"Feed them as much as they'll eat"...

[nita]

LMAO, I remember Body break from when I was a kid and those two are still at it!!

I feed my baby BP's every 3 days, at least that is how often I offer. I will offer 2 mice each time. Whiplash who is 2000g at 12yrs old will eat a 500g rat every week to 2 weeks, if he isn't hungry he doesnt' eat.

My cat by the way never had an empty food dish and most people thought she was small. I strongly believe that almost any animal that has a constant food source will only eat what it requires. If you are limiting the food given the tendency to binge when given the opportunity is high.

[Artemis]

Nita, you rock! I totally agree. Even if weight control is needed, you should be able to tell that visually. If you have to ask if your animal is fat, it probably isnt. The key there was offer, also. I think its better to offer more frequently than not especially with boids who are notorious for feeding issues. If they will eat them when offered, and they arent visually about to pop, in that repsect I agree with the quote "feed them as much as they'll eat."

[Cruciform]

We have a 27 pound cat, 17 pound cat, and a seven pound cat.

The 27 pounder barely eats anything. He'll meow and meow to be fed if the dish is empty, walk up, take two bites and walk away.

The other two cats eat until the bowls are empty.

Animals are are just as unique and weird as their owners

[Linds]

Originally posted by Artemis
If you have to ask if your animal is fat, it probably isnt.

Most people I know have overweight dogs and/or cats, and feel that their animals are in perfect health and weight, and some get quite offended if anything otherwise is implied. Many captive reptiles are also overweight (leos and large contrictors are the ones that stand out in my mind the most ).

Cruciform,
Have you had your big kitty at the vet? Reason I ask, I had the opportunity many years ago to take in a 40lb cat. He was awesome, but you would swear he starved himself... barely picked at his food. He had a thyroid condition however that went untreated for quite some time which led to his situation.

[Artemis]

Really? I know lots of people who are in denial about themselves and their human family members being fat, but I have yet to meet anyone who carries that over to their pets also. Most I know with fat pets just make light of it and say how cute it is.

I have cats about like cruciform does, except my biggest of the three is 32 pounds now. They all eat about the same amount of food a day, and he wont touch the weight control food.

[Siretsap]

Originally posted by Cruciform
Animals are are just as unique and weird as their owners

Héhéhé you saying you are weird? ;-)

[Cruciform]

Linds, yup, he's been to the vet, and other than a skin condition that started when we moved into the new house he's healthy. That's getting to be a problem though. He's due back for a followup shortly.

Artemis, we tried the weight control food too. And it just made the cats permanently hungry and pooping over 3 times the volume, because of all the filler. We're just going to put in a cat run behind the house eventually and get him his workout outside.

Siretsap: Are you saying you're not? Heheh.