Meet Mr. Big

THE SUN-TIMES PUTS TWO OF CHICAGO'S TUBBY TABBIES ON A DIET

Milo is 9 years old and a nine on the cat body condition chart -- which could cut short his nine lives.

Like a growing number of the nation's 90 million housecats, Milo is obese, tipping the scales at more than 20 pounds. His belly nearly brushes the floor. To accommodate his girth, he sits upright in his own recliner.

At an age that translates to a human's early 50s, Milo is at greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and a shortened lifespan because of his weight. If he needs surgery, anesthesia is risky.

Why are so many cats fat? For the same reason so many American people are overweight: lifestyle.

"Cats are designed to be predatory, to work hard for their meals and have an active, physical life in nature. We put them in apartments and their big thing is to jump off the couch and eat," said veterinarian James R. Richards, spokesman for the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Even the center's resident cat is on a diet. "The leading nutritional problem we see with pet cats is obesity."

When the Sun-Times announced its fat cat challenge Oct. 3, scores of readers volunteered their pets as test subjects. They sent photos and testimonials pleading their cats' cases to participate in a veterinarian-supervised weight-loss program. Monster, a 3-year-old female who snores and grunts due to excess poundage, and Milo were chosen as the poster cats out of more than 70 entries.

Anyone can try the program with their cat at home; just be sure to take it slow because rapid weight loss in cats can cause fatal liver disease. Taking your cat in for a checkup beforehand is recommended.

A healthy weight for a typical adult female cat is eight pounds and males should weigh 10 or 11. Body condition is considered a better indicator of obesity than weight. (See chart at right.) Milo is so big he traveled to the Cat Hospital of Chicago, 2851 W. Irving Park, in a dog carrier. At home in Brookfield with Christine Behnke and her father, Fred Villarreal, he's gentle, affectionate and quiet, only singing for his supper, Villarreal said.

"The moment of truth," announced vet technician Mara Archer, lifting Milo onto a digital scale. The result: 20 pounds, 1 ounce. But Milo's not the biggest Archer has seen: She once weighed a Siamese at 27 pounds.

Milo is "big-boned, but still in the nine category," explained the vet, Dr. Colleen Currigan. "There's no waist behind his ribs. I should be able to feel his ribs, but there's a little bit too much of Milo to feel anything. He's got quite the fat pad under his belly. He's got pretty good dental disease, but because he's overweight, he's a high risk for anesthesia. So no teeth cleaning for him now."

Noticing Milo's tail, cut short because of a slammed door, Currigan observed, "That's the smallest part of him!"

What's more, a blood test showed Milo had slightly elevated glucose levels, a possible sign of early diabetes. Initial treatment for diabetes is the same regimen for weight loss, so Currigan will watch Milo for both.

Lounging in the next examining room was the Kirstie Alley of felines (pre-Jenny Craig).

"You are gorgeous," Archer greeted golden-eyed Monster. But just as a pregnant woman can't tie her shoes, Monster can't reach all areas that need grooming. She weighed in at 18 pounds, 1 ounce, and logged a nine on the body condition chart. Her favorite activities? Lying down and eating, said her owners, Amy and Patrick Crotty of Melrose Park.

"She lies down and wraps her front legs around her feeder," Amy Crotty said. "She lies on the floor and drinks. She gets frantic without her food bowl."

"Just like people, there are cats who eat to live and cats who live to eat," Currigan said. "She seems quite healthy. Her gums and teeth are good. The grunting and snoring ... are not life threatening, but from being overweight."

Milo and Monster are both neutered, which cuts their calorie requirements about 25 percent, Currigan said. Each lives with another cat that is normal size, which complicates the feeding routine. Each left the cat hospital with special high-protein, low-carbohydrate food, new feeding routines and suggestions to increase exercise and non-food rewards. They will return in a month for a weigh-in.

"You're going on the 'Catkins diet,' " Patrick Crotty told Monster.

Currigan cautioned their owners that the goal is slow, gradual weight loss and warned that the diet is likely to be harder on the owners than the cats. Currigan has seen cats so "food-focused" that they chewed their way into cat food bags -- even made off with "large breed" dog kibble. Turning the focus away from food can take months and can be difficult, she said.

"There are going to be some cats who just hate it and meow and make the owner's life miserable," Richards said, but "that's a transient thing."

In the end, less food and a more stimulating environment improve a cat's quality of life, Currigan said.

Richards agreed: "If [owners] can get cats to lose weight, they'll be amazed at how much more active and vibrant those kitties will become."

lbaldacci@suntimes.com

Age: 9
Sex: Male, neutered
Breed: Domestic shorthair
Coloring: Brown tabby with white
Eyes: green
Distinguishing feature: Half a tail
Weight: 20 lbs., 1 oz.

Age: 3
Sex: Female, spayed
Breed: Domestic longhair
Coloring: Dilute tortoiseshell, gray and orange
Eyes: Gold
Distinguishing feature: Big feet
Weight: 18 lbs., 1 oz.

•      Regular mealtimes twice a day
•      Measure food
•      Only leave food out for an hour
•      High protein/low carbohydrate cat food
•      No treats or table scraps
•      Increase activity ("cat tree" for climbing, toys)
•      Make cats "hunt" for food by placing small amounts in different places
•      Use non-food rewards: attention, brushing, playing with a toy

•    Inactivity
•    Boredom
•    "Free feeding" -- leaving out high-carb dry food at all times
•    "Sneak artists" stealing food from other pets or finding food elsewhere
•    Neutered cats need 25 percent fewer calories daily than other cats