This, of course, raises the question of where to put Lukas during the visit since he'll likely not appreciate the human traffic or the noise involved. I would estimate no more than a half hour to adjust and straighten the door but judging from past experience, I may well be wrong.
Speaking of Lukas, he 's had visits from a neighbor and two friends, only one of whom he warmed to. This little boy seems content to be solitary as long as I am around to feed and play with him which I do regularly, particularly before bed. While hopeful of more sustained sleep, I know living with a nocturnal creature often means a sunrise breakfast. He is now coming to sleep at the foot of the bed for a limited time before retreating to the solitude of his chair or the sofa. His cat condo remains unused though Lukas apparently loves his toys.
Foodwise, he is a connoisseur of junk, preferring anything Friskies to higher quality, grain-free foods with meat as the first ingredient. It will take some experimentation before I discover what else he may like. Unlike dogs, if cats don't like something, they starve rather than eating it and can become ill. As obligate carnivores, protein is essential and many commercially available foods are full of fillers. There is also some controversy among vets regarding raw diets. My vet has said that varying a cat's food options helps assure a non-picky eater but much also depends upon the cat. Coming from the streets, I've no clue what Lukas ate until he was sheltered and fed by the gentleman from whom I adopted him.
In other news, the week has been relatively Springlike. Meals and food prep have been simple and almost all of the leftovers have been eaten which means I am on track with meal planning which boils down to less spending and less food waste. Turkey stew with green beans, carrots, corn and a leftover gold potato, made in my slow cooker, gave me dinners for four nights. Salad, rice and a vegetable korma, soups and a light rye bread, along with some steamed kale made interesting lunches. The only downside to grocery shopping every two weeks is that when the fresh stuff is gone, I'm forced to get creative with pantry goods and whatever is stashed in the freezer. At this point, chili is in my immediate future. My recent visit to Petra's, a middle eastern restaurant, reminded me how much I enjoy hummus, eggplant, falafel, mint tea and simple chopped salads. It is time to expand my horizons and try making some of these things.
I'm still listening to Cait Flanders book and reading an entirely unrelated book by Sally Hyder about her life before and after MS and her adventures with service dog Harmony.
What does your week look like?
9 comments:
I am glad that both you and Lucas are happy together...he seems a quiet boy.
I have just been able to access your blog again...I will try to find out what is going wrong.
Have you tried mixing the old junky food with the new healthier one? This is how our vet recommended that we switched our cats from one food to another a couple of times and it worked like a charm. I can't remember the exact dosage but it took a couple of weeks. You start with 3/4 of the old food mixed with 1/4 of the new one. Do that for 3-4 days. Then increase to 1/3 vs 2/3, and then to 1/2 and 1/2 and then 1/4 old to 3/4 new. Finally, you switch completely to the new food.
I spend a lot of money on food every month because Male Cat had the dreaded urinary tract blockage problem when he was only a couple of years old. Faced with a huge vet bill that we couldn't afford, I seriously considered putting him down because the problem was severe and recurrent and we'd already spent over $500 on it. But the vet felt bad for Male Cat and offered to treat him at no cost to us, which ended up meaning him staying at the vet's for a whole month! Eventually, the vet saved his life without having to do the "almost sex change operation" but recommended that we switched to a high protein prescription food (Royal Canin Urinary S.O, which is dry food) instead of the cheap Publix or Friskies or whatever was on sale that week food I'd been buying. Then, eventually, both our cats became too fat so he switched them to a moderate calorie version of Urinary S.O. Since I don't want to have to manage different food for different cats, especially now that we have six cats, they all eat the same food.
It's been 6 or 7 years since Male Cat's brush with death and he hasn't had any problems since, nor have the other cats. Their coats are beautiful and soft. I also filter water for them because we have very hard water, and I think that might have contributed to Male Cat's problem. I used to buy spring water back when we just had 2 cats but now it's Brita-filtered water for everyone :) They do need extra water since they're eating only dry food.
Needless to say, I've remained loyal to that vet's office and they get all of our pet business. But the food is not cheap, especially since we go through so much of it. But call me weird, I'd better pay more for good food and fewer health problems!
Good luck to Lukas. It looks like you've become fast friend. He might decide he wants to spend all night in bed with you, soon! Our Male Cat (him, again) is now deciding that he wants to be a teenager and hang out with the younger cats. I find him climbing on things and doing his claws on furniture like the younger cats, a completely new behavior for him! So Lukas might decide he likes the condo, just not right away! The guy who was on "My Cat From Hell" always said to provide a high perch for cats, it helps destress them because as predators, they need to be high up to feel in control.
Sorry about all the rambling! Good luck with your closet door!
I'm sorry for your blogging troubles. I haven't been able to comment at yours though I do read. Lukas is still adjusting. That can take a while with cats, and yes, he is a gentle soul.
Hi, yes, I've mixed the foods. I've consulted the vet and waiting to hear back, and Jackson Galaxy is right though Lukas is not much of a climber. Thanks, the closet door was shoved back in but still needs to be aligned properly.
You're getting to know each other and I imagine it'll take awhile. Lukas does sound like he's settling in nicely. It takes time for these fur babies to adjust to their new surroundings. You are so right about it not being easy to switch foods with cats. Our cat that recently passed liked junk food, too, and she would rather have starved than eat anything other than her cat chow. I tried mixing in a healthier food and she would select her favourite and leave that one in her bowl! The little stinker :) Our new kitty will eat anything and our 8 year old Mocha will, too, so it's a little easier now to move to foods with more protein and less fillers.
I'm glad Lukas is settling in! On the cat food front, similar to what Nathalie said, I used to give mine a mixture of commercially prepared foods -- sometimes Fancy Feast, sometimes good quality kibble. It gave them a varied diet and they were fine with it, living more than 15 years with minimal health problems. (Well, except Armenia's thyroid issues, but those are common in older cats and I don't think diet is a factor.)
We need to clean out our bathroom cabinets, too. We have a lot of stuff in there that could absolutely be discarded.
Actually, diet can have a bearing on thyroid as it can with urinary problems. Vets know more now than they did 20 years ago but the pet food industry is unregulated and more vets now believe raw is the way to go while others say beware of listeria, salmonella, etc.
I think Lukas will eventually find something a bit healthier...fingers crossed...
Your comment that when fresh foods are gone you must get creative with pantry items is right on. I've done the same by substituting canned goods like tuna, salmon, corned beef or baked beans for fresh meat when we've been snowed in or otherwise unable to get to the store. Generally those meals are also less expensive, and it uses up the emergency stock before they expire.
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