Lessons in Patience

Raleigh is becoming a little less shy - again, after his reversion. He will come out to the kitchen at meal-times, scratching at the corner of furniture to let me know he’s there. Sometimes, he will already be on a chair at the dining table when I come out in the mornings. Twice, he has eaten there, though he usually hurries away to hide behind his armchair in the corner of the sitting room. I have to get on my hands and knees and slowly push the bowl toward him, so as not to frighten him - even though he had no concern with my proximity minutes before.

He is also learning to have a little patience when others are eating. He used to intrude into their eating space, to see what they had on offer, not realising that it wasn’t being offered to him. That would annoy the other beasts and they likely would not start eating again, once interrupted. And when he wants to eat from the hard-food bowl, he will frequently await his turn, though not always. And sometimes, his mere presence clears the vicinity.

One thing I am learning about Peachy is that he feels poorly or well alternately, even during the same day. While he may be eager for breakfast, lunch will not be wanted, or he may be apathetic about dinner. I suspect this is due to his FIV, allowing every minor ailment and illness a greater influence than it would otherwise have. I have learned not to press him if I offer him his bowl and he doesn’t feel like partaking of the contents. I can usually determine his tastes at each meal by his level of enthusiasm for it.

Since this is the case, I have also learned to give him as much to eat as he likes. I had initially limited him to Parker’s former diet of half a (larger) tin of soft-food at breakfast and again at dinner, with a quarter-tin at bed-time, and mid-day, if I am home. Now, I will give him what he will eat, since he may not feel like consuming anything afterward, and for the rest of the day. As well, I give him his Prednisolone tablet, crushed into his food, at breakfast, as the opportunity to give it later may not present itself.

Raleigh is a complex little fellow, with many fears and issues. I’ll try to moderate some, alleviate others, and accommodate the rest. I hope that he is patient with me as I learn about him.