6 am - Breakfast. Buddy eats locked away in my upstairs bedroom, away from all the other cats, who get their breakfast in the kitchen. Buddy integrates in tummy rubs with his breakfast, he eats a few bites, hops up on the bed to have his tummy rubbed and then goes back to eat a few more bites. This pattern repeats and repeats until he demands to be set free.
6 pm - Dinner. Buddy gets a bowl of wet food and a bowl of dry food on the cushy ottoman in front of the fire. Most of the other cats get only dry food and on the floor in the kitchen. Rose is the exception, she gets her dry food under the ottoman because she feels safer to be under something while eating.
8 pm - Second dinner. Buddy starts his campaign. He demands that I go upstairs with him, close the door and serve him a second serving of dinner. He never eats all his nuggets from his first dinner, so he's just asking for the remainder. So, of course, being the obedient servant I am, I give in to his demands. He doesn't require tummy tubs with dinner, but he does demand to be not crowded by other cats.
Willow being the intelligent cat she is picked up on Buddy's ritual and decided she might benefit from this arrangement. Now, in the evenings, she makes her way upstairs to the bed, where she sleeps in anticipation of being in the right place at the right time. And of course, resistance is futile.
One evening I placed a small dish of nuggets under the bed while I visited with Willow as she ate her second dinner from atop the bed. Sure enough it only took a few moments before I heard CRUNCH! CRUNCH! coming from under the bed. Apparently the monster under the bed needs to eat too.
Recently I was lucky enough to get a picture of that monster.
Hmmm, the monster sure looks a lot like Rose!
Haha! Don't you just LOVE cats! I have 3 "monsters" myself! :)
ReplyDeleteyou are so well trained....
ReplyDeleteThose cats have you right where they want you - under their paw! he he love it.
ReplyDeleteYup, you are a well-trained dad.
ReplyDeleteThey train us so well! I have one who is a stealth eater (for some unknown reason) and another one who wants to eat on the kitchen counter.
ReplyDeleteOur cats have their routines too...it makes them happier so who am I to argue?
ReplyDeleteJane x
They really do 'rule' us don't they!!! We are getting Mr Toes fixed tomorrow (yay) and plan to start bringing him inside in hopes he will adapt to being an indoor cat....so much safer!
ReplyDeletehugs, Linda
Sounds like you kittehz have your peep trained well. We could benefit from this post. We would like to have our second dinner in the bedroom too! Thanks fur sharing this. MOL!
ReplyDeleteYou are not allowed favorites, but Buddy is my favorite. Buddy, do not let anyone change your rules without permission!
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you mean by feeding rituals. Our cats have other rituals, too, like bedtime and morning rituals not even related to food. Before this crew, I never knew cats could have such close relationships with their humans.
ReplyDeletePet lovers please check out my homeless cat blog archives for some informative posts and stories about the cat abandoned/feral colony I manage.
http://homelesscatcare.blogspot.com/