First Water, Now This

In the fourteen months that Imogen has been living with me, she has not, to my knowledge, eaten hard-food. I am pretty certain that it has not constituted part of her diet at all for most of that time.

Since she and Brazil do not get along, and I cannot control their interaction while I am at work, one or the other is locked away for the day. When I sequester either of the cats, I leave them with water and a litter-box, of course, but also hard-food. Shimmer usually munches at his supply during the day. Imo, even with two flavours to choose from, did not touch hers - until recently. I started noticing that the supply of the ‘dietetic’ hard-food - which I believe is tastier than others (most of the other cats like it, too) - was being disturbed in its dish. Sure enough, on some days, an amount equal to a dozen or two kernels would vanish.

This morning, Miss Silky, throwing caution to the wind, ate hard-food right in front of me.

I don’t feel that this is necessary. Indeed, I would prefer the perma-cats to eat only soft-food. Nonetheless, I like the idea that a cat will eat a variety of food, in case the inevitable happens and she decides suddenly and without discernible reason that her favourite nutrition no longer appeals to her. Having options is always comforting. The problem with this option is that the ‘dietetic’ food is expensive, coming from veterinaries only, and, having slowly withdrawn it from consumption by the others, it is not worth buying for the odd nibble that Imo takes of it. But if she acquires the habit of sampling the hard-food during her incarceration, then it may be transferred to one that is still good for her but not as dear as the ‘dietetic’.

Aside from that, it seems curious that I am seeing so much about Imogen all at once. First the drinking of water, then the provocation of Brazil, and now the eating of hard-food. Perhaps she thinks that she is finally home, and, like the university professor who has tenure, can do what she likes without fear of repercussion.

I might have told her, if she had asked, that she could have let herself go right from the start. I wouldn’t have minded.