Katie & Her Girlish Kitty Figure

Hi everyone, Katie here.

A few of my fluffier friends have asked how I was able to trim down to my original girlish figure after having spent almost four years on the high end of the scale.

Of course it doesn't hurt the whole diet thing to have an obnoxious, orange food thief hovering over your shoulder. And then there's the daily high speed chase scenes up and down two flights of steps. 

But the real secret lies in the great relationship we have with my vet. Please note that I am NOT an expert nutritionist, NOT a health care professional, certainly NOT a veterinarian... and I don't play one on TV either. 

I'm just a 9 pound, 8 ounce cat doing the best I can.

Know Your Vet. Love Your Vet.

We're very fortunate to have an awesome vet. She takes the time to get to know us and is always there to answer our questions and provide some of the latest and greatest info. She's particularly passionate about nutrition. Though it's never about what food is lining the shelves of the clinic, rather what's the absolute best choice for ME. We love that.

She helped find a food that met the criteria she felt was most important for me- 

♥︎ Very high protein (preferably poultry, since so many cats are allergic to fish)

♥︎ Grain free

♥︎ Low Carb

♥︎ And this is a biggee - the right amount of calories based on my current and ideal weight.

We learned that calorie counts for different foods, even different flavors of the same brand, can vary SO much. Just like humans, portion control is a make or break. I keep telling Glogirly that rule applies to jelly beans & potato chips too.

Kicked the Kibble Train

When my vet used those two dreaded words, "overweight" and "obese," (GASP!) one of the first things Glogirly did was eliminate kibble as a primary menu item. 

I still get just a tiny spoon (believe me, it's VERY tiny) in the wee hours of the morning when Gloman gets up. It's our special treat time and ties me over until breakfast.

We call it Kitty-Crack-Time. It's one of my favorite times of the day with Gloman.

Katie's Menu Du Jour 

I get about 180 calories a day. In addition to my Kitty-Crack-Snack, I have 1/2 can of wet food for breakfast and the other 1/2 for dinner. Sometimes I get a special treat like a piece of freeze dried chicken or even salmon. Whenever we have a photo shoot in the Townhouse, I know there's something tasty in store. Our treats are always pure protein though.

Now some kitties swear by a raw diet, some even cook their own food. We may very well transition again to a new daily menu. We know it's a purrsonal choice though and we're not big on doling out advice.

But if we WERE to give a tiny tidbit of advice...we'd say to find a vet you love and trust. One that's truly interested in cultivating a relationship with you and your human. One that loves you as their own, despite the fact they might need to wear those big protective gloves.

Special thanks to our pawsome vet, Dr. Carolyn Karlin, and the entire Westgate Pet Clinic staff. We ♥︎ you.

Seven to Ten Days -- Plus Giveaway Winners!

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Seven to ten days. That's how long Glogirly's vet said it would take to get rid of her cold virus. That's WAY too long if you ask me. This whole *I don't feel good* excuse is really throwing a wrench into my schedule.

It's not complicated -
4:00am snack
8:00am breakfast
5:00pm dinner

But since Gloman is out of town, Waffles and I aren't getting our 4:00am snack. And as far as breakfast is concerned, we're forced to wait until Glogirly's cold medicine wears off before she wakes up from her stuffy-nose-stupor. We don't know if we'll get breakfast at 8:00, 9:00 or even (gasp!) 10:00am.

I don't know what's worse. The hunger or not knowing when my next meal will be.

This morning, do you know that she barely mixed my food up in my dish??? There were unsightly lumps of chicken pate. The presentation was sloppy and disappointing.

Dinner, at least I GOT it, was much the same.

I'm actually considering reaching out to the cat sitter. I think we need a Glogirly sitter.

I fear tomorrow I may be staring at an unopened can. With no thumbs and no hope.

On a much brighter spot...
We have WINNERS!!!

Miss Savvy-Do from Savannah's Paw Tracks

Ann and the cats of Cattywumpus

Kjelle Bus, a.k.a. Charile Rascal

Congratulations to our three lucky winners of the Bird Catcher Pro Wand Toy & Five-Pack of Feathers!
Thank you so much to everyone who entered...and stay tuned for more uber-cool giveaways!

Sunday Snacks

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Glogirly's running dangerously low on my food. Ordinarily this would be cause for alarm. Instead, I'm getting some very interesting snacks today.  She's been whispering those three special words in my ear...the ones that make everyone's heart go aflutter.

Freeze. Dried. Salmon.

Yeah, baby.

Sorry, Waffles. Your dish is full. No salmon for you. 

Vote for GLOGIRLY & Support Minnesota's Feline Rescue, Inc.

We need your votes to help win $1000 for some very special shelter kitties. Just a few miles from the Townhouse sits a small rescue shelter called Feline Rescue, Inc of St. Paul, Minnesota. Feline Rescue is a no-kill, all-volunteer cat rescue organization with shelter, foster and outreach programs. They provide safe shelter, veterinary care and socialization for stray, abandoned or abused cats until permanent homes can be found. 

Please take a moment to vote GLOGIRLY for Funniest Blog. And while you're at it, we've got a number of friends and fellow bloggers that are finalists in other categories. Each of them has selected an equally deserving shelter for their donations, should they win. 

So, Vote, Vote & Vote some more. Once daily thru July 31. Thank you so very much. We heart you big time.

CLICK TO VOTE

Saturday Photohunt *SCRUMPTIOUS*

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Today's photohunt theme is *SCRUMPTIOUS.*
I'm digging my new food so much, it's actually *SCRUMP-DILLY-UMPTIOUS.*

In the old days... *PW* (pre-Waffles) I used to dilly-dally by my food dish. I could make a single bowl last a whole day. Then the orange food hog arrived.  Now I lick my bowl clean, glancing over my shoulder to make sure he's still buried in his OWN dish.

Just look at him. He can't even see what he's eating.

Simon's Cat GIVEAWAY!
Have you entered our COOL Giveaway?
Enter now through midnight EST, Tuesday April 16.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Waffles Wednesday: Dinner With A View

Um, hi everybuddy. Waffles here.

I love dinner. I get to eat on the fourth floor of my kitty condo, right by the biggest window I've EVER seen. It's the best dinner spot in the whole townhouse and I have a standing reversation. I mean reservation.

Even the Boss can't get a table here. Glogirly says it's because she doesn't want the Boss eating my foods.  Don't tell, but it works because the Boss is scarey of heights. I mean scared of heights. Well she's kinda scarey too. Just sayin.

But so far, Glogirly hasn't figured out how to keep me from eyeing (and eating) the Boss' foods.

Waffles Too Security Detail

Hi everyone, Katie here.

A famous and glamourous cat like me can never be too be careful. Who knows what might be lurking just outside the windows. Could be a vicious squirrel. Could be a vicious neighbor. Could be a vicious UPS man.

My friend Kjelle Bus, a.k.a. Charlie Rascal, is looking out for me though. He's the handsome mancat from Sweden with the clear blue eyes. I'm sure if he lived closer (or could swim across the pond) he'd leap at the chance to be my personal bodyguard.

Well, he did the next best thing.  We recently won a giveaway on his BLOG and would you believe what he sent me??? A Waffles Too-sized security guard uniform. So now the orange brat is FINALLY making himself useful.

That's right, Waffles. You just stay over there and guard the window while I enjoy my lunch.

*crunch, crunch, crunch*   Yeah, Waffles...that's it.   *crunch, crunch*   Just keep looking out that window. 

*crunch, crunch*   Nothin' to see here at my food dish.   *crunch, crunch*

What's that, Waffles?   *crunch, crunch, crunch*   You see a piece of lint?   *crunch, crunch* 

Well, what are you waiting for?   *crunch, crunch*   Hurry up and kill it.   *crunch, crunch*
Nice and slow.   *crunch, crunch, crunch*

We also got some REALLY cool toys from Charlie Rascal. I didn't want to distract Waffles Too from his security training though, so we'll tell you all about them next week!

Don't forget to VOTE in the Cute Cats Competition at Eric & Flynn's Adventures! I bowed out of this one to let Waffles Too represent Team Glogirly. He better not embarrass me, that's all I can say. There's LOTS of cute cats too choose from, but you can only vote for one US cat and one UK cat.

Cute Cats Competition & Voting HERE

Eyes In The Back Of My Head

Hi everyone Katie here.

Do not be alarmed. I haven't gone all "Linda-Blair-Exorcist" on you. My head is not spinning. I have however, developed eyes in the back of my head. Never really needed this super power until recently. Seems to have come about in conjunction with the arrival of a certain orange pea-eyed monster kitten.

I obviously need to work on my mealtime technique a bit more.



Sheesh. My green frog is even watching. How humiliating.

On The Mend

Glogirly is doing her best to feel better. She's still way under the weather, but seems to be allowing Waffles Too a shot at the title of nurse. Thank you for all your well-wishes. She insisted on wearing the  eye wrinkle concealing sleep mask in the photo as opposed to going au naturale.

Table Manners

Hi everyone, Katie here.

I've got to hand it to the pea-eyed monster. He may be a little slow, but at least he's starting to learn some basic table manners. 

You Share We Give - Royal Canin Spayed/Neutered Feline Formula

Hi everyone, Katie here.

I've got some new food I'm test driving.  The nice people at Royal Canin have developed a formula specifically for us kitties who've been spayed or neutered.  Why would I need a specific food just because I'm not fooling around with my mancat suitors and shopping for kitten clothes?

The Proof Is In The Numbers
-> I have a 30% decrease in energy needs BUT I have a 20% increase in appetite.
-> That means I'm 3.4 times more likely to be overweight. (gasp!)
-> A girls gotta watch her figure!

Hmmm...I wonder if the Royal Canin people can make some food for Glogirly.

WAFFLES:  Um, Boss?  GimME some!

KATIE:  Mitts off, Waffles. Royal Canin offers FOUR different formulas based on your age. You're just a kit, so get your own.

WAFFLES:  Um, Boss? You must be REALLY old then, huh?

KATIE:  *rolls eyes*


You Share, We Give
Royal Canin has a great offer called You Share, We Give. Just VISIT THEM ON FACEBOOK and share this cool infograhpic. They'll give you a coupon to try the new Spayed/Neutered cat formula for FREE!  But more important, as part of the You Share, We Give program, Royal Canin is donating  $25,000 green papers to the American Humane Association to support feline health research.

click to biggify

So What's The Verdict?

YUM!

Don't forget...Visit Royal Canin on Facebook for You Share, We Give!

NOTE:  The nice people at Royal Canin gave me some food to try, but as you'd expect...my words are my own!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Our hearts go out to our friend Ann of Zoolatry who has lost her sweetheart, her partner, her love.

Please click the flame to light a candle for Poppy Vic.

Visit Zoolatry to share a hug, a prayer, a smile or a tear.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There's still more fun to be had in the 

Campaign For A Cause Contest

CLICK to visit Zee & Zoey and enter to win 1,000 meals for your favorite shelter and one/5 $20 gift cards for you!

The D Word

Light as an overweight 12 pound feather.

Hi everyone, Katie here.

It's finally happened.  The 24 hour buffet is shutting down.  Low carb they say.  Grain free.  Portion CONTROL. What??? The D word. Diet.

I'm perfectly fine thank you. Look!  I'm light as air. As long as I'm holding on to 45-50 super-duty, helium-filled balloons. Never mind the hidden jet motor propelling me up.

So Glogirly decides to change up my foods to something that's supposed to be healthier. Higher in protein, yadda, yadda.

A Disconcerting Exchange

I witnessed the following exchange between Glogirly and Gloman.

Glogirly: "WOW...Katie feels a little heavier.  Just how much are YOU feeding her?"

Gloman: "To the top of the cup."

Glogirly: "The TOP of the CUP?"

Gloman: "It's a cup.  To the top."

Glogirly: "She's only supposed to get HALF the cup."

Gloman: "Well she's eating the WHOLE cup."

Glogirly: "DUUUH."

I walk by, all nonchalant, good posture, sucking in my stomach.  Nothing to see here.

Gloman to Me:  "Tubbs!  You ARE fat!"

Gloman to Glogirly: "Look at her middle.  It's REALLY round."

Ok. Tubbs?  Fat?  ROUND???  Ah, how about you take that head of yours and point it straight down.  Can you see your shoes?  Enough said. 

So now I'm getting a measly half-cup after they've gotten me used to the whole cup.  And I'm starving.  All because SOMEONE doesn't know the difference between a cup and a half-cup.

...and they say that humans are the smarter species.