By Jo Singer
The other day while I was checking out the Pictures of Cats website I ran across a most thought provoking question posed by Michael Broad, “How does your cat read you?”
The question immediately got me thinking about Dr. Hush Puppy, one of our two Oriental Shorthair kitties. For the longest time I have been wondering if our highly intelligent and curious cat is actually eavesdropping on the conversations my husband and I have when we are planning to go out to dinner and deciding what kind of food is appealing to us.
The reason I am suspicious that Dr. Hush Puppy is spying on us is that during our conversations, he cocks his head and gets an intense expression of his face. The only conclusion to which I can arrive from his behavior is that he is listening intently to our every word.
Now it’s highly possible that perhaps his odd behavior stems from his extreme pickiness about the food that he deems acceptable. But just like anyone who lives with a finicky feline, I am positive that I am not the only one who gets frustrated and arrives at their wit’s end; ready to tear their hair out when no matter what we dish up is met with an upturned nose. This rejection of our tender offerings cannot be considered anything less than a potent communication of displeasure.
Therefore I must confess that when it comes to his meal-time habits, Dr. Hush Puppy has me wrapped around his little paws. Since he knows that I worry about him when he doesn’t eat, he can play me like a Stradivarius violin! And just like any compliant kitty servant, I allow it. This finicky feline reads me like an open book, and knows I will ultimately succumb to his demands.
In fact, depending on his pleasure, he now insists that I feed him around the house in different locations. These areas range from a private little “grotto” in the living room, to “breakfast in bed” on our sofa. He even finds the top of the cat tree to be an infinitely desirable dining spot since he can survey his surroundings for any potential hungry intruder.
Dr. Hush Puppy has me chasing him around the house to grant his every wish. Sometimes he will start eating in one location; only to finish in a totally different spot. What is even more time-consuming is his insistence that I keep him company while he dines. Folks, don’t get annoyed with me, but he is driving me nuts. I am beginning to have fantasies of donning a black dress with a little white lacey apron to stylishly serve up his meals on Spode china, offered up on a sterling silver tray.
Because it is crucial for felines to not miss too many meals since this can put cats at risk of developing a serious liver condition called hepatic lipidosis, I have naturally acquiesced to his whims. But some folks think I am nuts and only reinforcing his skillful manipulations and spoiling him to death. They suggest instead that I simply wait until he is sufficiently hungry which would motivate him to eat where and when I feed him.
But that’s impossible since Dr. Hush Puppy reads me so well. He would know in a heart-beat that I am not into changing him, or endangering his health.
I am of the opinion that no cat on the planet exists that cannot read our intentions and energies. After all, for ages, in reality they have been our masters. What do you think? Tell us in a comment.
Ever since one of my cats was diagnosed with small cell lymphoma, I’ve fed them only grain-free. I currently have two rescues: Sophia who is 9 and I adopted last year, and Mr. Hobbes, who is 6 and I recently adopted. I give them mostly wet food with some dry for nibbling. One thing a vet told me to do years ago when I had a cat with kidney disease was to add water to their wet food, which I’ve done ever since.
Yes, I am pleased you said that, Pam. Adding water to cat food – I used to add water to microwaved fish – is good because cats are not very good drinkers. I prevented a recurrence of cystitis in my late lady cat by giving her fish with added water. It helped to flush the urinary tract to stop the build up of bacteria. Happy Christmas.
I have had wunderbaar gut success with water fountains. All our cats just love them and they have been drinking phenomenal amounts of water since we implemented them ten years ago when we had our first experience with renal disease.
Thanks interesting Reno. I’d like to read more about that. Thanks for sharing that info.
Yes, Reno.
Please share more about the fountains and your plights with kidney disease.
Well, back in December 2003, our little Cinders was shockingly diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). She was 5 years old and went to the vet for a routine dental cleaning. Pre-op bloods were normal. A week after the procedure, she began to be RAVENOUS for water. She would climb in the sink or bathtub just to drink. Back to the vet and more bloodwork revealed that her kidneys had acutely shut down. She was hospitalized and they seemed to recover (according to repeat labs) so she came home. The ultrasound showed that her kidneys were covered in cysts and John and I were told that if we got six months with her it would be amazing. We changed her food to Royal Canin Renal LP and purchased two water fountains so that we could stop leaving faucets running. She did amazingly well for a VERY long time. We were eventually able to stop doing subcutaneous fluid therapy at home because she stayed well hydrated due to the fountains. She got her angel wings at Rainbow Bridge June 20, 2008…..4 1/2 YEARS after diagnosis.
You did an amazing job to have had her that long.
Thank you for sharing this.
If you are like me, your eyes still fill with tears.
Merry Christmas.
WOW, is all I can write. Amazing job. My lady cat had a very similar illness and I could not achieve what you achieved. Mind you she may have been older. She was about 20 when she was euthanized for kidney failure. It is still vivid in my memory.
Thank you Dee and Michael. I can’t take the credit. Cinders had a tenacious will to live. And I believe the good Lord had His hand in her recovery. I did not have to make a decision with her. She just simply died one night on our bed. There was no warning and no waning health. The vet felt she had a clot due to high blood pressure from the renal disease. And yes, I do still tear up when I think of her. But I also remember her with smiles and laughter. She was our “parrot”. She would ride around the house on John’s shoulders. And she was quite gabby. I still miss our conversations.
These are Sophia and Mr. Hobbes?
Sophia is the black/white?
No, Sophia and Hobbes belong to someone else on this thread. These are CJ Sobol (orange) and Tallulah. Sobol is a very outgoing, loving, male. Tallulah is….well….Tallulah. She is roach backed, short legged, cross-eyed,, afraid of life, and has herpes. She is a little sweetie, though. In fact, she is sitting on my lap as I type this. My husband and I have a passion for rescuing seniors and “special” kitties.
Beautiful and healthy looking.
Thank you! 🙂
Reno I have had the exact same immediate success. As soon as I put a fountain in the kitchen they all drink from it just about every time they walk past it. They seem to love it and they all drink alot of water because of it. Before when I had just a few bowls dotted around they never really drank any water.
Fountains are great. Also in summer when it’s really hot a nice thing to do for them is put a few ice cubes in the fountain and because the water is moving it very quickly melts and cools the water – which for the cats in summer must be quite nice.
Are these battery operated fountains?
That’s why the water is moving?
No – it plugs into the wall – it’s a mini waterfall but the water runs down a slope without splashing – its very quiet and smooth running. It has a filter usually as well which you can change occasionally if you want. Mine has a charcoal filter and is totally silent.
I use the term ‘biscuits’ but it’s not necessarily a UK expression for dry cat food – or at least not that I know of. I just adopted the word bicuits because when I am talking to my cats it’s a good word. I used to ask them if they wanted ‘drydry’ or ‘wetwet’ but now it’s ‘bicuits’ or ‘wetwet’ 🙂
I will definately have to do the ice cubes in the summer. I never thought of that. And mine do the same thing…drink every time they pass. I rinse and refill them daily and on Saturday mornings they get run through the dishwasher. Well, on Saturday mornings, all 7 cats go “chirping” through the house for the two hours that they are fountainless. As soon as the dishwaher is done and the fountains are back together in their spots, lines form for a refreshing drink. 🙂
ha ha, they love the fountains don’t they – I don’t have a dishwasher and there’s alot of calcium in the water here so I do have to give it a good scrub every once in a while. I’ve never had to worry about them drinking enough since I got the fountain. Cats really love water in my experience. I used to leave them a dripping tap. Lilly always loved to drink from the tap. 🙂
love that idea
So, Sophia and Mr. Hobbes are with you?
Sophia is the black/white?
Do you have a pic of them?
Siamese cats have ruled my life for the past 30+ years and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Finicky cats are the result of their human’s behavior. Cats read us as if they had crystal ball. Btw, my meezer Merlin approves of Dr. Hush Puppy’s training methods. Merlin dispenses his wit and wisdom every Monday.
LOL. Yes, sigh…I know a bit about being trained by a cat. Mine has Siamese blood in him and wisdom, patience, persistence and so on….. I have learnt from him too.
Beautiful cat!
Layla I’ve read plenty of Cat Wisdom 101 🙂
I agree it is often the human’s behaviour that is a big part in a cat being finicky. It’s hard to know when to try and please a cat and when not to. I like to bring my cats things I know they like and I like to bring them new things to try every few days – usually something I am eating and I give them a tiny bit to try. I can see that this level of choice can make them ‘choosy’ or in other words, it can lead to you cat waiting for you to put down something he/she is in the mood for even after you put a couple things in the food bowls already. Just knowing that you will produce more options probably encourages them to wait and see what else appears if they turn their nose up to the first few options.
Thankfully, I do not have picky cats. But this was a very interesting article and I love reading about the antics of Hubble and Puppy. 🙂
Hi Reno, thanks for sharing and Happy Christmas.
And a Happy Christmas to you as well. 🙂
Happy Christmas, Reno, from Michael and Charlie.
Oh, Jo, Hush Puppy really has you wrapped around his dewclaw! I think maybe most cats KNOW what we mean. They just don’t always care. Cisco and Pancho and I have pretty good communication most of the time and we all listen to each other. Pancho particularly understands the words “Fancy Feast.”
In our house we call Fancy Feast “Crack”. When Dr. Hush Puppy recently went through some major dental surgery and refused to eat- a feline veterinarian friend told me to feed him anything he would like. So out came the Fancy Feast- and it was love at first bite. There is something in that food that gets them addicted, I swear. So I am slowly mixing in a grainless food along with the “crack” and it seems to be working. But we can always go back to it if Dr. Hush Puppy goes on strike for no legitimate reason. Sir Hubble will eat just about anything- he is an extremely easy keeper.
Wonderful article *and photo<3*, Jo — and yes, we will go to any lengths to appease our feline overlords, won't we? 😉 There are times where one or another of our felines will insist on "breakfast in bed" or dinner in the dining room rather than in the breakfast room, their usual regular place to eat; with six, I can't be offering more than one entree at a time, but we usually do pretty well.
Love this site and *WOW* what amazing pix posters have shared!
Hi jmuhj. “Overlords” is accurate description. We don’t always realise how much of a servant we are when we love our cats. Have a Happy Christmas.
This is an article I’m sure we can all relate to lol I loved reading it Jo. Dr Hush Puppy has you right where he wants you!
Walter is a terror to feed at times and like you we would never let him go hungry, he loves his food but it has to be put right under his nose before he will eat. He will sit just feet away until we move it to him. Jozef is far easier, he usually eats what he’s given, but if he fancies their cooked chicken instead he will sit in the kitchen, eyes pinned on the fridge until we cotton on.
I don’t know anyone with cats who doesn’t spend a large amount of money on trying to please them lol