Those of you who have read the group for a while may remember that I have a
tuxedo girl named Boo who we adopted from a relative when she was five years
old and obese--18 lbs when she is a petite girl who the vet says should
weigh 8 lbs.

She presented with an overactive thyroid a few years back--one of the rare
cats who can have this condition and stay obese, most lose weight--and also
fainting spells, or episodes of arhythmia, in which she kind of listed to
one side and was unresponsive. We had an ultrasound done and it showed that
her heart was sound. The vet thought she had simply developed arythmia from
the very fast heartbeat an overactive thyroid produces. So she went on the
generic form of Tapazole (thyroid medicine) and a beta blocker to keep her
heart rate stable, and she has been fine. I take her in periodically for
blood tests, probably three times a year.

Well the last time, her thyroid levels were very high. Up to a 9 or 10, I
forget which part of the hormones they tested, T3 or T4? The vet was very
concerned and said we could try to give her 3/4 of a 10 mg. Methiamazole
tablet twice a day, instead of 1/2 of a tablet twice a day, "but that's a
LOT of methiamazole." (Generic Tapazole.)

Point: we got a good report yesteday. She is within normal range, a 5, so in
the high part of normal, but the vet says that is fine.

On the "fat front": using a canned-food only, controlled feeding diet (every
12 hours, amount reduced by 1/4 every time she plateaued) we got Boo down to
9 lbs. It was amazing and wonderful. Her coat, once dull and flaky, became
shiny and healthy, she played more, could actually run up the steps instead
of trudging. But it was very hard, as she LOVES food (the old guy who had
her first expressed love this way: "Want a goody?") and is very assertive.
(She slapped my feet as I walked by the kitchen, any time I walked by the
kitchen, if she thought it was feeding time and she ALWAYS thought it was
feeding time!)

Point: after the bad thyroid diagnosis, I began feeding her canned in the
morning and controlled portions of her favorite dry at night--just because
she LOVES the dry food. She put on a single pound, which the vet says is not
bad, and is so much happier.