight gain, but we are all ok with that...We had a gain of 2.5 ounces, bringing our weight to 17 lbs, 7.5 ounces.

I do believe Tanner was getting into the tub and eating Ollie's food.  Ollie has moved into a room of his own, with a baby gate blocking the door, so Tanner no longer has access to his food. 

Tanner is playing with Ollie, but still enjoys his special morning playtime, while Ollie is in his room.  Tanner loves to run through his tunnel and jump for a string!  I think we'll see a loss this next week with his weight. 

 

Introduction - Oliver "Ollie" Hughes

Ollie came to live with us on October 7th.  He was about 3 weeks old, and weighed 11 ounces.  Why did we get him so young, you might be asking?  Well, he was found just laying under an apple tree when a couple was out walking.  (I'm thinking mom was transporting and dropped him when she heard people)  This couple took him to the animal shelter, but since he was so young, it was either move him into a home or euthanize him.  Thankfully a friend saw him and took him home.  He stayed at her house from Friday until Monday.  He was not eating well for her as she was not used to bottle feeding.  She asked if I would take him on Monday, and the rest is history. 

 It took a day or so to get him used to the bottle and drinking the amount he needed.  Once we figured out how warm he liked his milk, and which nipple he preferred, there was no turning back for this fella. He gained weight daily and continued to thrive...

He slept in the bathtub and spent time there when we were not home.  He was nicely contained and safe.  He had a litter box, which he used like a champ!  He also had soft blankets and a heating pad in case he was cool.  From day one, he slept through the night and did not need a feeding until morning.

 We would bring him down to play as much as possible.  He loves to jump on your legs when you are sitting down, and he adores shoes!  Even now, when he is tired, but not wanting to stop playing, he'll lay on your shoes. 

He is now almost 6 weeks old.  His eyes are still bluish, but I'm sure they will change soon enough.  He weighed 1 pound 5 ounces on Sunday.  He no longer takes his bottle.  He gave that up on his own.  He eats softened up hard food, and sometimes regular hard food.  He has a good many teeth.  He plays hard and sleeps hard.  He is still in the tub when we are not home and at night.  He may get to move into a bedroom with a baby gate this weekend.  He is sweet as pie and the boys are adjusting to him now. 

He is precious and I am so happy to have him in my life.  He is Oliver Hughes.

Notes on the name:  Hughes was my grandfathers name, and I had a toy growing up that I called Ollie.  I thought it would be a cute name for a kitten.  We call him, Ollie, Oliver, Little Bit or Jelly bean at the moment. 

Medical notes: He has coccidia when he was found, so he was treated for that.  He had round worms, so we have done one round of treatment and will do another this week.  He has not started any vaccines yet...I'd like him to weigh 2 pounds before we start on those, plus he is too young yet.

Weight Loss Wednesday

 Today, we have two pictures of Tanner and the new baby...I will post an introduction to him tomorrow!

Tanner's weight loss this week was 6 ounces, bringing him down to 17 lbs, 5 ounces.  Tanner really loves the baby and sits and plays with him anytime the baby is out.  He is gentle, but will not hesitate to correct if the baby bites too hard!  I think they will be great friends.

 

Tanner is eating less these days, and is not acting as hungry!!  I think giving him something to think about besides food has helped him.  Now, we need to make sure he stays away from the kitten's food!

 

I am very proud of Tanner and his weight loss...he now has a bit of a waist!  A big announcement for Tanner is that he can wash his own bottom again!!!  Woot Woot!

 

We appreciate all the support we've received on this journey...keep those thin thoughts coming our way!

Weight Loss Wednesday

This photo has a Squee-teaser warning attached to it...

Just a teaser :)

Tanner would like to announce that he has now lost OVER 2 POUNDS!!!  His current weight is 17 lbs, 11 oz.  He started in late July at 19 lbs, 14 oz.  He lost 4 ounces this past week.

Our goal with him is to be down in the 15 pound range...so at least two more pounds need to be shed.  He is doing so well on his plan and being able to have a bit of extra hard food has made a lot of difference!

I've been doing some work from home for the past week (see photo reason above) and being able to spread his meals/snacks out over the day really help him to stay full.

Thank you all again for your thin thoughts...please keep them coming, we are half-way to our goal.

More photos on the little bit above to come shortly...I will say, he is precious, but not everyone in the house thinks so :)

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner's weight stayed the same this week at 17lbs 15.5 ounces.  We are ok with this...it is better than gaining!

I took Tanner to the vet last week to have his bald spots checked out...she seems to think it might be some sort of allergy, but to what is unknown.  We are putting some ointment on the spots twice a day, and they are all but clear now.  I have not found any new spots either!    She did culture for the dreaded ringworm, but I am pretty sure it is not that.  We have had it before and this did not look like it. 

She was very pleased with his weight loss and said we can try to slow it down a touch, especially since he is acting so hungry.  We can add an extra 1/8 cup of dry when he acts starved.  It is not a daily thing with us, but it is nice knowing that if he seems hungry, we can offer something extra. 

We were out of town this past weekend and had the pet sitter offer the extra dry each day, so I think that could be why the loss stopped this week.  We'll see how it goes next week.

In a couple of weeks, we will have a big (or rather tiny) announcement to make...stay tuned!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner would like to thank everyone for suggesting fresh catnip for his present...he loved it!

Weight loss update - this week we went down 1/2 ounce...a small loss, but a loss none-the-less.  He had such a large jump last week I am not surprised by a slower week.  His weight is now 17lbs, 15 ounces.

He has an appointment to see his vet tomorrow.  The bald spots are improving, but still there, so for peace of mind, I'd like to have him looked over.  Plus, she will be so pleased with his progress!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner has another success to report this week...a LOSS of 8.5 ounces, bringing his weight to...

 

17 pounds, 15.5 ounces!! 

 

I wonder if last week, the low amount of loss was due to him getting into the other food, or if maybe he needed to visit the litter box :)  This week's jump was a bit large...

 

I will keep an eye on things and make sure he isn't losing too fast, but I am very pleased with his progress!

 

Things I am concerned about at the moment with Tanner:

1) He has a large (bigger than a half dollar) bald spot on the back of his neck.  I don't know if his body is rebelling about the calorie restrictions and therefore losing hair, or if it is something else.

2) He also has two smaller bald spots on the top of his head...scratching too much?  Allergic to the new food?  Cat fight with Cousin Pirate?

3) Definitely is obsessed with eating again, and seems starved all the time.  I would have thought as his weight reduced this would improve, but seems to be getting worse.  Wonder if he is really hungry, or just needs something to obsess over?  He is still taking his Prozac each night.

 

These are all things I will speak with the vet about, but wanted to get them down here as a reminder :)  If the bald spots get larger or don't start regrowing hair this week, he'll be taking a trip to the vet. 

 

Now that we have reached the 17's with weight, it's time for a new present for Tanner...what would you suggest? 

 



Weight Loss Wednesday

 

Auntie and I were at the beach this past weekend, so the pet sitter was watching the boys.  I wondered how Tanner would do on his diet because in the evenings, we give food several times in small portions.  The pet sitter would give just two meals a day, so it would be an adjustment for Tanner and Pirate (the only ones that can't get in the cage).

We came home and checked the notes that were left and found a funny incident had occurred!  Some cat (we are thinking Pirate) decided he was hungry, and reached into the cage, pulled the bowl of dry food over to the edge and turned it over!  The two non-collared cats proceeded to eat a fair portion of this spilled food.  The pet sitter moved the bowl more towards the opposite side of the cage, where they could not reach it, cleaned up the spilled food and went home.  The next day, she found that the sneaky bowl maneuver was attempted again, this time by trying to pull the rug over, so they could reach the food bowl again!  The bowl was still too far away, so no extra food was eaten that day.

Tanner's weight loss this week was slowed a bit, but he still managed to lose 1/2 of an ounce!  His current weight is 18 lbs 8 oz.

We'll see if this low number is a result of eating the forbidden cage food, or if his body is getting comfortable with the calories we are giving, and we need to change things up a bit.  I'll be calling the vet today to give a report.  I think she will get a kick out of these sneaky boys!

Smokey Helps

Smokey is normally very reserved.  I love when bits of silliness pop out and he lets his guard down!  Here he is reminding me to put these clothes away...such a big helper!

Happy Birthday Devon

Devon,

It's your first birthday at the bridge.  I hope you have a wild party!  I think of you daily, and miss having my helper around.  The house seems rather calm without the nightly show, you and Sophie used to put on for us.  You've missed a few Harry Potter movie weekends, and the new series of Dancing with the Stars starts soon.  I'm sure you've enjoyed showing your new bridge friends all your 'dance' moves!  Keep sending signs to us, so we know you are doing well and are happy.  Until we meet again...Mama, Smokey, and Tanner

Weight Loss Wednesday

 

Tanner had another good week on his diet.  He also discovered the goodness of corn on the cob.  It's amazing how many vegetables you'll eat when you are hungry :)

 

Current Weight: 18 lbs 8.5 ounces - a LOSS of 2 ounces!!

 

For the past two weeks we've had a slower amount of loss...we are to continue on the plan until we see no loss for two weeks.  Then we will adjust.

Two on Tuesday

Today, we are going to show two shots of Smokey.  He is feeling left out, as we have been focusing on Tanner lately. 

Health Update:  Smokey is doing well.  His bloodwork came back normal in August at his annual visit.  He still needs to gain a bit more weight, but he has increased the last two weeks, so we are pleased.  It is hard trying to offer him special treats, and remind him to eat, because Tanner thinks he should be getting something too!  To encourage the eating, he is taking appetite stimulant pills.

 This is Smokey in the purple puff...a favorite napping spot for both boys...One of Smokey's problems now is that is sleeps so hard and so much that he forgets to get up and eat.  It is important to wake him up a few times a day (when we are home) and remind him, or show him the food.  Are others of you with older cats seeing this pattern?

This picture is where Smokey sleeps at night...yes, that is my pillow and he is taking more than his half! 

Well, that's it for Smokey...overall, very pleased with him.  He is my love and such a sweet boy.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner has been working hard losing weight...another good week, and well deserved rest!

 

Current weight: 18 lbs, 10.5 oz - a loss of 3.5 ounces!!

 

We are still following the same plan.  Tanner is pretty happy and doesn't act too hungry.  The food is higher protein, so that should help him. 

 

Tanner got a new present for doing such a good job on his diet...we've been needing a new one of these for a long time now.  He was so excited to get a fresh one...here's Tanner enjoying his new...X SCRATCHER!!

 

 

Weight Loss Wednesday

This is an older picture of Tanner...he would be about 7 in this picture.  It was taken at the townhouse, when we did a lot of kitten fostering.  Notice all the black rocks on the hearth where the kittens pulled them out of the fireplace!

Tanner had another great week! 

Current Weight: 18lbs 14 ounces...weekly loss was 7 ounces, total loss is now 1 pound!!

Tanner has a special surprise coming in the mail this week for doing so well.

We did not change his plan when we spoke with the vet...we feel he is doing well, we will leave the current plan in place for now. 

We truly appreciate all the support we are feeling with this blog and the comments!  Thank you all for the thin thoughts and encouragement. 

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner has had another good week. 

Current weight - 19lbs, 4 oz  - a loss of 1 ounce!  This may not be as impressive as last week, but we'll take what we can get. 

He is working hard and playing more and more.  Now, if I can get myself into playing mode, we'll be doing better :) 

He has seemed hungrier this week than the past couple and is begging more and trying to run others off from their plates/bowls of food.  We are continuing to be diligent in watching him, and moving food out of reach if it isn't his. 

Will be calling the vet this afternoon to report his progress...minor tweaks to the plan could be forthcoming.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner continues to do well on his diet, um, lifestyle change...another praise this week! 

 

Current weight 19lbs 5oz...a loss of 7 ounces! 

 

This was a pretty big jump, and we don't expect to see that every week, but it is good to know the plan is working. 

 

He definitely has more energy and desire to move.  He asks to play with his string toys every morning and evening.  He will walk down the hall to follow the string as opposed to waiting for it to come back to him!  He rolls around on the floor still, but it is more athletic looking rather than beached whale floundering on the coast. 

 

I think this diet is easier for us to stick to because we had already been feeding on a schedule and Tanner was used to it.  We have also learned how to ration the food more effectively on the weekends when we are home...he tends to beg when he sees you, if you are in the kitchen, and it can be hard to not give in. 

 

Things we have noticed and are keeping an eye on:

• Softer poops from all the canned food.  He seems to be firming back up a bit now...
• Chin acne, I suppose from the canned food getting on his face more...  I am using a flea comb to comb the 'dirt' off his chin.
• Not worrying about this, but it is nice to see...his skin is less dry.  Usually when I brush him, around his back, near the tail, there are dandruff flakes, but lately I've not seen as much of that.

Again, thanks to everyone for checking in on Tanner and for sending those 'thin' thoughts!

 

We will try to get back to more posts, but for now we will continue with the weekly Weight Loss Wednesday updates. 



Weight Loss Wednesday - A Video

Tanner has been on his diet for one week now.  He really seems to enjoy the canned food and remarkably he acts full at times!  If he eats about 1/2 a can then he will not bother us for food for several hours.  This is a huge improvement!

 

Weigh in on Sunday showed a LOSS of 2 ounces...he now weighs 19lb 12oz.  WTG Tanner!

 

The adequan injections seem to be helping as well.  The protocol is for Tanner to receive 0.2ccs every 4 days for 6 doses, and then as needed.  So far, he has received two injections and already we are seeing improvements.  He is jumping for his string and running through his tunnel to chase it.  It's great to see him feeling well and moving more!

 

Here's a quick video showing him using the egg.  There isn't sound on it, but he was so funny...everytime a piece would fall out, he would purr and purr!  The boy loves to eat.  He gets a heaping 1/8 cup of dry food a day.  We are splitting this into two "egg fills" a day.

 



 

Thanks to everyone for sending "thin" thoughts...they are working.  Keep 'em coming our way as we continue on this lifestyle change for Tanner.

Weight Loss Wednesday - A New Plan

Tanner has a new diet plan!  We spent a bit of time at the vet on Monday asking questions about his weight and trying to devise a plan to help him lose weight.  Tanner currently weighs 19 lbs 14 oz.  He is abundantly obese! The vet would like to see him down to 15 pounds...so he needs to lose almost a quarter of his body weight.

 

Here is the plan...Tanner needs about 250 kcals a day.  He will be getting two cans of the Royal Canin Calorie Control food a day for a total of 200 kcals.  He can then have a scant more than 1/8th of a cup of RC Calorie Control dry food.  This dry food will be placed in a egg toy and placed in a different location each day.  Tanner will have to 1) walk to find the egg, and then 2) work to remove the food. 

 

We are slowly transitioning over to this much canned food, so it doesn't upset his stomach. 

 

I gave him a can yesterday and he enjoyed it and gobbled it right up!  He's never been one to shy away from new foods.

 

We are to continue to weigh him weekly and report back to the vet mid-August.

 

Fingers crossed this plan will help him.  I certainly don't want him to become diabetic and I know as he ages, we are pushing our luck.  I also don't want him to blow a knee out or something jumping with that extra weight.

 

We have also started him on the Adequan injections for arthritis.  Smokey and Cousin Sophie take this every two weeks and it has helped tremendously.  We are hoping this will help him to feel better and therefore he will want to move more.

 

We'll keep you posted his progress and would appreciate some serious "thin" thoughts coming our way!

Mancat Monday

These two unsuspecting souls will be heading to the VET tomorrow morning.  It is time for annual check-ups, rabies vaccines and blood work. 

 

I am hoping to get a new diet plan for Tanner, since the food he is on does not seem to be working.  We have eliminated all chances of snacking by installing the second cage for Smokey.  Tanner only gets his allotted portion each day, along with one lean treat with his morning pills.  AND STILL HE GAINS!

 

Smokey is doing well at the moment.  He is a touch on the thin side and could stand to gain about half a pound.  He seems to get hairballs more frequently now, even while eating hairball formula, so I want to ask the vet about it.  Maybe there is something else we can offer him to help.  Hoping his blood work comes back normal this time.