Full-Figured Dakota...Now That's a Cat!

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| Print | By | January 2, 2008 3:43 PM

Jan2-Dakota face_1.JPG
"Look at this face....Huh? Huh? Do I look fat to you?"

A cat is a cat is a cat....except if he's Dakota...then he may resemble three cats in one. Actually, my good friend Rachel Warren's cat, Dakota, is a husky-looking puddie, if ever there were one. And that's just the way they both like it. I mean if you're going to have a cat, Warren says, you might as well have a substantial one.

"Right now, he's 29 pounds," says Warren. "But he's come down three pounds from his high of 32 last year." Warren says her precious 16-year-old farm cat has always been an all-around big-boned puddy, with not only a sizable girth, but also big paws and a huge schnoze to boot. "Sometimes when he sits," she says, "he looks like a bulldog." And while Dakota loves his regular dry cat food, he also loves, loves, loves delicacies like ice cream, spaghetti sauce, ham, and strained tuna water, among other things.

"I'm a full-bodied feline. Anyone can see that."

Though she likes her cats formidable, Warren was worried Dakota might have health problems because of his girth. So she took him to the vet who suggested an unusual diet. "He told me to put the food in a place where Dakota would have to exert himself to get at it. So I put it on my dryer." This method bombed, though, as poor Dakota couldn't jump that high, so he wasn't getting any food at all.

Next, Warren tried rationing, but Dakota was having none of it. "As soon as he could see even a fraction of the bottom of his bowl, he would find me, sit down next to me, and meow, and meow, and meow his brains out. He was angry. He thought I was trying to starve him." So, naturally, Warren gave in and filled his bowl with a little more. But when Dakota saw the bottom of the bowl again, he'd cry for more yet again, and she'd give it to him. "It got so that he really wasn't on a diet anymore. So I would just fill his bowl up like before and let him eat. Yes, I did feel guilty, like a bad mother who let her kids eat anything they wanted. But, I just couldn't stand his crying."

"A chubby cat is a happy cat."

Dakota's a happy camper once again, now that things are back to normal food-wise. So much so, that he's willing to share. "Sometimes, he takes a piece of food in his mouth, carries it over to me, and drops it. Then he stands there waiting for petting and praise. But then he does something strange. He lays down on top of the food and rolls around in it, smiling all the while." Warren says she hasn't a clue why. "It something a dog would do," she reasons. "But if I had to guess, I think he's just showing me how happy he is."

Jan2-Dakota paws_1.JPG
"I'd look pretty funny with tiny paws, now wouldn't I?"

In any event, Dakota seems a bit more energetic these days, and is getting his share of exercise running back and forth to scare the squirrels that parade around Warren's back deck. So with any luck, he might just shed a pound or two in the New Year. Not a biggie, though, 'cause Warren loves her puddy just the way he is.

Jan2-Dakota blanket_1.JPG
"I love this blanket.... It's so slimming!"

"You know, I dated a guy once who was allergic to cats. But after a few dates, I realized it wasn't going to work. I knew he'd never be able to get to know Dakota, or grow to appreciate or love him as I do. And I just couldn't live my life that way...pet-free. Maybe that makes me another Crazy Cat Lady.... But I love my cat, what can I say?"

KittyLiterate knows....AMEN!

Have you ever put your cat on a diet? Share with me stories@Petside.com "kitty diets."

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Sheila January 7, 2008 1:01 PM

I have breeding and show cats and chubby is not a good thing for them :-). One of my best "diets", besides feeding "lite" cat food, has been to mix in a couple of tablespoons of canned french style string beans (broken up with a fork) in with the canned food.

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