All of us at the Central Aroostook Humane Society hope that you enjoy a beautiful holiday season and have a merry Christmas.
What a difference a year makes.! We could never have imagined that we would finally, after all these years, be in a brand-new building. We are still “getting settled” but our employees are happy and all the animals seemed to be settling in nicely.
We are all a little guilty of indulging in wonderful food and treats, especially during the holidays, that can add unwanted calories and extra pounds to the waistline. Our cats can also be a bit lazy, and for those that always have an overflowing bowl of food left to the cat’s discretion, then it’s easy to see extra weight and “fat pads” appearing.
Years ago, we literally had to start rationing our little Willie’s food intake. Once we did that, he actually did slim down. I’m not so sure that Willie was impressed with our decision. The key to trimming Kitty’s waist line is pretty basic — less food and more exercise. Yup, the same for us humans.
The first step is not leaving an unlimited supply of food. Offering more frequent feedings of smaller amounts of food is one option. Pet food manufacturers have caught on and are tailoring their products to our cats’ needs. For instance, there are now formulas available for senior, less active cats. If you’re not home during the day, you may want to invest in an automatic cat feeder that allows you to set the amount and frequency of food dispensed.
All the dieting in the world won’t help weight loss the way dieting combined with exercise will. Of course, if you’re embarking on an exercise program for your cat, particularly if he or she is overweight, it’s best to tell your vet and get Kitty a physical check-up.
One of the best ways to get your cat’s heart pumping is to toss favorite toys. You may want to purchase or build a series of shelves or perches for Kitty to climb, or put down cartons or paper bags to explore and climb in and out of. The minute any box came into our home, Willie and Annie were always anxious to explore and play inside.
Providing your cat with something to scratch is a must, whether it is store-bought posts, a clean piece of wood or a piece of carpeting rolled so that the backing is exposed (cats prefer the backing). If your cat loves to hunt and pounce, try one of those kitty fishing poles from which a toy dangles. Of course, you’ll need to play with your cat with this one, but you’ll both have a lot of fun. Just remember to put this one away when you’re not playing to prevent your cat from getting entangled in the string and choke.
Another option is that you may want to consider adding a second cat to your family as a playmate. Sometimes this works, but our previous cats lived together for 18 years but never really “liked” each other.
Either way, keeping an eye on your kitty’s health will not only benefit the cat, but will assure your furry friend will have a long and happy life.
Stop by the Central Aroostook Humane Society at our new address at 210 Cross Street, Presque Isle, and check us out on Facebook. As always please be responsible: spay/neuter your pets.
Gloria J. Towle is the secretary for the Central Aroostook Humane Society board of directors.
