I hope everyone is having a good Christmas. Ours in the Cosy Apartment is proceeding well. I had an extended weekend, which is always pleasant. And I noticed something quite novel occurring with one of the beasts.
I have not seen Imogen eat hard food - or drink water - since she has come to live with me. It’s conceivable that a cat can take in sufficient moisture from tinned food; depending on the brand, it can be about three quarters water. But she has not had any interest in hard-food. This past weekend, however, she ate some kernels of hard-food, possibly for the first time.
Imo has been placed in the bedroom with the doors closed whenever I am at work, due to Brazil’s continued disturbance of her. To provide some company, I have been putting Neville in there with her. They leave each other alone, and it allows the Nevsky some hours away from the annoyance of the kittens. Food is of course provided, and I thought it was Nev who was eating it. It may be. But when I randomly placed a small bowl of the ‘dietetic’ food that my grey lion enjoys near Imogen, she smelled its contents.
That was a first. Several times subsequently I offered her the same food, and eventually she ate. True, it was only four kernels, though she has repeated the process a couple of times. The amount she has eaten wouldn’t keep a gerbil alive, but it’s a start.
I always like to have my cats enjoy as wide a variety as possible: every cat-owner knows how likely it is that their pet will suddenly, and often inexplicably, decide to stop eating food she has eaten for years. Therefore, I want substitutes to fall back on. If I could, I would have my beasts on nothing but tinned food, but that’s not practical with my cats’ preferences. And since Miss Silky is a light eater - though she consumes enough to maintain a good weight and a healthy look - it wouldn’t do her harm to have a side-order of hard-food with her meal.
Imogen’s next challenge: drinking water…
That's very curious that you've still yet to see her drink water. I've seen a lot of weird cat behavior in my day, but not that one.
ReplyDeleteimogen…eye like ta bee like de cow N graze heer….bak in gram paw dude’s day, we called it …free choice… ‼️. kibble iz a good thing ta
ReplyDeleteget used two, in de off chance dadz knot home at 6:13 ta feed everee one coz he’z walkin thru de door at 6:32 💙🐟😺‼️ thiz way yur knot
total lee hungree !
Wishing you well on getting Imogen to drink water; we've never been able to coax either of Da Boyz to do it, so I simply add water to their canned food.
ReplyDeleteFor the longest time I wondered if Annabelle drank much water but she does I just have to watch for it closer. She is an avid fan of dairy. Which I know is bad for some cats, but she does well with it and the occasional dot of milk is most welcome...and whip cream is her very favorite!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering how Annabelle was doing these days...
DeleteImogen will have to learn to drink water if she enjoys dry food. But I'm sure her body will direct her. Glad to know you all had a safe and good Christmas holiday. Hope you get another long weekend for New Years.
ReplyDeleteI hope Imogen takes to drinking water sooner rather then later
ReplyDeleteIt is good that Imogen is broadening her menu even if it is only in very small amounts. I hope Imogen will drink water and eating some kibble may encourage her to do so.
ReplyDelete"eaten for years", try the last meal. Saku has become incredibly picky over the last while and he'll turn up his nose at something he happily ate that morning. So, I definitely know the need to have a variety of food on hand. He'll leave the kibble bowl for a couple of days, and then one night the entire bowl is cleaned out. I do hope Imogen continues to eat a bit of kibble, but more so that she finds water to her taste. If it helps any, Saku now prefers his from a glass. Good thing I only have one cat!
ReplyDeleteOkay Imogen, drink up, it's happy hour time!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a bowl of water and a fountain? Some cats prefer one over the other.
ReplyDeleteNumerous fountains, bowls and cups have been tried. What she doesn't overturn, she ignores.
DeletePipo wasn't the biggest drinker either, but he dippedhis paw in the dog's bowl and licked it off...a strange way to get fluids, but it works....
DeleteI hope she soon finds the water sources something she likes! I had one kitty who insisted the faucet to drip for his benefit...took him ages to go to the bowls after that fauset was fixed, LOL!
ReplyDeleteAhh...cats never cease to surprise us. Now that Imogen has tried dry food, who knows - she might decide she likes it. As for drinking water: Cats were originally desert animals, so they are not big drinkers. I add a little water to the canned food to give the cats a little extra fluid.
ReplyDeleteThat is a worry when they don't drink to our knowledge. You can't make them.
ReplyDelete