So, I took Missy to the vet for a checkup because she’s been reverse sneezing a bit and I wanted to get her weight checked since she’s been on the new TCFeline diet for about six weeks. (Slight wheeze was treated; reverse sneezing is probably allergy related.)
I am pleased to announce that the new diet is a smashing success! Missy has gone from 5.6# to 6.8# in six weeks! Her normal weight when she was at her prime was around 7#. She is better hydrated and overall seems much happier. She still has constipation issues, but I’m hoping those will get better as we go along.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to FEED your elderly cat as much wet food as they want. I am ashamed to say that since starting to feed Missy when she asks (about six times a day, 1 Tbl at a time; about 1/3 to 1/2 cup a day), she has really put on weight. That means it is MY FAULT that she was skinny in the first place. I was inadvertently starving my cat. That is a hard pill to swallow, but I’m just really happy that I’ve learned better and now I’ll do better.
I do still leave kibble out for her, but she generally avoids it except overnight when she gets the munchies. Other than that, she will not touch kibble. She has not liked kibble for several years and was trying to tell me to feed her more Wet Fud™ but I didn’t listen. Silly hooman. :-/
I’ve not checked her blood yet, so it’s yet to be seen if the higher protein diet has put more stress on her kidneys. I’m hoping the Kidney Gold supplement will help with that. If it is causing too much work for her kidneys, TCFeline also has a special diet mix for kidney impaired cats. We’ll be checking her numbers in the spring.
I’ve also added a digestive aid to see if that will alleviate her bowel issues.
It felt really good to see the vet’s reaction to how good Missy looks. She asked for all the info about the food and feeding, which I just sent her. I really hope that she can spread the gospel of proper homemade food, feeding freely and keeping our elderly cats – ALL our cats – happy and healthy. :)
[Missy died Aug 2016. She was VERY old! I think the diet did give her a few more months with me. -A 2017]