Cat Blogging: The Biggest Loser

Orson received a clean bill of health from our vet, flourished in his introduction to and acceptance of Olive and Oskar, escaped solitary confinement, and is now on the fourth day of his diet. That is a pretty successful week. Thus begins our two-year long series "The Biggest Loser: Feline Edition."

I was really shocked at Orson's measurements. We knew he was a big guy, but had no idea he was that wide. When I exclaimed that Orson's waist is the same size as many adult females, a friend reminded me, "Scarlett O'Hara had a 17 inch waist. But she was a bitch." While Orson may be overweight, at least he isn't a jerk.

As we settle into our 3-cat home we are all making adjustments. Orson is adapting well to his new life and cat mates. Now that he has freedom to roam the house he has adopted us and our bed as his nighttime sleeping place, which doesn't sit well with Olive who had previous ownership. It has only been a few days and I am sure things will work themselves out. Around 2 AM Orson's tummy tells him it is time for breakfast and he wakes us by licking our ears. He'll eventually realize this tactic doesn't elicit a meal. Oskar is fascinated with Orson and spends a lot of time grooming his new big brother and following him around. All three cats now prefer Orson's newer bigger litter box.

Orson does have one habit that needs to be halted ASAP. He is a chewer and he loves cords. T's favorite earbuds have already been sacrificed, and I've observed Orson eying the laptop cord with longing.

Orson's current measurements:
Front midsection girth 21 inches
Torso girth 25 inches
Weight 20.6 pounds

Goal:
Orson is now eating 290 calories per day split into two feedings. We are weaning him from the cheaper dry food that he grazed on at the shelter and are gradually replacing the dry food with a higher grade grain-free dry food as well as grain-free canned food. The goal is to eventually feed Orson primarily grain-free canned food. Weight loss will take several years. Goal weight is 13 pounds.

In addition to Orson's low calorie diet, he is engaging in more play both with us and the other cats. As the weather warms we will get Orson outside for walks on a leash.