I have been feeling a lot of guilt about being gone for nine days and not feeding the stray cats. I don't know much about cats. I didn't understand that once you start feeding a stray cat, you are obligated to feed it for it's entire lifetime, or else you will suffer untold bouts of guilt.....
The one tame cat was here two days ago and hung out on my window ledge all day long. She looked very sick so I cooked her some chicken and opened a can of tuna for her. She managed to eat it all. She disappeared yesterday and I worried about her. I was sure she had died and that death was on my conscious. Then this morning she showed up, meowing as usual with great gusto, refusing to touch the dry food that she has been eating for years. Now she wants the good stuff... cooked chicken. Canned tuna.
How did I get myself into this mess?????
I know. Love. Love is a powerful force. I have to admit to myself that I love this cat, the neighbor's cat. So I have the responsibility of taking care of my landlord's dog, Chico, and three cats, two wild ones plus the one that belongs the neighbor. (I also have an herb garden that needs to be watered or else it too will die.) I am going to be gone for seven weeks. My trip to Portland starts on June 6th. I don't know what to do about all of these responsibilities I have gathered up. I can't afford to hire a house sitter. I am like the shoemaker whose kids have no shoes.
Congratulations Pat, you now know how it feels to be "played" by a cat. My cat is 12 and still pulls this, but by now you've probably figured it out. You look her straight in the eye as she's turning up her nose at the dry food, and you say "no". Then you walk away. As soon as she realizes the answer's not changing (and preferably as soon as you're not looking), she'll eat the dry food. Remember-- if you didn't see her do it, it didn't happen. My cat still tries this right before he eats his dry food. But now, he's so lazy, he just looks up from the dry food, makes one token attempt, then shrugs and eats it when I tell him no. Don't let her work you-- she'll be just fine.
ReplyDeleteJimS. in Seattle
Hi Jim, Thanks so much for the belly laugh..... P
DeleteIn Ancient times, cats were revered as gods; cats remember this!! (I know, I have three of my own.)
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie, I believe this. Thanks for writing. P
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