Ferris the future footstool

gingersmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
Yep. He's starting to look like he's going to become a walking footstool.


A couple months ago, I found a mass on his tummy that I thought was a swollen abdomen. Rushed him to the vet only to find out it was just fatty tissue - Ferris was developing a "spay sway."

Well, it has gotten worse, and he has such short little legs, especially in front, that his long belly hairs are now dragging on the floor. I gave his whole underneath a good feel last night while he was eating supper (since that is the only time I can touch his belly without risk of getting clawed or bitten.) That little mass that I could once cup in one hand is now two handfuls big.


He doesn't seem to be gaining much weight (or fat) on his ribcage, but he is definintely a big boy. I only feed him 1/3 cup dry and 3 oz of wet (with water added) per day, yet he must have a VERY slow metabolism, because he is an extremely active boy, and still this fat gain is steadily occuring.

I'm not quite sure what to do at this point - he does not appear to be overeating, has long since stopped gobbling his food like there is no tomorrow, now that he knows he will never be hungry or have to forage for food again. I guess maybe he is predisposed to be a fatty?


He is just about 1 year old - the vet had guestimated May 31st as his birthday.

I've just switched the kits over to a grain-free dry mix that is high in protein. Ginger gained weight on kitten food when Ferris was still a baby, but lost it again when I switched it over to adult food. So I don't think that it is the food so much as it is Ferris' individual make-up.

Hmmmm...well, he will make a really CUTE footstool...
 

adymarie

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 23, 2001
Messages
11,210
Purraise
1
Location
Toronto
Poor baby - my little RB Sugie had the little pooch that dragged the floor - we called it her Buddha Belly. It is lucky to rub a Buddha Belly - try it with Ferris!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

gingersmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
Originally Posted by adymarie

Poor baby - my little RB Sugie had the little pooch that dragged the floor - we called it her Buddha Belly. It is lucky to rub a Buddha Belly - try it with Ferris!
LOL...YOU try it with Ferris...I value my skin too much!
(He HATES having his belly touched, and I don't like being bitten!)

I'll settle for giving him head scritches.
 

lnbandcats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
2,871
Purraise
1
Location
Watching the robins sing!
Originally Posted by ckatz

Maybe when Penny arrives he'll lose the pudge. Bengals are supposed to be very energetic.
Poor Ferris, everyone is making fun of him....maybe they make kittie corsets?
I think William Shatner wears one on Boston Legal!

Speaking of Penny, you must be in countdown mode, right?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

gingersmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
Originally Posted by lnbandcats

Poor Ferris, everyone is making fun of him....maybe they make kittie corsets?
I think William Shatner wears one on Boston Legal!

Speaking of Penny, you must be in countdown mode, right?
A semi feral in a kittie corset. Yaaaaaa, NO.


And YES!
I fly to NC in TWO WEEKS!!!!
 

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
North Carolina? Where? If you go to Cape Hatteras, take some pictures for me pleeeeeease? I was there on a family vacation when I was 13, and oh, I loved it... my dream home is a bungalow on stilts on the ocean side of the island...
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

gingersmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

North Carolina? Where? If you go to Cape Hatteras, take some pictures for me pleeeeeease? I was there on a family vacation when I was 13, and oh, I loved it... my dream home is a bungalow on stilts on the ocean side of the island...
I think that's on the north coast, and I'll be landing on the south coast - too far away.

I've been to one of the beaches up near Jacksonville once...it was very nice there.
 

valanhb

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Is he still growing?

When we got Mojo she had a bad spay sway. It literally swayed when she ran - she kinda looked like a cow from behind.
But she's actually grown into her tummy. Maybe Ferris' tummy just grew before the rest of him?
 

sarahp

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
15,841
Purraise
28
Location
Australia
Awww I think he'd make a very cute footstool!!


And I agree that with a new diet, and a new energetic kitty, he'll probably grow into his belly.

Smudge looks "fatter" than the other girls, but her coat is quite thick and she'd almost be considered medium haired, and is probably similar to Ferris in that respect, so I think having a thicker coat does nothing to their figure
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

gingersmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
Originally Posted by valanhb

Is he still growing?

When we got Mojo she had a bad spay sway. It literally swayed when she ran - she kinda looked like a cow from behind.
But she's actually grown into her tummy. Maybe Ferris' tummy just grew before the rest of him?
He recently went through another growth spurt, and I am making the very large assumption that based upon his coat and appearance that he may have some growing yet to do.

He is HEAVY but very solid, except for that big belly pouch. He doesn't LOOK fat, except for where the pouch is.

I home I'm not going to have obesity issues with him!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

gingersmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
Originally Posted by sarahp

Smudge looks "fatter" than the other girls, but her coat is quite thick and she'd almost be considered medium haired, and is probably similar to Ferris in that respect, so I think having a thicker coat does nothing to their figure
That's for sure. Ferris is SO fluffy and his fur is SO long that where his belly pouch sticks out on the sides, he almost looks like he has fur wings growing!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

gingersmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
Originally Posted by theimp98

hmm really dumb question but err, do they do kitty tummy tucks?
I think he'd be a better candidate for Liposuction.
 

yosemite

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Messages
23,313
Purraise
81
Location
Ingersoll, ON
Liposuction - now there's a thought.

Bijou is exactly the same as Ferris. He is very muscular and heavy but he has that "lovely" spay sway. He's not thrilled with having it touched but he won't shred my hands if I gently feel it. He gets lots of exercise, doesn't overeat, so I don't know where it comes from.
 
Top