Scales for weighing cats - ideas?

[Mark]

No problem Ellen 

[Ellen2010]

Sorry Mark had not realised about Clapton and sorry to hear the sad news..

Thanks Michelle for letting me know but I feel a right chump.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Ellen .....have sent you a PM

[Ellen2010]

Mark all that you can do for Clapton is take each day as it comes, I know this is hard and is how I have been living the past 19 months with one of my cats.  All you can do is way up if Clapton has a good quality of life ie playing, eating, alert, etc, of course I do not include loved as we all know our animals are loved.

Some vets do a free weight check where you can just take them in and have them weighed, it is not ideal with a nervous cat but even if it is monthly it is better than guessing by just picking them up in your arms.

[Fire Fox]

Don't apologise Mark, everyone here has been where you and Dennis are now. 

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

 

[Mark]

I have just been in the garden with him again - a long drink and a snack of dirt  - He is quite out of it. I have had another talk with OH that we will need to act before he suffers and unless he turns around soon - it isn't far off  - I think OH is beginning to accept it - after asking if there is any chance he will bounce back again. I said he might have some good days but there will be no miraculous recovery this time - his days are numbered. 

Dennis mentioned fluids again but said that he couldn't bear the idea of Clapton being frightened and confused - even worse if he dies in a cage at the vets without us there with him. Sorry about the depressing post but it is really hitting home now.

[Mark]

I have some digital kitchen scales. Keeping him still would be impossible. As sick as he is, he still puts up a fight  - He has decided that he won't drink from any water bowls in the house now and insists on sharing mucky old dishes in the garden with spike  (I gave him a profender last week) - he sits on the edge of the bed. This is my signal to carry him down 2 flights of stairs. Once he is safely past Alice, he wriggles out of my arms.

I have ordered one of the ceramic drinking fountains in the hope that he will use it in the bedroom.
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_bowls_feeders/cat_fountains/146304

OH has given me carte blanche where Clapton is concerned 

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

OH bought one of these to use for work and I've nicked it to weigh kittens.  Goes in 1g or 1oz graduations up to 5 kilos or 11lb maximum. If you can tempt Clapton to sit on it and keep still for half a mo, it'll do the job. 

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.206-7210.aspx

[Mark]

you can put him in a carrier or a bag and zero the scales.

I really think that would finish him off. 

He is the most nervous cat I have ever known.

I wish I could use it as I am struggling to find bathroom scales with 10g increments. I'm sure I found some last year.

[Angiew]

I bought an electronic thing from maplin when i had the bottle feeds. Weighs to within 10g units and you can always use it when you go on hols as well 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=385364

I'm not sure that I would e able to weigh him with that. We need some bathroom scales anyway 

I looked in Fenwicks today but all theirs were 100g increments. I will look online. Last year I found some with 5 or 10g increments so I will look for those again. I can get OH to read the numbers  - Dennis is afraid to pick Clapton up now as he thinks he is too fragile 

the thing with these is you can put him in a carrier or a bag and zero the scales.

[Mark]

I bought an electronic thing from maplin when i had the bottle feeds. Weighs to within 10g units and you can always use it when you go on hols as well 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=385364

I'm not sure that I would e able to weigh him with that. We need some bathroom scales anyway 

I looked in Fenwicks today but all theirs were 100g increments. I will look online. Last year I found some with 5 or 10g increments so I will look for those again. I can get OH to read the numbers  - Dennis is afraid to pick Clapton up now as he thinks he is too fragile 

[Kay and Penny]

I weigh mine in their carrier on human scales

the carrier I weigh on kitchen scales, and then deduct

I think you'll find if you try to hold them and weigh yourself you will get a jumpy reading by having to lean over to see the reading

[Angiew]

I bought an electronic thing from maplin when i had the bottle feeds. Weighs to within 10g units and you can always use it when you go on hols as well 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=385364

[fluffybunny]

Hmmm tricky really, I think the pet/baby/postal ones are more accurate as they are designed for smaller critters so have a lower margin of error and greater degrees of accuracy (e.g. they weigh in 10g increments which may be better if you're trying to keep track of subtle weight variations).  How would he cope with being put in a basket and weighed on baby-type scales in the basket, then deducting the weight of the basket rather than yourself?

I have a set of baby scales for mine, I got them from tkmaxx, they have a slight curve where you'd put baby on its back, so the kitties just sort of sit down and flop into it without a problem.  It's more of a problem getting Geoffrey off them when I want to put them away 

[Mark]

I want to start monitoring Clapton's weight. I looked at a few pairs of pet scales but just wondering I we would be better off getting a good pair of human scales and weighing myself with & without holding him?. I just can't imagine him standing for being put on scales 

I'm sure a decent pair of regular would be accurate enough?