Each year I look forward to my cats' respective vet visits with curiousity. Many times it's good news, other times its interesting results, other times its uncertainty. Typically they haven't had any bad news given unless its been on an emergency visit that is not their regularly scheduled annual visit. The best example of that would have been Whiskers' emergency vet visit several weeks back with his 'rear end' problem. The two cats whose visits are typically going to be the most interesting, are that of my two 'big boys'. Porkey and Whiskers. If for nothing else than the past few years since I've had them both to see which cat registers as heavier according to the scale.
For the most part, Porkey has always been my biggest cat by far. Outweighing Tabby, Athena, Sylvester and even Whiskers since I've had him. However, since last year the tables were turned when Whiskers weighed in as the larger cat. For nearly the past 12 months its been casual and light-hearted teasing given to Whiskers for being the more rotound kitty of the bunch. This year, however, I was interested to see how things would turn out. While Whiskers has been his typical self in terms of eating and activity rate, Porkey has become a bit more...."less active." Perhaps its for no other reason except that he's entering his old-age and just isn't naturally going to be as active. Nonetheless, I've noticed for a while that he's the least active of all the cats. Since he's been eating as much as ever, I was surely guessing that come his vet visit his weight might be even more than the previous year's visit. Would he topple Whiskers and regain his crown as the largest cat of the household? This past Friday was his vet visit.
Porkey is by far the easiest of the bunch to get into a cat carrier. While the other four stay away from any carriers, especially when the door is opened, but Porkey is the one without fear who will crawl right into one if left adjar and make himself as comfortable as can be. At the vet, he was just as easy to get him to exit the carrier for his visit. Porkey doesn't mind the vet visit itself, but while he doesn't have a problem with the veterinarian checking him out....he's like a hyperactive child who just won't sit still. As the vet lady attempted to check his vitals and do the other checks that they do regularly, Porkey kept squirming and wiggling his way toward the side of the table. In my direction. As though by reaching me that I was going to save him. (Wait a minute, Porkey, weren't you the one with high excitement about going into the vet in the first place? You did crawl into the pet carrier back at the apartment!)
His visit was as typical as it could be. Generally good health, the need for food like tartar-control cat treats, and he got his shots (rabies vaccine). But the interesting highlight of the visit came at the end. He needed to be weighed. So the vet technician put him on the table scale in the room and recorded down the weight that was displayed.
Previously his weight has hovered around 15.5-16.5 pounds, with his visit last year being just over 15.1 pounds. This year? He gained weight since last year's visit. More specificially, about 2 full pounds. That's right....
Porkey weighs 17.5 pounds. Unofficially, according to the vet's record of the weight from the scale's display, he weighs 17.5 pounds. As much of a shock that is of itself, it's just as surprising that he's gained 2 pounds since the previous year. Although, when I look back on the past 12 months, it's not ... too surprising. Granted, he eats as much as he normally does. But his activity level has decreased quite a bit and his range of exercise is deciding to go from laying on the bed in the bedroom to laying on the couch in the living room. Thus he has to move.
As far as a diet for him, there's not much I can do. All five cats have dishes down for them and I can't very well keep one cat separate from feeding while the others do. While I am gone during the day, there's no one home to keep them separate. So the food dishes are open to eating by any and all of the cats and they'll - including Porkey - will eat at their will when I am gone. The vet brought up the issue of limiting the amount of food I put in the dishes. Which makes sense, but then again... during the day...when I am not home....who's to say that Porkey won't eat his share and another cat's "share" in a day? I can't very well take him outside for a walk because I DO live in-town, downtown in my city. And we don't exactly have any cat treadmills to use for him. I really only have options including encouraging him to be more physically active and to try to limit the amount of eating that I can logically control of him when I am home.
So while Porkey had a long run as being the largest cat of the household, but lost his title to Whiskers last year, his reign as runner-up has only lasted a year. As Porkey is now back on top of the list as the largest cat of the household.
I just wonder if I should feel bad about going to McDonald's for my lunch immediately after we left the vet on Friday. :-).JPG)