Digital bath scale for people as well as cats?

Ozgirl wrote:

: Stand on any scale and weigh yourself. Get off and pick up your cat and step
: on the scales again. Take first reading away from second reading and
: surprise, surprise! you have the cat's weight!

Or I could put a few treats on the scale and she would climb up. :)

My main concern is accuracy of the reading. For a 170LB person, an
error or 0.5 LB is insignificant. However, for a 5 LB cat it would be
meaningful. That's why I want the scale to be accurate to 0.1 LB.

The method you suggest would require two readings, which would
effectively double the uncertainty.

For example if the reading is 5LB and scale uncertainty is 0.1 LB, then
she weighs between 4.9 and 5.1 LB. However, two readings of 175 and 170
LB really mean 174.9-175.1 LB and 169.9-170.1 LB, so her weight is in
range 4.8-5.2 LB.

Not the biggest deal in the world, but a direct reading is better.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

"RPSinha" wrote in message

> Ozgirl wrote:
>
> : Stand on any scale and weigh yourself. Get off and pick up your cat and
> step
> : on the scales again. Take first reading away from second reading and
> : surprise, surprise! you have the cat's weight!
>
> Or I could put a few treats on the scale and she would climb up. :)
>
> My main concern is accuracy of the reading. For a 170LB person, an
> error or 0.5 LB is insignificant. However, for a 5 LB cat it would be
> meaningful. That's why I want the scale to be accurate to 0.1 LB.
>
> The method you suggest would require two readings, which would
> effectively double the uncertainty.
>
> For example if the reading is 5LB and scale uncertainty is 0.1 LB, then
> she weighs between 4.9 and 5.1 LB. However, two readings of 175 and 170
> LB really mean 174.9-175.1 LB and 169.9-170.1 LB, so her weight is in
> range 4.8-5.2 LB.
>
> Not the biggest deal in the world, but a direct reading is better.

Put a cat basket on the scales and turn the dial back to zero. Then place
the cat in the basket. Use digital for more accuracy. Weight the cat first
thing in the morning before first meal. Preferably after it has peed...
Presumably it is a diabetic cat and you want accuracy for medication
purposes?
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

Ozgirl wrote:

: Presumably it is a diabetic cat and you want accuracy for medication
: purposes?

Oh no, she is only 1 year old and just fine. I however do have
beginning of that disease---hence my guess that members of that forum
might know about weighing scales. :)

The reason for wanting an accurate scale has nothing to do with that.
Since I have to buy a scale anyway, might as well get a reasonably
accurate one.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

"RPSinha" wrote in message

> Both I and my cat need a weighing scale and I was wondering if we could
> get by with one.
>
> For myself, I don't require analysis of water, fat, bone, etc.;
> accurate and consistent weight readings would do. Good readable display
> etc.
>
> For the kitty, I was thinking it should be accurate to 0.1 lbs. That
> should be ok to get by at home. For greater accuracy there's always
> Vet's office.
>
> Some sort of memory function, so I can go back and check what her
> weight was in case she is covering up the display.
>
> Does any model come to the mind? Thanks.

Tanita makes a very good line of scales, and I have two (one for myself and
a pediatric one for my cats). I use model #351 for myself. It has 5 memory
buttons, so it could be used for 5 people - or you could use reserve one for
yourself and separate buttons for up to four cats. It is a digital model and
has been very accurate. If I get on and off to recheck, I always get an
identical weight, even if I do not stand on exactly the same position on the
scale. It weighs in increments of 0.2 lb. I use a Tanita model #1583 baby
scale for my cats. It has a tare function to eliminate the weight of a towel
or carrier before weighing the cat. It weighs in 0.5 lb. increments. I
prefer to use the baby scales for my cats, but I have achieved nearly
identical weights on the #351 model by using the method described by Ozgirl.

Tanita scales are expensive, but they have been *very* accurate, in my
experience. I have had each of these models for several years, so they have
had a great deal of use. I have also compared weight taken at home with
weight taken in the vet's office, and I obtain almost the same results.

Here is a link to model #351: http://www.tanita.com/DigitalScales.shtml

And here is a link to model #1583:
http://www.tanita.com/PediatricScales.shtml

(You may need to scroll down the page to the correct model.)

MaryL
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

"RPSinha" wrote in message

> Both I and my cat need a weighing scale and I was wondering if we could
> get by with one.
>
> For myself, I don't require analysis of water, fat, bone, etc.;
> accurate and consistent weight readings would do. Good readable display
> etc.
>
> For the kitty, I was thinking it should be accurate to 0.1 lbs. That
> should be ok to get by at home. For greater accuracy there's always
> Vet's office.
>
> Some sort of memory function, so I can go back and check what her
> weight was in case she is covering up the display.
>
> Does any model come to the mind? Thanks.

Google, "Baby scales".....
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

> My main concern is accuracy of the reading. For a 170LB person, an
> error or 0.5 LB is insignificant. However, for a 5 LB cat it would be
> meaningful. That's why I want the scale to be accurate to 0.1 LB.

IMHO, for people, I've stuck with a plain ol' analog scale. I bought a
$30 digital scale at Target and it only lasted a year. I went back to
the old-fashioned kind for me and am happier. I don't need extreme
accuracy for myself anyway.

How about buying a digital postal scale for the cats? I have used one
for nearly four years and have found it to be quite accurate (it has
to be, for mailing packages). I ordered mine here:
http://www.toplinedigitalscales.com/catalog.php?action=124&item_id=166

To weigh a cat, place a small box on the scale and tare out the
weight. Then put the cat in the box and record the weight. This scale
does not have a memory function. I keep records of my cats' weight on
an Excell file, so I can add comments as needed.

You also have the benefit of a scale in case you do need to weigh a
parcel. . .
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:33:58 +1000, "Ozgirl"
wrote:

>Stand on any scale and weigh yourself. Get off and pick up your cat and step
>on the scales again. Take first reading away from second reading and
>surprise, surprise! you have the cat's weight!


You forgot a few steps. Like pick up the cat again whe it gets
away, wiegh yourself again after the cat gets away before the scale
finishes.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:16:39 GMT, RPSinha wrote:
>Or I could put a few treats on the scale and she would climb up. :)
Nice try. Won't work. My cats take the treat, run off before the
scale can do it's thing.

>My main concern is accuracy of the reading. For a 170LB person, an
>error or 0.5 LB is insignificant. However, for a 5 LB cat it would be
>meaningful. That's why I want the scale to be accurate to 0.1 LB.
Have the vet do it when you bring the cat in for a check up.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

Do cats sit still for this sort of thing?

Any scale is going to need a couple of seconds to get the weight, so you
need to either put the cat in something or hold it. Or train the cat (is
this possible??? :-))

I had dogs who were trained to sit-stay, so I could weigh them either on
their own or in-arms. It could be a close thing at home, though, with the
size of the dog vs. the size of the scale platform -- barely big enough.
bj
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

In misc.health.diabetes Ozgirl wrote:
: Stand on any scale and weigh yourself. Get off and pick up your cat and step
: on the scales again. Take first reading away from second reading and
: surprise, surprise! you have the cat's weight!

We used to do tht with a 60 pound huskey! At least my husband did it.
Worked fine too.

Later we had a vet with a stand on scale for the dog that we coul dcome in
and use whenever we needed to It washelpful to see if a wormin med was
working ao she was putting on the lost weight.

Wendy
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

"Manfred Mann" wrote in message

> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:33:58 +1000, "Ozgirl"
> wrote:
>
>>Stand on any scale and weigh yourself. Get off and pick up your cat and
>>step
>>on the scales again. Take first reading away from second reading and
>>surprise, surprise! you have the cat's weight!
>
>
> You forgot a few steps. Like pick up the cat again whe it gets
> away, wiegh yourself again after the cat gets away before the scale
> finishes.

....dab antiseptic on the resultant claw holes...
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

"W. Baker" wrote in message

> In misc.health.diabetes Ozgirl wrote:
> : Stand on any scale and weigh yourself. Get off and pick up your cat and
> step
> : on the scales again. Take first reading away from second reading and
> : surprise, surprise! you have the cat's weight!
>
> We used to do tht with a 60 pound huskey! At least my husband did it.
> Worked fine too.
>
> Later we had a vet with a stand on scale for the dog that we coul dcome in
> and use whenever we needed to It washelpful to see if a wormin med was
> working ao she was putting on the lost weight.
>
> Wendy

If you get a small scale, like a baby scale, and always feed your cat in the
scale's pan, pretty soon the cat will get used to eating there, and then you
will be able to weigh her/him every day with no problems......Just subtract
the weight of the bowl & food from the reading......
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats? 

In article , rpsinha.RemoveThis@null.void
says...
> Both I and my cat need a weighing scale and I was wondering if we could
> get by with one.
>
> For myself, I don't require analysis of water, fat, bone, etc.;
> accurate and consistent weight readings would do. Good readable display
> etc.
>
> For the kitty, I was thinking it should be accurate to 0.1 lbs. That
> should be ok to get by at home. For greater accuracy there's always
> Vet's office.
>
> Some sort of memory function, so I can go back and check what her
> weight was in case she is covering up the display.
>
> Does any model come to the mind? Thanks.
>

A pad and pencil are the most effective. As far as weighing the cat just
weigh yourself first then hold the cat and weigh again. Subtract your
weight from that and you have the weight of the cat.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital bath scale for people as well as cats?