Saturday, May 14, 2016

The Good Manners of a Sensitive Stomach

Josie has a sensitive stomach. She always has had, and though most of the time it affects her not at all, now and then it results in her regurgitating her food, usually very soon after she eats it. I don’t feed her too much all at once for that reason, as too much too fast tends to encourage dietary movement in the wrong direction. I have consulted veterinarians about this in the past, and the verdict was, simply, that my Chubs has a sensitive stomach.


Though it is not a daily occurrence, nor even weekly, this periodic gastric disclaiming of nutrition is the reason I laid cheaper rugs over the carpets in my new apartment. In the old house, hardwood and linoleum flooring predominated. There was still plenty of fabric on which a cat might throw up: a rug in the sitting room, the bedspread, couches and chairs, and cat-trees. Herein lies the tale.

Josie developed the habit of hurrying to the nearest bare floor when she felt the need to discharge from the wrong end. It seems unlikely, but for years, when I could catch her in time, I had been depositing an explosive cat on hardwood or linoleum. After the event, I would console the beast to the best of my ability. The outcome, I imagine, was that Josie, in particular, came to believe that throwing up on hard floors was much preferred to doing so on beds or armchairs.


In numerous instances, I would hear the tell-tale heaving of a disgruntled belly and be in time to see my Chubs trundling quickly down the steps at the end of the bed, or attempting to reach the edge of the sitting room rug, all before she upped her chuck.

Now, we move forward chronologically to the new apartment. There is carpet in the majority of the new home, save the kitchen, dining area, bathroom and store-room. These spaces are small compared to those that are carpeted. So I laid down rugs over them. The trouble is, I believe, that Josie has conceived the notion that it is not so much throwing up on bare floor that is acceptable, but not throwing up on the first layer of floor-covering. In other words, if she can make it off the cheap rugs, she will find favour with the human. But the cheap rugs do not mask the entirety of the fitted carpets. So the Great White, following her habit in the house, seeks the edge of what she thinks is the no-go area, and then opens the valves.


Several times, she – or Tucker – has voided the gullet on to the rugs; they are serving their purpose. But almost as often, Josie appears to exert herself to leave the rugs and reach the carpet.

I have no idea if my theory is correct. I think it is. I of course cannot become angry at Josie, or any other cat, when she regurgitates, no matter where it is. But I am doubly reluctant to show annoyance when the beast performs what she thinks is the satisfactory drill in the case. My plan now is gently to seize the appropriately vomitous animal when I hear the wretching call and try to plant their wobbly feet on bare floor. They may eventually learn the intended lesson.

Until then, I must simply smile and know that with cats, as with people, good manners are sometimes a matter of trying, rather than achieving.

15 comments:

  1. If I had my dithers every surface in my home would be carpet free. One day I'll have this scenario but for now I have to deal with cats and carpets and barf <--- not a politically correct way of expression. :)

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    1. While moving in here, I saw another apartment with all (faux) hardwood flooring, as I have in the kitchen and bathroom here. Unfortunately, it was a one-bedroom, too small for me and four cats.

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  2. What a bright girl Josie is! I wish my cats would follow her example. Mine will leave a "deposit" wherever it's convenient - on the bed, on the sofa, on the wall to wall carpet that came with my apartment... Lucky for me there are some good pet stain removers on the market, and I've learned to always have some on hand. :-)

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    1. Nature's Miracle is the preferred one here and usually works. Josie has, however, let loose in a corner - right in the corner. I'm still trying to figure out the physics of scrubbing there.

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  3. Nature's Miracle is popular here too, especially since we rush from the hardwoods to the carpet!

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  4. Oh I feel your pain! That goes hand in hand with my potty pad problem where Abbe is a champ at using them, on the corner, so that more often than not I have a nice puddle around the edge *sigh*. Thank goodness for hard flooring!

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  5. In my old place, I had tile throughout ( warm climate) and it was heaven. Now I use flannel backed table cloths which I get very cheaply to cover rugs. For my bed I have a commercial grade fluid repellant fabric tablecloth, in a coordinating colour, that I place over the spread. Then, each of my rooms, I keep a stack of paper plates that my cats now accept me quickly placing under the offending end. Do I sound like a crazy cat lady? Why, yes, I do. But my method seems to work... usually.

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    1. You certainly have everything thought out. I like the paper plates especially.

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  6. Josie is so very polite. I kept a spray bottle of water and soap to clean the carpet when my Jessica brought up her dinner on the carpet. But even with quick cleaning action there remains still stains. I like Kari's solutions.

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  7. Shall I tell you about what miss Pops did once. I had bought new bed linen for a new spare bed, and then in my mistaken belief that all would be fine gave her two chicken necks. That she then threw up all over the new spare bed, on the new duvet. That will teach me.

    So, miss pops too has a sensitive stomach and I often come home or wake up to a little surprise, but luckily only every month or two.

    Good luck.
    Julie Q

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    1. I recall reading a few of Poppy's posts which described some 'little surprises'. And chicken necks? Well, we know where they were headed...

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  8. Josie IS very clever, and Kari had great solutions for protecting surfaces. Derry will throw up now and again when he's been too long without food and then eats too much at once, but he usually runs as he's throwing up, so I end up cleaning a large area, with spatters everywhere. Gross.

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    1. I used to try to grab mine before they threw up, which resulting in running. Now, I grab them if I can, but otherwise I let them go, and sigh. My previous practice gave Tucker a complex, as he thought he was in trouble every time he vomited, so I let the poor guy do what he must and console him afterward.

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  9. Poor Josie!
    We (and our human) thank you for visiting us and your warm kind words on the sudden passing of our 19-year-old Tanya.
    Purrs, headbutts and hugs.

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  10. I wonder if buying some vinyl remnants and putting those down instead of rugs would be preferred?

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