Hope for fat cats
Chastity Emes of Calgary Alberta had a fat cat, not just pampered, but bursting. The cat weighed 25 pounds. Chastity always let “Peaches” eat whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. During the pandemic, Emes attempted to get Peaches to accompany her on walks, but didn’t have much luck. “I had a harness for him and tried to get him out of the condo, and we didn’t make it out of our hallway because he just kind of flopped over and decided it wasn’t going to happen,” Chastity said. Then last summer, Emes noticed Peaches was sick and lethargic and started going potty outside of his litter box, a common sign of illness in cats. “He’s always been a big boy,” said Chastity. “He’s always been free fed because we didn’t know any better.” Chastity said she took Peaches to the vet, who told her Peaches was diabetic and would require insulin injections twice a day and should probably lose at least 4.5 lbs. Emes had a friend worked at a local animal hydrotherapy business and decided to sign Peaches up for some swimming lessons.
Kira Palechek, owner and hydro-therapist at Frisky Pup Canine Hydrotherapy & Fitness, has been with Peaches since he became a “Purrmaid.” “He’s really good in the pool, he’s a good sport,” Palechek said. “He’s never snappy or scratchy or anything which people would picture.” Swimming helps to build Peaches’s cardio so he has an easier time in his day-to-day life. “They kind of pick him up, take him to one end, and he swims to his platform,” Emes said. “They try and do that a couple of times without a break to get his cardio up and then they’ll let him relax a little bit in between reps.” Peaches can swim without a life jacket, but the trainers at Frisky Pup Canine Hydrotherapy & Fitness usually use life jackets with the animals they supervise.
Chastity started posting videos and pictures of her cat’s weight loss journey on social media and was shocked when she gained about 33,000 followers within two weeks. The water is warm, about 90 degrees,. that does is allows the blood vessels to dilate and allow very well-oxygenated blood to circulate through the body, which allows for a reduction in inflammation and a reduction in pain. The buoyancy of the water also helps take pressure off of the animal’s joints, according to Palechek. “He’s pretty mellow when he’s on his platform in the water, it’s really only when he’s being asked to exert himself that he kind of meows and gets more vocal and his vet is aware.” Chastity is optimistic Peaches will lose the weight and is hopeful he may be even able to wean off of his insulin. “I’m confident that he’s lost more weight where he’s at least come back down to what he was at the end of last summer. I can tell by the amount of loose skin in his armpit,” she said.
Swimming against fat
How do you get 100 Canadians out of a swimming pool in a hurry?
Say: “Would everyone please get out of the swimming pool.”
I’ve never been swimming. That is because it is never more than half an hour since I last ate.
“Mommy, can I swim out to where the waves are breaking,” asked the little girl. Mother shook her head firmly and said, “No.” “Please,” she begged. “Daddy is swimming out there.” “I know, darling, but he is insured.”
Why are trans women so good at swimming?
Because they are boyn’t.
April 25th Birthdays
1942 – Aretha Franklin, 1989 – Sara Paxton, 1970 – Renee Zellweger, 1982 – Danica Patrick,
1961 – Dinesh D’Souza, 1971 – Jason Lee, 1987 – John DeLuca, 1941 – Al Pacino