Who was really “Lucky?”
Weight loss and cats. Seems to be a common thread here? Really this fascination stems from my own battle with the kitty bulge. I know how tough it can be. Its a long road, and you do not have to go it alone. And neither does this “Lucky” cat, who is now named for the piece of furniture that he most resembled. I wonder if they will change his name again when his transformation is complete…?
~Cara
**Disclaimer**
**While Otto’s monthly weight loss goal is 1 pound per month, this is not a rate that we would recommend without strict veterinary oversight. Please bear in mind that Otto is living with veterinary staff who are able to continually monitor his health.**
Morbidly obese cat gets a second chance at life
This article is from the American Animal Hospital Trends news magazine.
When his owner brought 35-pound “Lucky” to an animal hospital in January to be euthanized for improper litterbox habits resulting from extreme obesity, the staff at Clementon Animal Hospital in New Jersey didn’t know what to do.
Sachina Lyons, DVM, suggested finding a way to sponsor the animal’s weight loss diet so that it could be of minimal cost to the owner. When the owner declined, the hospital also offered to do free regular weight loss checks for the cat to help him stay on track with a new diet and weight loss plan. Finally, Lyons flat-out refused to put the cat to sleep, upsetting the cat’s owner.
A staff member suggested the owner turn the cat over to the hospital, at which point the owner dropped the cat’s carrier on the floor and walked out.
Originally named Lucky, the practice is now calling the obese feline “Otto” due to his ottoman-like figure. The staff at the hospital has fallen in love with the cat, and the practice is working with Otto to get him back down to a normal weight.
Otto’s story is an example of pet overeating gone dangerously wrong.
Though people find Otto to be cute due to his large size, the serious health risks can put his life at risk, the hospital says. In people terms, a 35-pound cat is equivalent to a 500-pound person. Health threats can include diabetes, liver disease, joint pain, skin problems and digestive problems.”People just don’t realize that obesity can run in our pets too,” Greaney said. “Over-the-counter foods might not be the best for them – it can be the equivalent of feeding your pet McDonald’s every day, which most people don’t realize.”
So far, the 10-year-old cat is surprisingly very healthy other than being morbidly obese, Greaney says. Other than taking pain management medications for very bad arthritis and being restricted to a calorie-control high fiber diet, he is not currently facing any other health issues.
Despite being locked in a basement with minimal contact from people, those who know Otto say he is extremely people-friendly and affectionate.
“He is the most loving and affectionate cat you can imagine. What impressed me the most about him was how affectionate he is after spending his life in the basement with very little contact with people,” said Wanda Ross, practice consultant for the American Animal Hospital Association. “He has a very dedicated fan base between clients and Facebook followers.”
The cat faces no shortage of love around the office: Staff members rotate taking him home on the weekends to care for him, and original plans of adopting him out have been abandoned as the hospital employees have fallen in love with him.
“Everyone is so attached to him now, I don’t think we could let him leave the hospital,” Greaney said.
Otto has even become a local and national celebrity for his “fat feline figure” and affectionate nature. The local NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, Pa., filmed a segment about Otto and the clinic’s weight loss efforts for him; Otto also traveled to New York for a special appearance on the “Today Show”, and has even been considered for Animal Planet’s “Must Love Cats” show.
The hospital is on track to have Otto lose a pound a month as a part of his weight loss plan. As of Oct. 14, 2011, he is down to 27 pounds, 10 ounces. The hospital is aiming to get Otto’s weight down to that of a healthy 12-13 pound range of a normal cat.
Diary of a Fat Cat
I know how tough it is to get weight off a cat or dog, I’ve had both.
As a kid, Sandy, our golden retriever grew wider and flatter – going from sleek athlete to ottoman – as he aged and his walks decreased. I was pretty young then, and don’t recall what or if we did anything about his weight.
Now I have a cat, Puck, who has been challenging me his entire life with his weight. When he was 3 (and 17 pounds!), my friends started teasing me about his weight, and soon he was diagnosed with Feline Asthma. I was concerned about how to treat his asthma successfully and not increase his chances of developing diabetes (and that’s a story for another day).
For the 
last 6 years, I have been trying to “manage” his weight. I didn’t manage it well at first, I changed from regular cat food to “diet” cat food and he gained weight. Then it managed me, feeding 3 cats their own food with two cooks in the kitchen and a difference in opinion about what a “snack” was. His weight fluctuated a lot in that time period, and it was stressful for all involved. And in the last year I finally got a good handle on how to make it work. Part of our system is: Puck tells me when it is dinner time, and I let him tell me all about it, and then he has to work for his supper.
“So what changed to make weight loss possible?” you ask.
In the last year I went to the North American Veterinary Conference and attended numerous seminars, mainly on nutrition and behavior. While I was at the conference, I started developing a way to help Puck and other overweight pets through coaching, consistency, follow through, with sound nutrition and activities. The end result? North Portland’s Weight Management Program. It’s geared to set you (and your pet) up for success, by tailoring our recommendations to fit your life.
Puck is calling, it’s time for dinner!
Cara
