ATKINS for Cats!

Well I just got back from the vet and they showed me how to inject the insulin, etc... (for my newly diagnosed diabetic feline). They put him on a special weight loss food formula that is similar to the low carb-high protein diet and apparently it really works. Its called Purina DM (Diabetes Management) Feline Formula. It comes in dry or canned and the vet was just raving about the weight loss results with it. Aside from inventing a cat friendly tread-mill its my only hope for my overweight pal. I'll keep everyone posted on the progress.

Hmm...would that be CATkins?

I know it's early, but hows your cat doing on the high protein stuff? I've put Mabel on basically the same stuff by Hills. I'm hoping it helps her but she's starting to show signs of it bothering her stomach so I'm not sure if i'm going to have to switch to something else

Best wishes to you and your cat. I have a cat who is either a very early diabetic or approaching, so he's been put on Purina DM canned food (not for any weight loss, he is normal to slightly underweight). Of course, after the initial thrill of "ooh, wet food just for me?" he no longer likes it. But my vet said I could feed a comparable canned food which I do. I found the protein/fat/carb/fiber/phosph and calorie ratios for Purina DM and other prescription and non-prescription canned foods at this address:
Canned Cat Food Nutritional Information for Cats with Diabetes

I've found Tyler loves Fancy Feast Flaked Fish and Shrimp which is very comparable.

hth you or woodsygirl,

Originally posted by Mom of 10 Cats
Hmm...would that be CATkins?

Click to expand...

lol

Hello,

Thanks for the replies. Well my little guy (yeah right) doesn't seem to be losing any weight however he seems to like the food alot. He gets 1/3C in the am before his shot and 1/3C at night before his shot. In the daytime if he cries for food (which is everyday) I give him a tsp of the canned food which seems to curb his appetite. He hasn't had any accidents since he started on the insulin and seems to be more active than he has in years. He likes to play fetch with the little sponge balls and now brings them onto my bed in the morning to alert me he's awake and ready to go! He's due back at the vet for blood tests but overall we're doing much better.

PS. Can someone invent a cat treadmill? LOL

Oh darn, I was hoping to hear about all the weight your cat had lost

1/3 cup twice a day sounds like a lot, I think the daily feeding guide on the Hills is 1/3 cup a day.. so with a little wet food Mabel is only getting like 1/4 cup. She's not diabetic, but she's chubby, I was hoping this would be better than low-cal stuff which she hates.

I am glad to hear that your cat is more active, maybe that will help! Mabel used to like to play but since gaining weight she's now a lazy bum. I just wish she'd lose enough weight that she can clean that rear end of her's again

I wondered myself if the food was too much but the vet said that for his weight and the insulin shots 1/3C twice a day was what he needed. I've decided to put a picture up so you can see what I'm dealing with. This is a comparison to my mom's jack russel. As you can see I can barely hold him up. Funny you should mention cleaning himself, he won't even get into the litter box (which is jumbo). He stands with his two front paws outside the box so he doesn't have to squat. Now that's lazy!!! LOL

Well, the vet knows whats best for your kitty! Mabel is actually a small framed cat, but she's got a big round belly. She weighs 14.5 pds and needs to be closer to 10 pds.

Wow, thats some kitty! He's a doll and looks like he's a handfull. I think it's great that he's doing well with the shots... my mother-in-law's cat had diabetes and I know she had a hard time giving her cat the shots.

He sounds like he's a litterbox pro! At least he's got the right side facing the box. Mabel likes to "perch" on the very edge of the box. I don't see how a fat cat like Mabel can balance all 4 paws on the edge... but all the fiber in these high protein diets always ... um.. makes a mess!

Yeah he's a handful and the four paws on the corner of the litter box is a classic here too. I've always wondered myself how they balance but come to think of it I've seen him wabble quite a bit. I thought I'd have trouble with the shots in the beginning but turns out it's a breeze. Good luck with getting Mabel down the 10lbs. Kool is 18lbs and if you find any exercise that works be sure and let me know. I've tried walking him on a leash but he just plays dead.

Well, many cats don't like leashes... if you put anything around Mabel's neck, she tries to walk around backwards thinking she can somehow walk out of it

There was a toy I found, and I know they sell them at Petsmart here called "Dr Noys Swizzle Stick" and usually both cats here are interested in that. Maybe your cat would like one to chase around... ?

Here's a link to a pic of it:

Swizzle Stick

Thanks for the link...at this point anything is worth a shot.

I had a vet put my fosters on Purina DM when they had severe diarreha from coccidia. It is also used to help control loose stools. I noticed that their poops smelled really bad and I finally got disgusted and put them back on SD Kitten/Maintenance mix. The smell cleared up and by then they were over the coccidia.

I only offer this as something to watch out for. If he starts getting stinky, you might want to consider changing brands.

Thanks for the tip. Actually I haven't really noticed anything unusual wafting from the litter box but I'll keep an eye (I mean a nose ) on high alert.

My sister has a fat cat. She was feeding her dry food, Walmarts Maxximum Nutrition (very comparable to Iams). She was doing fine, but not losing weight. Abby (cat) was only eating 1/4 cup a day. Then she started feeding Chicken Soup, and Abby did about the same on it. She ran out and had to feed Maxximum Nutrition (couldn't get to the pet store to get Chicken Soup). Abby's back started getting flaky, and then scabby, and she started losing fur. So, instead of going back to Chicken Soup, she tried something different. She mixed Natural Balance canned with Jack Mackeral and/or raw ground turkey. Abby started losing weight (YAY!), got a ton of evergy, and her back healed up. She's been feeding this for 5 or 6 months now, and Abby is doing so well! She's about the softest cat I've met! She continues to lose weight (losing very slowly, but that's not a bad thing). Too many grains in Kibble.

My cats however, are very energetic, indoor/outdoor cats. Chasing mice, birds, other cats, dogs, whatever, they're always on the go. I switched them to a lower quality food because I couldn't get them to keep weight ON.

All depends on the individual cats, I guess.

Dawn

That is a very interesting diet. I'm assuming the Jack Mackeral is fish but is it cooked or raw? Also, how much is she mixing of the raw ground turkey or fish into how much of the canned per day. At this point I'm ready to try anything. I'm having a really hard time cutting down on his food. The 1/3C of dry food twice a day seems like so little and he meows his head off for more. He gobbles it up in seconds and then starts crying an hour later or chewing plastic bags to get attention. I guess he's used to eating so much that he figures he's getting punished. This morning I fed him his usual 1/3C and then went shopping for the day. Well, we I returned there was chewed up plastic all over the house. He chews it right off the garbage bags that line the rim of the kitchen bin. He gets constipated, chokes, etc... total nightmare! I tried to weigh him this morning but I should have took the scale out of the bathroom. As soon as I picked him up and walked in that direction (he thinks he's getting a bath) he freaked out, peed all over me, and ran under the bed. I figure...why have kids when you can get a cat.

Jack Mackeral is very easy to get, and cheap, about 79 cents per can (good sized can, 4 or 5 servings worth). It's in the tuna section. It has the bones in it still, but it has been canned so the bones are soft (good source of calcium). You do have to rinse it, since they add salt to the water it's in. She mixes it half and half, I think, and feeds it twice a day, Abby probably gets 1/2 cup a day. The ground turkey comes in 1 lb "rolls" and is usually in the freezer section (you can get it fresh, but this is cheaper). It's about 79 cents a pound. Canned food generally has alot of protein, but meat has more even. So by mixing them, she's feeding her cat almost all meat, which more closely resembles what she'd eat in the wild. If you use mostly ground turkey, and you don't do the mackeral, or another fish that still has bones, you might want to add calcium. A little dried, powdered, eggshell, perhaps.

Now that I have typed this, I feel lazy My cats eat dry food from a bin, with an occasional chicken wing or can of cat food. Mostly dry food though.

Dawn

Well I think I'm going to try that diet for a while. If you think about the low-carb, high protein diet it makes sense for the animals too. I appreciate your effort in getting the specs. Fortunately I've got some ground turkey in the freezer so I'll be starting Kool on this and I'll keep you posted as to how we're doing. Thanks again for the help.

Well, I think since your cat has a medical condition, you should check with your vet before switching his diet. Just to be on the safe side. You can also ask the vet how much your should feed him and any types of side affects or problems that might come about from feeding a raw diet. I'd stay with his regular food until tommorow when you can talk to a vet.

Good point. Kool has to go for blood tests on tuesday so I'll wait and discuss any changes in his diet with the vet then. I'm a little concerned about the mackerel because he has had prior urinary tract infections and I was told not to feed him any fish or fish flavored products because it could lead to complications. That's all I need is another health problem at this point.