Pink Floyd is looking good.

For the five years I’ve had her, she’s been known as the big kitty with the teeny-weeny head. Since our border collie puppy Charlie arrived on the scene, Pink has transformed herself. Between the Charlie stealing her kibble, and the two wrestling and chasing each other through the house, Pink has lost a bit of weight.

I should also mention the cat tree. Matt and I were convinced she wouldn’t want to play with it. Especially once we dropped $100-plus on it.

But she surprised us both, and now climbs up and down like it’s a jungle gym.

We’ve also switched her over to a high-quality protein-based senior kibble.

The result is a newer, more svelt kitty. Pink has been to boot camp, and she’s strutting her stuff.

In denial

Pink was a skinny puff of fur when I got her. But she had just endured living for weeks in an abandoned house.

I didn’t know anything about cats when I rescued her. So I filled a medium-sized bowl with the first kibble I found, placed a bowl of water next to it and called it a day. I never considered that she wasn’t a grazer, and also did not think about buying wet food.

Pink ate like a crazed kitten. Like she had never seen food before. Like she had just spent weeks trapped in an abandoned hoarder’s house.

I didn’t really pay much attention. Friends of mine started mentioning how, umm, fluffy she had become.

I was in denial.

I filled her bowl to the brim.

Changing things up

Once day I finally noticed how her body eclipsed her small head. Pink needed a diet.

I started by cutting down the amount of dry kibble I gave her. This resulted in repeated meowing. Pleading. Any moment I walked into the kitchen. A plaintive “Mew! Mew!”

It was pathetic. And hard to hear.

A friend mentioned that she got her cat to lose weight by going on a wet-catfood-only diet. Apparently this approach significantly reduces the filler most kibbles are made of, and offers a protein-rich diet. Adkins for kitties?

I took her to the vet, who agreed that she was somewhat overweight, and also suggested wet food.

I bought several cans of the wet stuff, convinced Pink would adore me.

Instead, she turned her nose.

I tried multiple flavors and cuts. Still, she could care less. Pink would give it one lick, then saunter away.

I naively thought the same thing about wet dog food. I was sure Lexie would love it. I was wrong.

I also tried what I would consider traditional cat exercise. But she hates feathers. Refused to chase after strings. Moving lasers? Meh.

Then out of nowhere, the Charlie diet came along.

Pink seems energized. She’s more limber, and can even hop up on high surfaces that previously were off limits.

From high atop her cat tree perch, Pink is showing off. She licks her paw, then seamlessly throws herself down into the remnants of catnip.

She’s strutting her stuff. Indeed.

If you would like to receive email notifications when Our Furever Family publishes a new blog entry, please go to the home page and click on “Email subscriptions” in the right nav. Thanks for joining our journey!