April 25, 2011.

Today is an “L” kind of day.  You know what I mean:  a day specifically created for leisure and lounging.  The fact there is an occasional ray of sunshine lazily making its way through the window is just an added bonus.

And, it was while I was basking in my own little ray of sunshine, I heard my people talk about the Hunger Games.  Initially, I thought they were talking about the success of my diet over the past three weeks.  Apparently not.  My people were discussing The Hunger Games trilogy in which only one person can survive a televised battle to the death.

I have to admit I am glad no one has televised my survival for the past few weeks.  It has not always been pretty as I, the self-proclaimed King of the Clinic, have been forced to beg for a scrap of food because of the harsh reality, that as the newly appointed “Clinic Spokes-cat for Eating Healthy,” I now have my portions carefully measured.  It should be pointed out that some people have a better eye for measurements than others.  And, I do not think that it has anything to do with a personal philosophy of whether the cup is half empty or half full.  I, personally, think fuller is better, but that is how I ended up on this diet to begin with.

And, just like for people, the best weight loss comes from a combination of diet and exercise, so it is with felines like myself.  It’s only been three weeks since I have given up the hobbit diet of eight meals a day, and, already, I am seeing muscles I have not seen in years.  I feel like a young kitten full of purr and vim.  Now, every afternoon treat time has become exercise time.  Snacks (nibblies, as one of my people calls them) are served in a Slim Cat Ball.  As the packaging for the ball says, I am “playing away the pounds,” but I am not convinced the Slim Cat Ball is really a “fun source of play and exercise.”  I do, however, find myself playing with it until every last tidbit is gone, and then I continue with my regular scheduled programming of leisure and lounging.

But today before leisure and lounging could recommence, there was a weigh in.  Everyone held their breath.  I bravely stepped on the scale.  Someone pointed out, “tail too or it would be cheating.”  The numbers quickly flashed by, ever increasing.  I started to feel panicky.  Then, someone began to clap.  Yeah me!  I knew I was still the King of the Clinic no matter my size, which just for the record is down .2 of a pound!  Keep in mind, I only weighed 16.4 pounds at the start of this adventure into healthy eating, and the key to weight loss is slow and steady.  In fact, cats should not lose any more than ½ a pound a month. 

That is why my Clinic staff offer complementary weight evaluations for our Wellness clients.  The clinic technicians, just like nurses, want to monitor that all is going well on a feline diet which means that weight loss is not too fast or too slow.

I will keep you posted as to my next weigh-in results.  In the meantime, enjoy your “L” day.  And, remember a cat can never have too many “L” days

As per usual my kibbles were delectable.  There were, however, fewer of them.  My first thought was to blame my people.  A little mistake, perhaps, when they filled the bowl?  Good people, as all felines know, are hard to find.  But, then I overheard them talking.  The missing kibble was not an error or omission.  It was deliberate.  My people have decided to put me on a KITTY CAT DIET!!  While I howled for more kibble, they gently explained that I, as the clinic greeter, needed to set an example for other felines.  They also announced that I will have the title of “Clinic Spokescat for Eating Healthy.”  Even I know that title is no where near as impressive as the title I was thinking of:  Clinic King.

I meowed for them to simply photoshop a slimmer me into my portrait.  After learning that would be unethical, I was horrified to be informed that I had gained a half pound over the last two months.  Half a pound may not sound like much, but to put that into perspective that is the equivalent of a 150 pound person gaining 5 pounds.

How could that be?  Surely, it was not the half dozen treats that marked the middle of the afternoon?  Slowly the reality sunk in; no longer will I be following my preferred Hobbit-style diet (Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevensies followed by lunch and tea and, and, and…).  The clinic technicians explained that cats only need about 200 calories a day.  But how much food is that?   It turns out that 200 calories is less than a cup a day of kibble and may be only ½ cup depending on the brand.  Afternoon treat time will now be known as exercise time.  And, there will be now be regular weight rechecks just like our clients receive, free of charge, as part of the annual Wellness Plan.

Diet and health are important for cats just like they are for people.  And, it’s very important for me because I am diabetic and am not getting any younger.  So, we will see how the next month goes.  I am telling myself it is not a diet, but a lifestyle change.  And, if all goes well, as an added bonus, I will be looking pretty buff for this summer’s bathing suit season.

I blame February which may be the shortest month of the year, but somehow time becomes suspended and those 29 days seem like 29 years.

But, I digress…so my epiphany…

It began like every day. My breakfast promptly served at 8:05 am followed at 8:15 am by an insulin injection. (Yes, I am diabetic.) I strolled around the clinic checking out who I might know in hospital and in boarding. And, then it was time to work at the front desk where my job title is clinic greeter which involves purring at people and not, as I discovered, nipping at them. Let me tell you that is harder than it sounds.

It was only 9:39 am and I was exhausted and decided to have a quick cat nap. It was unfortunate the person I share the desk with had keyboarding to do. Hard to nap with the click clack of keys systematically intruding upon my dreams of catnip pillows and mice.

And, that’s when it happened. The epiphany. The keyboard was not the enemy. It was not a toy. I slowly opened one eye and stared at the black keys. The “purr”fect time had come. The keys would unlock the doors of the world of social networking. Yes, I would write a blog.

How to start? I need a photo. Okay, I need photoshop to make me look slimmer and bring out my natural orange stripes. And, why does nothing rhyme with orange? My pet human, who actually calls herself a cat enabler, took some photos and together we photoshopped them to show my pretty green eyes off and fix the exposure as well eliminate the busy clinic background. After all, the focus should be on me. Yes, it’s all about me!

Next, we added a page to the website. And, I started my first Blog….This morning…

Timmy