When I retrieved my cat Sophie at the private home in Plano, Texas where she was currently residing with her brother and two sisters, I remember one of the activities her former owners indulged in with the kittens: the laser light. I remember Sophie tearing up and down the stairs in the house enjoying this game of 'cat and laser' to the full. I decided I would need to get a laser for our home, so Sophie could enjoy that form of exercise.
That was three years ago. I attempted to find a laser light that didn't cost an arm and a leg, but I wasn't aware of the right place to find one.
Until I went to my cat's vet for her yearly check-up and vaccinations. There I was told that WalMart carried a laser light cheap. So I went there to aisle 15 where I was told I would find it. Unfortunately, they changed the spot where they sell them. So I didn't find it till the next week with help from a cashier working nearby.
I finally acquired my laser light; and Sophie was in for a surprise.
Little did I know how much Sophie would enjoy this activity still three years later. Talk about 'crazy cat!' Once I turned that laser on, she was spinning around in circles following that light around on the two rugs in our bedroom. It reminded me of a dog chasing its tail! It was quite an amusing sight, especially the first time around.
But the fun didn't end there. Oh, no. Sophie was totally into chasing that laser from one end of the house to the other. It was my challenge to keep that laser in sight as it went around two corners in the process. If she didn't see it, she'd stop dead in her tracks until it came back into view. So she was truly keeping me on my toes (although I wouldn't classify that as exercise).
It amazed me how many times she would tear down that hallway from one end to the other (which is approximately 55 feet), with tail arched in play. She honestly sounds like a horse galloping when she runs that fast!
One of the things she enjoys when we use the laser is when I shut it off and ask her, "Where did it go?" I don't turn it back on until she answers with a certain puzzled meow while she looks for it darting her eyes around the room. Then I turn it back on, which follows another streak down the hall (at 55 miles per hour).
After just a few minutes, Sophie gets tired; but she still wants to follow the laser anyway, at least with her eyes. But I tell her, if she doesn't chase it, she'll have to wait til next time.
At Sophie's latest check up with the vet, I found out that she is getting a bit chubby at 13 pounds! So I discussed my options with getting Sophie a bit slimmer: Exercise and a reduction on her daily food amount. The vet explained to me that in order to get Sophie to eat less I would have to give her small amounts of food from a pre-measured source throughout the day, so she wouldn't eat all her food before the 24 hours was up. So instead of measuring a cup a day, I reduced it to 3/4 cup a day and measured out 7 days into Ziploc bags.
Each day I would start with a bit of food for breakfast and give her a bit more every couple of hours. If I wasn't home to do this, I'd double up the portion for the time I'd be out. We've been doing this for three weeks. I've only had issues with Sophie's nagging me for food a couple of times. Through this process I have been able to gauge how much she eats during the day and during the night (she eats less at night). So I give her more that half before night time. (This came after using a long term feeder for at least two years.)
So between the twice daily exercise (if I remember!) and the slimmer feedings, I'm hoping to get Sophie down to twelve pounds by the end of the year. She's heavy carrying her with one arm! I've now added a new nickname to her long list: chubby-wub!
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