Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Fat Black Cat Blues
So, whenever the places I've worked have been under major stress, the suits have been seen walking-walking, earnestly, brows furrowed, walking-walking, having meetings, carrying clipboards or notebooks, walking-walking, jaws set, marching almost, walking-walking.
This morning, it was Ice-T and Eames, who were walking-walking, looking at me with hard eyes, walking-walking, meowing and trilling, coming and going from the kitchen back to the bedroom, walking-walking, earnestly, having meetings, jaws set, marching almost, walking-walking.
ER & Dr. Er's Kitties Inc. was under stress. Revenue had dried up. Coffers were empty.
I'd let their feed bowls get completely empty. They were not amused. So, they went to walking-walking (this is code; when I see walking-walking, that is, unusual stress, at work, I call Dr. ER and say just that, "walking-walking," and she knows what I mean).
So, I need some kitty tips! Eames, the girl kitty, is just more than 1 and still as lithe and spry as she ever was. Ice-T, the boy kitty, is 3-plus, and has gotten as fat as I want him to get.
I guess I should quit letting them browse.
But if I do that, Eames will find a way to get on the Internet and order food brought in -- that or find a way to get into the pantry. If I don't, I'm afraid Ice-T will get so fat and lethargic it'll hurt him; he already has hell gettin; to his, ah, nether regions, when he's self-cleanin'.
This is what I mean when I say we're not cat people. Some of you *real* cat people got any suggestions?
--ER
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An outside cat will eat as much as it needs and no more, unless they are nuts,an inside cat, especially one in competition with another cat will eat what they want and then as much of the other guys food as they can get. Then when a fur ball comes around they will throw-up not only the fur ball but the recent food up as well. For a single inside cat I would recommend a timer/feeder that dumps the amount food you decide upon into the dish at the intervals you decide. Perhaps for two inside cats you might put two automatic feeders into action (two separate ares)if it works the fat one will adopt his feeder and the other one his. If your Alpha cat is psycho he will become super stressed in that he can't eat his food fast enough to then get over to the other dish and eat that as well. Otherwise two timed feeder should work.
Uh oh. Empty food bowls. Definitely a faux pax. If that happens in our house we get scolded until we fill them (actually, even if the cats can see the barest glimpse of the bottom of the bowl.) Then, they'll inspect our fill-up job, and wander off. They don't actually want the food, they just want to know it's there ... just in case we keel over or something, I guess. Being the only ones with opposable thumbs in the house can be a trial sometimes.
Hmmm....
I've never had to deal with the Jack Sprat situation. Our kitties only eat when they're hungry, or when they see us eating.
Given that I've never dealt with it, feel free to take this advice with a grain of tuna, but I'd guess the only way to manage their eating is to feed them twice a day, with separate bowls.
If they're used to grazing throughout the day, it might be tough to get them used to eating only twice a day. However, if they normally eat dry food, one way to do try to train them is to give them canned food (in separate bowls), which most cats who usually have dry food will gobble up immediately. nom nom nom.
When it's gone, it's gone until next meal time. After they stop resenting you and get used to this, in 8 or 9 years or so, then you could probably switch back to dry food if you wanted, still feeding them separately until your portly kitty slims down a bit.
That's all I got.
Hmmm....
I've never had to deal with the Jack Sprat situation. Our kitties only eat when they're hungry, or when they see us eating.
Given that I've never dealt with it, feel free to take this advice with a grain of tuna, but I'd guess the only way to manage their eating is to feed them twice a day, with separate bowls.
If they're used to grazing throughout the day, it might be tough to get them used to eating only twice a day. However, if they normally eat dry food, one way to do try to train them is to give them canned food (in separate bowls), which most cats who usually have dry food will gobble up immediately. nom nom nom.
When it's gone, it's gone until next meal time. After they stop resenting you and get used to this, in 8 or 9 years or so, then you could probably switch back to dry food if you wanted, still feeding them separately until your portly kitty slims down a bit.
That's all I got.
Hmmm, Alan has a point about canned food. Cats do tend to eat it up right away. Maybe feed Eames the canned food in a room by herself, just long enough for her to finish eating, and put out weight control dry food for Ice-T so he can still graze all day. Even if Eames dips into Ice-T's dry food, it's low-cal.
Just as an aside, Twix acts like a bear. She puts on weight (and fur, and more fur) with winter coming on, and then just naturally cuts her intake back when spring is springing. I've also had cats that don't do that. Maybe you have one of each. :)
Just as an aside, Twix acts like a bear. She puts on weight (and fur, and more fur) with winter coming on, and then just naturally cuts her intake back when spring is springing. I've also had cats that don't do that. Maybe you have one of each. :)
# posted by 
: 4:21 PM
: 4:21 PM
Hi, Frenzied!
Cats are just so dang complicated! I just want to toss out some range cubes and a salt block every mornin' and fergit about it! :-)
Cats are just so dang complicated! I just want to toss out some range cubes and a salt block every mornin' and fergit about it! :-)
My husband suggests that Iams makes a weight control formula which he buys and it seems to keep our cats' weight stable. You might try that before embarking on a decade long struggle trying to keep them from eating each others' food.
LOL--cats are smarter than range animals, that's why they wouldn't fall for just cubes and block. ;)
I feed Twix dry Science Diet Indoor and I think they make a weight control formula, too.
I feed Twix dry Science Diet Indoor and I think they make a weight control formula, too.
# posted by : 10:33 PM
: 10:33 PM
Hi ER. I see you over at d-C often, so I thought I'd drop by. Great stuff!
By the way, you're officially the coolest person on the planet for having a cat named Ice-T.
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By the way, you're officially the coolest person on the planet for having a cat named Ice-T.
# posted by : 2:14 PM
: 2:14 PM << Home
