The High Road to Food

Tungsten’s weight is a constant concern to me. Because she is suffering from hyperthyroidism, her body burns too much energy. She can’t eat enough, so she has to take medicine. But she must continue to eat, and whenever she wishes, not just at meal-times. This causes a problem for me, because all my other cats are too heavy, so I must keep most of my felines from eating the food I set out for the orange one.

For months, possibly years by now, I have placed a dish of food on the top of the refrigerator. This ensured that Tungsten, a lithe leaper if ever there was one, could get to the supply, while the others could not. Josie cannot jump so high - in fact, I have steps beside the bed now, because she has trouble managing the short space to the top of the mattress - and Tucker has never been much of a springer. Renn has managed to reach the top of the refrigerator but is a very light eater and wouldn’t take much of Tungsten’s food, anyway.

Now, however, I find that Tungsten is not jumping as well as she had. It may be, as has been suggested, that the medicine she is taking for her condition is temporarily weakening her, and that she will again become the mighty athlete she has been. It may be, alternatively, that age is at last catching up to her. In any case, for the time being, she is having trouble raeching the top of the refrigerator.

I tried placing a chair near the counter to aid the orange one’s access. But it exercised a fascination for Josie and, with my Chubs on the chair, Tungsten was unlikely to use it. Besides, I found that Josie was willing to risk the jump from the counter to the refrigerator more than from the floor to the counter. With the latter leg of the journey eliminated, she could get to the food high up. If she could, Tucker could as well, and Tungsten would have nothing to consume but the aroma of what had been.

I feed the orange one whenever she asks now. My task is complicated by the fact that she does not care for food that has been out all night, and demands a fresh supply. I cannot afford to open a new tin every time my tiniest appetite wants a nibble or two. This situation continues to vex me, though I am sure I will resolve it somehow.

The good news is that Tungsten has gained a little - a very little - weight in the last couple of weeks, rising from 2.48 kilograms to 2.53. This increase of fifty grams is something I welcome but with caution. Until confirmed by future weighings, it may be the result of an anomaly in the scales, a meal that was slower to digest than usual, or a large drink of water beforehand.

If Tungsten’s hyperthyroidism can be controlled by her medicine, though, the problem of the food will become academic. I have hopes that my tiny terror will not be as tiny in the days to come.