Terri Davis had to do something.  Elderly, home-bound Florida residents could not afford to feed their hungry cats and dogs, so they fed the pets their much-needed home-delivered meals. “I thought,” says Davis, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., “that it was so sad.”

This 44-year-old mother of three, all in a 4-H group called the Ham Jammers, helped create the idea of the Jammers delivering pet food to the seniors, who receive meals from the Clay County Council on Aging.

Davis wrote letters to about eight different pet food makers for donations, and only Halo came through, with a donation of 20,220 cans of Spot’s Stew worth about $64,000 and expected to last a year. “Halo wanted to give these seniors the comfort that their pets would have good food,” says David Yaskulka, Halo’s vice president who made the offer. “Then these seniors could end their extraordinary sacrifice.”

Sheryl Hartzog, the transportation coordinator for the Council on Aging, was “ecstatic” when she learned of Halo’s decision, which came just before Christmas. Says Hartzog: “I wrote back to him and said, ‘There IS a Santa Clause.”

On the first delivery, Katie Hartzog, Sheryl’s 17-year-old daughter and a Ham Jammer, met two Yorkies and their human mom, who has cancer. “She was just happy,” says Katie. “She told us that she was glad we thought of her and we brought food for her dogs so she didn’t have to give them her food.”

In all, 57 seniors will receive Spot’s Stew for their cats and dogs. The 4-H Jammers — as well as some students from Clay High School — not only deliver the food but make sure the pets are well taken care of. Says Hartzog: “Now you know both are getting a nutritious meal.”

Davis hopes that other 4-H participants start programs such as these in their own communities. “We’re hoping this will sort of spread everywhere,” says Davis.”It’s so important for children to learn compassion for the elderly.”

Already, one of the volunteers — a high school junior who wants to be a vet — is creating a scrapbook that includes thank you’s. As the woman with cancer wrote on behalf of her Yorkies: “Thank you for bringing us this nutritious, delicious food. Thank everyone who is involved in the pet food program. From Flossy and Abby.”

One of Ellen’s cats was just about bald until she started the kitty on Spots Stew, a transformation that led Ellen to become a partner in Halo, the talk show host says in an interview for TV Guide.

“(She) didn’t have any hair at all on each side when we got her,” Ellen says. “When we started feeding her Spot’s Stew, she just changed, she got a full coat and soft fur.”

Ellen’s huge heart for animals began as a child. Her first rescue was a mockingbird she found at camp. “It was a baby bird that had fallen out of a nest,” says Ellen, who brought the bird back home, nursed it to health, and brought it back to the tree at camp before setting it free. She is now the mom of two dogs and three cats, all rescues.

The results are in and they are impressive (particularly for those of us with fat cats who never lose an ounce). After two weeks of dieting, Jack is once again the biggest loser, with 1.56 pounds — or 9.4 percent — of his original body weight gone; in second is Minky, who has lost 7.6 percent of her body weight (1.13 pounds). All the eight cats have either continued to lose weight or remain the same.

What is the secret for those of us with fat cats?

Most cats should weigh between 9 and 12 pounds, says Dr. Donna Spector, Halo’s veterinary advisor who is conducting the fat cat weight loss challenge at Bideawee. Even if they are starting at 20 to 25 pounds, their ideal weight is likely monumentally lower. There are a few naturally larger and smaller breeds so ask your veterinarian if you need advice on determining your cats ideal weight.

To achieve weight loss to this range, cats need to be given two meals daily and the total calories need to be about 25% less than what a normal, non-obese 9 to 12 pound cat would need to eat to maintain a healthy weight in this range, says Dr. Spector.

Here is a quick guide:

If your cat should weigh 9 or 10 pounds, give her:
Morning: 3.5 ounces of canned chicken Spot’s Stew and 1 tablespoon Spot’s Stew dry Evening: 3.5 ounces of canned chicken Spot’s Stew

If your cat should weigh 12 pounds, give her:
Morning: 3.5 ounces of canned chicken Spot’s Stew and 1 tablespoon Spot’s Stew dry
Evening: 3.5 ounces of canned chicken Spot’s Stew and 1 tablespoon Spot’s Stew dry

If your cat should weigh 15 pounds, give her:
Morning: 3.5 ounces of canned chicken Spot’s Stew and 2 tablespoons Spot’s Stew dry
Evening: 3.5 ounces of canned chicken Spot’s Stew and 1 tablespoon Spot’s Stew dry

The dry foods can be used interchangeably as the calories are similar. Dr. Spector recommends the canned chicken Spot’s Stew because it has the lowest calories of our canned foods and is best for weight loss.

Monitor your cat’s progress with weekly weights. They should lose 1-2% of their original body weight every week. If they are losing slower than this, you will have to restrict calories further. If they are losing quicker than this, you will have to add a few calories back in.

With the economy down and jobs disappearing, many pet owners are foregoing pet healthcare because they just can’t afford hundreds of dollars in vet bills. While it is still important to visit your veterinarian yearly for an examination, you can cut out many unnecessary tests and procedures by keeping your pet as healthy as possible throughout the year. Not only is this money saving, it is great for your pet’s health and longevity.

1. Invest in Quality Food—choosing a high quality natural pet food is your best chance at long term pet health. The right food can help you eliminate problems with allergies, intestinal problems, obesity, diabetes and other food-related diseases. Although you will spend more at the check-out line, the overall investment should save you hundreds!

2. Avoid pet obesity—Obese pets can suffer from many costly conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, and diabetes just to name a few. Feeding your pet the correct portion will control unwanted weight gain and keep them out of the vet.

3. Avoid dangerous treats—many treats can become lodged in the esophagus, stomach, intestines or trachea (windpipe) of pets. Avoid things like rawhide chews, pig’s feet or other chews that are too hard and dissolve poorly.

4. Brush Teeth—pets suffer from the same dental problems as people and should have their teeth brushed daily to avoid costly veterinary procedures. Apply pet toothpaste to either a soft pet toothbrush or gauze wrapped around your finger to clean their choppers. Tooth and gum disease can result in infection, pain, loss of teeth and even organ damage in pets. A quick brush a day can keep the vet away! Click here to read more about proper dental care in pets.

5. Routine eye care. Keeping your pet’s eyes clean will contribute to their health and wellness by preventing irritation and infection that can be painful and possibly lead to loss of vision. Careful inspection and cleaning once weekly with an excellent natural product like Herbal Eye Wash to open clogged tear ducts and prevent infection will keep your pets eyes clear and bright. Click here to read more about proper eye care in pets.

6. Routine ear care. Keeping your pet’s ears clean will help prevent painful irritation and infection that can lead to hearing loss. Clean your pet’s ears once weekly with a natural pet product like Herbal Ear Wash to keep them out of the vet with costly ear infections. Click here to read more about proper ear care in pets.

7. Proper flea control. Fleas can be an expensive problem year round. Not only do they cause itching and sometimes troublesome hot spots—they can also infest your pet with intestinal tapeworms. There are many topical products available to control fleas. If you are looking for a natural approach, try an herbal dip with citronella and other oils that will aid in natural flea control.

8. Bath and groom your pet regularly—Choose a natural shampoo without detergents, colors or fragrances as these ingredients may contribute to allergic reactions. There are many instructional books and videos that can help you learn about proper pet grooming to minimize this expense. Don’t forget to wash your pet’s feet every time they go outside. This can help them avoid ingestion of chemicals that may be in the grass or on the sidewalks and streets.

9. Pet-proof your home and yard—Every year thousands of dollars are spent on treating pets for accidents and poisonings. Pet-proof your home so your pet has no possible access to rat bait, snail bait, ant bait, prescription medication, cleaning supplies or even the kitchen cupboards. Pets are amazing…they can smell chocolate through a cupboard door! Insure your yard is safe—that boards are not loose in the fence, the gate latches securely, the trash and recycling bins are sealed tightly and there are no hazards in the yard.

10. Exercise! Pets get the same health benefits that people do from exercise. Try it together…it will be healthy and fun for both of you!

Ellen DeGeneres, an owner of Halo, lays out a buffet of different foods for her cats at every meal so they don’t get bored, the animal lover tells TV Guide.

Also, her pets play favorite: their poodle Mable loves Portia, their other dog, Wolf, loves them both, and one of the cats loves Ellen best. Or at least she likes to think that, Ellen says.

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