Managing a restaurant in the Cosy Apartment is trying, now that there are seven customers to feed, three of them kittens. There is, of course, hard-food available much of the day, but soft-food comes at specific times. The oldsters are not a problem: Renn eats little and Neville stays in one place to eat. Imogen dines on top of a bookcase and remains there as long as she wants food, jumping down when she is done. Brazil is quite polite, and eats, initially, alone in the library.
The siblings are a chore. They eat in the bathroom but finish quickly, whether they consume everything in their dishes or nothing, which is sometimes the case. They will agitate then to come out and when they do, they go to whatever bowl they see first. I try to have a couple ready for them. But they don’t always like what they are fed. Sometimes they don’t like what they are fed, but only when it is in the bowl in front of them; when it’s in another’s bowl, it’s delicious. Aurora will eat a portion of her meal, then run somewhere else and need to be fed there. She is as finicky as Theodore and Miss Chiff.
Meals take a rather long time to complete, and just as long to clean up. But I have learned something that may help me. The three worst offenders of choice and patience - Theodore, Chiff and Aurora - will usually return to a food-bowl some time after the meal, and eat its contents, often that which they disdained earlier. I rarely have leftovers that last until the next day. I dislike putting remains on the floor while I am absent, but on days off and in the evenings, I can have a bowl or two out for hours and its contents will usually vanish. It may take time but they do go. Even Renn will come by and sometimes contribute to the disappearance.
This means that I need not attempt as much as I have been to coaxing everyone to eat at meal-times. The fact that I keep having to buy more food, that I never have to throw anything out, that everyone is leaving solid waste of various amounts in the litter-boxes, and that the youngsters have plenty of energy, demonstrate that everyone is eating, even if it is leftovers.
But managing a restaurant is trying nonetheless…
Small business ownership has some draw backs. Yours is providing the right menu and bussing the tables after.
ReplyDelete"Sometimes they don’t like what they are fed, but only when it is in the bowl in front of them; when it’s in another’s bowl, it’s delicious."
ReplyDeleteThat goes for the older cats, too, I've found. Ernie refuses to eat dry food from the bowl I put out inside the house, but when I let him into the backyard, he devours the dry I leave for the outdoor cats. Go figure.
Whoa, what an ordeal, each and every day! But you seem to have found a workable solution. Those fusspots, don't know how good they actually have it, LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteDitto, they have no idea how fortunate they are, and in the end, that's a good thing. However, I would be putting in for a raise, if I were you.
ReplyDeleteI love what Lynn and Precious said! That is a certainty there at the Cozy Cafe--- inside dining.
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of customers.
ReplyDeleteThey keep you on your toes! Eric and Flynn often didn't eat all their food at meal times, but would come back and finish it later, usually after a walk with me.
ReplyDeleteYour card arrived today and is lovely, thank you. I hope ours to you has arrived by now. I believe it was 4th December when I posted all my overseas cards. I remember the date because I did it on the way for a pre scan blood test!
I haven't received the card yet, but I mailed mine on the last day of November, I think, so the one bound for you started its journey before you sent yours. I will look forward to it.
DeleteI am glad it has arrived now. With the state of Royal Mail the last couple of years we never know what will arrive or not. We are lucky if we get post once a week. Daily post has long gone.
DeleteInteresting post
ReplyDeleteThings are never dull at The Cosy Apartment, (I think I've said that before!) I've heard running a restaurant is hard work. I think you've proved that!
ReplyDeleteGoodness gracious, they make a lot of work (and likely mess too). I find Saku a pain at times, because he turns his nose up on the food that he's been eating for weeks/months though if I leave wet food out at night, he'll often clean up the bowl as well as the one with kibble.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the kittens learn to finish their dinner and not get distracted by play time! Though I doubt that will happen. :)
Yes, it's like that her with five, sure keeps a human busy!
ReplyDeleteNot only do we work to provide the money for cat food, and shop for the cat food, wash and clean the bowls for cat food, we also must police the cat food.
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