I regularly ask Charlie where he goes
on his daily or nightly walks but he never tells me. Not once have I found out what
he does when my back is turned. I don’t even know if he has any friends. When
he moved in, just over a year ago, there was a stream of cat visitors to the
garden, cats of all description and one look-alike, but they all seem to have
disappeared – at least from my view.
Mealtimes are difficult. I present
him with a dish of food which sometimes he scoffs straight away and other times
he turns up his nose. It’s the same food, for God’s sake. So, why does he like
it one day and not the next? At first, when he was new to me, I pandered to his
whims, now I’m not so soft. My new policy is that if he is hungry he will eat
it but that doesn’t stop me worrying or cursing the cost of wasted food.
One thing I have worked out is that
he is brand fussy. I tried cheaper food but he just turned away when I put that
down, almost as if he was insulted to be given cheap stuff. I can almost
visualise him saying ‘Hey, Mom, will you please note that only the best is good
enough for me’. Another thing I had to work out was that he is a fish lover and
only eats meat or poultry on rare occasions. Once I got that into my
thick head I saved a fortune.
Somebody told me that a cat must eat meat which immediately rang
alarm bells until I worked out that fish is food and probably has as many if
not more vitamins as meat. But, you know what (I hate the overuse of that
expression but it’s the first time I’ve used it), he loves boiled or roast ham,
the sort I have for my tea. He will sit like a dog waiting for titbits which,
of course, I give him on the basis that he looks so endearing when he pleads
for a taste of my food.
Why can’t cats have routines like we
do? It would make my life so much easier. Cats, huh? You’ve gotta love ‘em
whether or no.
Can only admire Charlie for his flexibility! :-)
ReplyDeleteI had one cat that would only eat one flavor in one brand of cat food for years, and then in her old age decided she wanted our food. Another cat liked spaghetti sauce and green peas with her food. Tacky and her mooching friends don't seem to like the cheap cat food, so have to buy the good stuff without benefit of getting to pet more than Tacky.
Both our cats just ate Iams, you know, the dried food. It was meant to be good for their teeth. Mine weren't that fussy and ate what they got, but they were indoor cats so were grateful for any food!
ReplyDeleteSJQ, I have tried including green veg and peas but Charlie won't touch them. However, since writing this post he has decided he quite likes Sheba (the best) poultry food. Not a lot, but some. So now I intersperse one with the other but still mainly fish. As I write this the cat is looking lost... he would love to be outside but the heavens have opened and he would get drenched. For the sake of my floor I don't encourage drenched animals!!
ReplyDeleteJoe, Charlie will NOT under ANY circumstances eat the dried food and yet he likes 'goodies' which are dried. I can't win!
ReplyDeleteOMG, what an adorable post, Valerie! And I LOVE the photos of Charlie; especially the one of him stretching on the chair? Don't you love how cats always looks comfortable, no matter what position they're in?
ReplyDeleteWhen I had my two cats, I fed them the same food everyday. in the morning and night, I would split a can of soft food between them both. Then throughout the day, I left them hard food (separate dishes) so they had something to munch on if they got hungry.
Yet every so often, they would get sick of the food and I would have to try another brand.
Yes, cats are very finicky when it comes to their food.
I once had a vet tell me that cats should only eat people-food (chicken, beef, fish) however, I never took his suggestion.
Fun post, my friend! Wishing you and Charlie a lovely Sunday!
Meow and X
Hi Ron. Today is the first anniversary. Yes, it is a year since Charlie came to stay. He has also reached the grand age of 6.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to know what the vet told you about a cat's diet; nice to know I'm doing something right but I wish Charlie could get a liking for hard food. Maybe one day, eh?
Our cat is such a fussy eater too. I think she prefers dry food to anything. She hates fish, in particular tuna, will eat chicken and turkey, will eat meat, but not sliced beef. And she won't eat our food at all.
ReplyDeleteThey are nocturnal animals, so living with them must be a constant battle.
ReplyDeleteMac n'Janet. Interesting... it is a surprise to me to learn the different tastes cats have. It has been many, many years since my last cat, having dogs instead. A dog never seems to be fussy about food.
ReplyDeleteAh, finicky cats....who would guess. Our last cat had bladder problems but would not eat the prescription food for it. She did like the fish cat food...but not dry. She still lead a pretty long life.
ReplyDeleteThey are a separate and (very individual) entity themselves. :-) I'm not a cat lover but I do admire their panache.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
My wife buys our cat the "fancy" stuff. Although, similar to your cat, he sits and begs for tid bits from MY food. Not hers...only mine. Like my food is somehow better than either Cheryl's or His. And after he samples all the good stuff, and I save a bit of Cheese or meat from my pizza just for him...he walks away. Grrr. At least dogs eat anything and everything. And yet we have a cat.... go figure.
ReplyDeleteI have to laugh about Charlie's eating habits. My dog, Rayna, does the same thing. I will put her food out for her sometimes she will ate it right away and other times she will wait and eat it later. Her favorite time to eat is as I go to bed or after. I get her the more expensive food so she will not itch as much. She does seem to eat it better too.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Ethan Allen, you are right about dogs. Anything goes with them, but cats .... well, we've said it all, I think. Many moons ago I had a cat, a female, who posed no problems at all. She lived to 18. I love Charlie, though, so I guess he's worth worrying over!
ReplyDeleteAh cats, such mysterious creatures. Just when you learn the rules to the game, they start a different game.
ReplyDeletekden, absolutely right... grins.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I can relate! Only thing is, we have 11 cats (and no , that isn't a typo) and when they turn up their noses at something they've been given, we're lucky - there's always "someone" who isn't quite so finicky! Right now, we have one kitty (Tater) who has an on-going battle with stomatitis, so his poor little mouth is always raw and sore - so I've resorted to buying him jars of baby food meats. Do you have any idea how much those tiny little jars cost? Neither does Tater... *sigh* One week he'll prefer turkey and no chicken... and the next week he wants the chicken again - but I didn't buy any! It's a good thing we love them, isn't it?
ReplyDeletePerhaps he likes the salt in ham, I seem to remember our cats were really keen on salt. Perhaps he might eat the cheaper cat food if you put a bit of salt on it sometimes! (But perhaps it is not too good for cats, I don't really know.)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of that, Jenny. I will ask the vet next time I see one. You never know with salt!
ReplyDeleteCharlie is a very handsome cat Valerie, with a definite personality sounds like. It would be fun to attach a camcorder to his neck to see where he went. We had a ginger tom growing up, more ginger with less white than Charlie but how we pandered to him too. Dad used to cook fish heads on the stove top in a big pot, ones he got from the fishmonger who was throwing them away. The smell was beyond horrible but all the cats in the neighborhood would visit our garden. Whenever we saw the big pot coming out we used to make ourselves scarce but the smell lingered for hours and hours, lol.
ReplyDeleteTatersmama, Hi and thanks for visiting. Gosh, 11 cats - I can just about cope with one. They, mine included, do seem to have variable tastes - something I couldn't get used to at first. I've never cooked fish heads but it sounds a bit off-putting... think I'll stick to the packet food.
ReplyDeleteCharlie is adorable. And yes, cats do have their own routines and lives and they don't like to mix it that up or change for us :D
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography
Mr. Cheddar gives this post the two paws up.😽 And now a few words from the feline himself...
ReplyDelete"Keep up the good work Charlie. Make sure your mom is buying the "good stuff" with no by- products, artificial ingredients, etc..premium food is what counts, health wise. Great photos too.
Wish you were closer though, we would definitely be best buds"😽😽😽😽
Your Canadian pal, the Chedster��������
Hi Mr Cheddar and thanks for your advice. Rest assured that I get the best, my Mom tried the cheap stuff but I wouldn't eat it so now she gets the best there is. I am a bit finicky though, I don't like dry food at all. I much prefer food with jelly or gravy so I can lick it off and then leave the rest if I don't feel in the mood.
ReplyDelete