First remember that there is nothing to feel guilty about. Cats are a different species and taking care of them is a learning process. The good news is the solution is fairly simple. Cats are basically miniature lions, not miniature people. They are strict carnivores and their digestive tract is simply too short to metabolize anything but muscle, fat and bone. Also their immune and digestive system is a lot stronger than ours. They do best on fresh protein, the fresher the better and the best is raw. You don’t need some fancy since lab food. Just Google “raw cat food diet”. The next best is to go with a high quality wet food. The stuff in grocery stores is basically the equivalent of twinkies. Google “cat nutrition”.

When you give them wet food, add water to it. Cats are historically desert animals and they’re inclined to hydrate from their food, not a bowl. There is no need for expensive low-cal diets. Just give them 1/3 of a can twice a day. Add some water to fill their tummies. If you feel guilty, mulch a few baby carrots as a filler. It won’t give them any nutrition, but the fiber won’t hurt. You can also squirt some salmon oil (good fat) from a capsule to interest them. At first they’ll go “what the heck is this” so introduce them to the food bit by bit. Sit with them and stroke them until they relax and eat the food. It may take 30 minutes, but they’ll eat once they realize it’s safe.

In the end I have to admit that it takes more time (about the same cost though) to feed them high quality food. The reward is healthy, friendly cats with shiny fur and bright pink wet noses. They’ll probably live longer too, so I think it’s worth it. As for exercise… good luck. Cats are like lions. They are biologically designed to save calories by sleeping except when they’re hunting or socializing. I suggest you simply focus on reduced calorie intake and let nature do it’s thing.

Ok boy-cat just bumped with his head “way to go dad”… girl-cat licks her little nose as a sign of approval. I’m fairly certain that everyone thinks I’m a little bonkers. I hope this help a little in your quest to slim down your kitties. Lots of luck, love your blog Jen!