Bounce the cat is one of our success stories here at CVH.
She came to us at 6.2kg, she had horrible matts on her back as she was so large she could not groom herself properly. Being an elderly lady she also had osteoarthritis and her weight was putting a lot of pressure on her joints.
The vets and nurses at Canberra Vet quickly saw the importance of getting weight off Bounce ASAP! Not only because of grooming issues and arthritis but also the risk of other obesity related illnesses such as:
• Heart disease
• Respiratory disease
• Diabetes
• Fatty liver disease
So Bounce was enrolled into CVH’s weight loss program with her very own Nurse to see her through the process and offer support and tips to her owner. She was estimated to have a Body Fat Index of 40% with a moderate risk of developing further obesity related illnesses. Her ideal weight was calculated to be 4.9kg, so a total weight loss of 1.3kg was required!
She started on Metabolic (a special presc ription weight loss diet) in March 2015. Like with humans, weight loss and diets are never straight forward! Bounce’s Mum with the help of their nurse, thought of plenty of ways of thinking outside the box.
‘Her weight loss was slow to start with as she was boarding in the Clinic for other reasons, but once I got her home I encouraged her to be more active at the recommendation of the weight loss nurse at Canberra Vet. I moved her food bowl around a lot, hid her biccies in hard to find places and encouraged her to play (even though she isn’t that sort of cat it still worked sometimes). Her increase in activity combined with the Metabolic diet definitely sped up her weight loss’ – Amanda
Bounce was at her goal weight by September 2015!
‘Since reaching her goal weight she is better at grooming herself and more comfortable in her movements’ – Amanda
Bounce is still on the Metabolic weight loss diet to maintain her healthy weight (plus she thinks its pretty tasty). She is still at her goal weight today as well at 4.9kg. The fact that Bounce is now obesity free is fantastic for her. She will now live a much more comfortable and longer life thanks to the dedication of her mum and the Weight Loss Team at Canberra Vet.