Cat Eating Disorders OR Pudgy Puff Diets

Cat Eating Disorders or Pudgy Puff Diets

It seems to be fairly certain that Puff has an eating disorder. He eats because he’s bored, because he’s lonely, because he’s tired, because he just can’t think of anything else to do, when he’s happy and when he’s sad and when he’s in trouble and when he’s mad at us. We have been fairly lax about watching his weight too. When we lived in a large house, he got some exercise every day even if it was just running to the kitchen when he heard the food bowl. Unfortunately, that stopped in April when we started our nomad existence. While he has lived in a few houses off and on since April, none have been large and none have given him much exercise. So he stepped up to the plate, so to speak, and increased his consumption. He has gained weight in the last couple of months and now we need to get it off of him. He’s a huge tub of love whose body slams on the bed at night are enough to shake the room. We have purchased some “weight maintenance” food for him and of course he doesn’t like it. This means more whining and calling and meowing, usually in the middle of the night. In the past, we would relent and give him what he likes to keep him quiet. We have determined that we will not do so this time because we want him to live good long time with us so he has got to lose weight. Poor Puff. He doesn’t understand why his bowl, which once was so full, is now fairly empty all the time. Poor Puff. He doesn’t understand why all his snacks have gone away and goodies are few and far between. Poor Puff. He doesn’t like it that we yell at him at night when he asks for something tastier. Ah well. He is not yet a shadow of his former self. When that happens, we will add back some treats. This, of course, is assuming that we can outlast his pitiful meowing and crying. This, of course, assumes we stick to our guns and measure out his food daily and slowing ration it out to him. I will keep you posted.

And the Cats Might Die

I do love my two cats. But after last night, there was a good chance that they could die because I was about ready to hop out of bed and kill them myself. Sometimes they wake us at night - well, ok, they wake us almost every night but usually just once or maybe twice. That is usually because they have forgotten where the food bowl is, they are telling us they have come back to bed, OR they just want some attention. it's ok and we quickly fall asleep again. On the rare occasion, they wake us several times during the night. Then it's usually all of the above reasons. Last night was one of the most sleepless nights in a very long time due to Puff, the tabby, who for some reason decided he couldn't sleep and had to wander the house all night and he cannot possibly do so quietly. From about midnight onwards, he was on and off the bed, in and out of the kitchen, in and out of the litter box, and through it all, he was vocalizing his location, his activities, his displeasure at the food (just bought a new kind and I think they don't like it), and his announcements that he was back in the bedroom. I punched my hubby at least three times to make him get up and go see what was wrong with Puff. Finally on the fourth punch, he refused to get up and I had to climb out of bed and go see what was wrong. Imagine that. Puff was sitting by his food bowl and gazing forlornly at it although it was full. I dumped all the food back into the box and scooped out a new bowl and that seemed to please him. Of course now I was wide awake so I stayed up and started the day's work and activities. Lovely Puff, Loud Puff, Noisy Puff, Throwing You Off The Bed Puff, Locking You Out Of The Bedroom Puff, Be Quiet Puff, I Give Up Mom. He's still a cutie and a big tub of love but he's pushing his cuteness today.

Back and forth - To and Fro - Barf

Back and forth – To and Fro – Barf

Cats are certainly not as accomplished in the area of travel as are dogs. Dogs seem to love to get in a car and go someplace. My cats are ever watchful when we start organizing suitcases and start carrying out our bags. If we are not quick, they end up under the bed where we cannot get them into their cages. We let them out of their cages the minute we are in the car, but they would still rather not be in the car.

Still, they have been rather good travelers overall. They have water and food out for them and their litter box. Usually they wander around a bit and then either settle down on the seat beside me (if I am driving by myself), or sit on my lap if I am in the passenger seat. So when Godiva, the Siamese, started throwing up each time she got into the car for a ride, I was dismayed that she had developed motion sickness and that each trip was going to involved stopping to clean it up and then motoring onward.

My daughter had the two cats while I was traveling in China, Russia, and the DPRK this month. She reported that each time Godiva was in the car she would give this pitiful little meow and then barf. Yuck. Poor Godiva. It was with great trepidation when I got the cats back and started out with them to head for Atlanta to meet my husband. I thought if she barfs, I am going to be pulling over on the freeway to clean it up and have to have it in the car with me until I can find somewhere to throw it away. So I am driving and keeping an eye on Godiva who is settling down on the passenger seat and looking suspiciously at the paper towels that are covering the seat. I finally realized that she was going to be fine and was able to relax. Next day of driving, same thing. No problems at all with getting motion sickness.

Finally I realized that each time Godiva had been getting car sick, it had been because the car had been weaving and swerving and driving through the Hill Country of Texas which is up and down and around corners and to and fro and hills and so forth. Quite reasonable that this particular ride would make her sick. Sometimes I am not completely happy in the tummy region after going on some of those rides. I do hope that my theory is correct and she will be a good traveler the rest of the way.

The String Man

My daughter took care of my two babies while I was off traveling in China, Russia and DPRK. She was staying with her dad and step-mom at the time, so my two cats moved in with them. Puff is a string chaser and eater. He loves strings, shoelaces, small cords, etc. He will chase them and gnaw on them for hours. He has chewed through my camera case cord several times and also shoelaces and ties for dresses. He makes no exceptions, if it is a string, he is going to try and chew it. Puff has an amazing memory too. He will remember where he has seen a string and go back to get it when you least expect it. Many times we have thought he was unaware of a certain string only to find it in pieces next time we saw it.

My daughter's dad (T) was playing with him by draping him with a string and waiting for him to notice it then pulling it for him to pounce on it. This is a game Puff dearly loves and they played this game frequently apparently. T wears his reading glasses attached to a string that keeps them around his neck when he is not using them. One night Puff was not finished playing the string game when everyone headed into their respective bedrooms for some TV watching, book reading and then bed. Puff stood outside the bedroom door and hollered until he was admitted then jumped up on the bed and sat innocently for awhile until everyone was lulled into a false sense of security. Then he pounced. He remembered he had seen a string around my T's neck and he went for it. The fact that T was wearing the glasses at the time did not deter Puff. He had seen that string and he wanted it and he started gnawing on it as it was attached to T's glasses and face. Luckily T has a very good sense of humor but it did take him awhile to unlatch Puff from the side of his head. I do wish I had been there to see this episode.