She has always been a little on the tubby side. We tried putting her on a diet but she was so pathetic we started to worry she wasn't getting enough food so we stopped. She's getting on in years and I don't want obesity to shorten her life. She is also showing signs of arthritis in her back right leg and has started to limp a bit. If she is going to live to a ripe old age she must be comfortable.
I was intrigued by the Slim Cat Feeding Ball I saw at a local pet store and bought one for her.


The add says it's "Fun source of play and exercise." The kindest Angel thinks about it is it's better than starving to death.
You unscrew the top and put a measured amount of dry cat food inside the ball. Then you twist the ball to open up holes where the food falls out. Angel nudges it around on the floor until a piece falls out. She eats that piece of food and nudges the ball for more. It's great. She can no longer tuck into her food bowl and scarf it all down like there's no tomorrow. She quickly gets bored/tired of all the messing about for a little bit of food and leaves for a well deserved nap. The advantage for me is that she no longer pesters me to refill her bowl. Whenever I see the ball is empty or close to it, I refill it for her. I'm hoping by summer she'll be a little more active, healthy and happy.