I have been around cats my whole life. Recently, I learned some things:
1. Do not put a cat on a diet if it's fat. Cats need to east EVERY day. If they don't "crap" (techincal term) builds up in their liver and they can die.
2. Cats are carnivores. They need to east some meat. Dogs can live on a vegatrian diet.
3. The better food is better. I used to feed my cat meow mix. It's cheap and he ate it. We got another cat with some medical issues (crystals). She needed special food. So we fed them both the nice food. The boy cat's fur got much softer. He once was all wirey but is now very soft.
4. Get vaccines in the tail or limb (or not at all). I think it's the feline lukemia vaccine creates cancer (sometimes) at the shot site. The boy cat had a lump and it was cancer. They were able to cut it out. He lost parts of his ribs and is thinner on one side. The tiger stripes don't match any longer, but he's a trooper.
5. If you feel a lump on your car, it's bad (see #4). Lumps on a dog are usually OK - fatty deposits.
6. Cats eat when they are bored. Just like people. So they can put on weight over time. See #1 above.
7. Keep the box clean. They are particular little bastards.
