Is it bad if you put your pet on a diet and begin finding ways for them to exercise? About 6 years ago, I "inherited" a cat. Actually, Leena (who I call Kitty) came along with the relationship. She was grossly overweight because Mike always left out a ton of food for her. So, like any normal American, she would eat everything in site.

When we moved to the Upper West Side, our new vet pointed out that Kitty is fat. Nope, not overweight. Not too large. Just plain old FAT. Well, the trainer in me kicked in. Under the vet's guidance, I put her on a 1/2 a can of wet food (or 1/4 cup of dry food) in the morning AND another in the evening. The vet also said it would help if we played with the kitty to keep her active. Kitty was 9-years-old then. Let's just say that her idea of activity is walking to her food bowl.

So, for the past two years, every moment I got, I would chase her around the house, tease her with a laser pen (she loves chasing the light), place her on elevated surfaces and have her jump off, and any other type of behavior that would bring her into Target Heart Rate Zone. I stopped at wrapping a heart rate monitor around her. For some reason, I didn't think this would endear me to her.

Despite her meowing and occasional nip at my hand, she indulged me in all these endeavors. Well, I am happy to report that at the ripe old age of 11 years (which is old for a cat), Kitty is lean, svelte, and probably in the better shape than the average American. Her excess skin has also receded; which is something I was concerned about when she lost a bunch of pounds.

She'll probably live much longer than we expect. I love my Kitty. I'm thinking of training her for the marathon. If only I can get her to stop napping all day long. Later.  ¶ 7:59 AM