approach with caution

In an attempt to control the weight of my fat cat, I have started feeding my cats wet food every evening. Anyone who had tried to feed cats on a schedule, rather than just leaving food out all the time, knows what an adventure this can be.

Rogue, the fat cat, reacts to the canned food like it is kitty crack. As soon as the can opener comes out, he's winding around my legs, meowing and chirping. Lou, my older cat, reacts with more restraint, sitting patiently and giving an occasional chirp.

When I first started feeding them this food, I would keep an eye on them, because I worried that Rogue would chow his food down, then muscle in on Lou's bowl. To my surpise, despite Rogue's immense excitement, he eats about 4 bites, and then walks away for 10 minutes, then wanders back and eats a little more, like the very act of eating is so exhausting, he needs rest. Lou, on the other hand, inhales it like a furry little Hoover, and he's the one I have to chase away from Rogue's unguarded bowl.

Despite their different eating styles, when I put the bowls down, Rogue's head is in the bowl before it hits the floor. Lou, on the other hand, stays on the other side of the kitchen until I put the bowl down, then approaches slowly, slinking across the floor, as if the thinks something is going to jump out of the bowl and try to grab his face.

I think he's on to me.

an adjustment for everyone

The cats and I have had our new roommate for two weeks now. For the most part, it's been going quite well. Thankfully, we all like each other and we're all fairly laid back. There have been some hiccups, however.

Lou likes to drink out of the toliet. He jumps up on the seat, plants both front paws on the inside of the bowl, and then drinks the water.

Lou is learning the hard way what having a human male in the house means. It means that sometimes the toliet seat isn't down. And you can jump up and land in a bowl of water.

And then you have to stalk out of the bathroom with your tail straight up, shaking water off your paws on your way to hide under a bed and sulk about getting your feet wet.

space

so as of this weekend, i totally have a roomate again (for four months or so). after living alone for 2 1/2 years, it's wigging me out to have someone in my house all the time.

right now, i sort of feel like he's a guest, and i need to be taking care of him. I'm all "hey, i'm getting water, do you want water?" "did you figure out the shower? it's kind of weird." "Oh, are the cats bugging you? I can totally lock them in a closet." sometimes i talk to myself, or the cats, and i'm sort of shocked when a human voice answers.

i suppose sooner or later i'll get used to it. the cats are perfectly happy. apparently his bed is much more comfortable than mine, as they apparently are spending all day there. maybe it's a male solidarity thing.

cats - food = hilarity

Since Rogue is up to a startling 18 lbs (for comparison, the darling Maddie is around 17 lbs at 14 months), I'm trying to get him to lose some weight.

Scheduled mealtimes are pretty tough, with my wacked out schedule, so I decided to try taking up the food at night, to limit nighttime "grazing."

Last night was the first try at this. Before I went to bed, I moved the food bowl on top of the fridge. Surprisingly, I didn't hear anything about it until this morning. I figured there'd be horror-show wailing starting around 3 am when Rogue wandered to the kitchen and discovered the food bowl was nowhere to be found.

He restrained himself admirably. But about 6:45 am, when the alarm went off for the first time, all bets were off.

As soon as the radio started, so did the nuzzling. Rogue was laying next to my head in classic kittyloaf position. Nuzzle. "Mrow?" Nuzzle. "Mrow?" Rinse and repeat.

I knew what was going down, so I decided to enjoy the show and see what would happen next. I rolled over, and Rogue immediately clambered (with fatty awkwardness) over my back to get by my face again. "Mrrrowww?"

I sat up, and he immediately jumped off the bed and headed for the door. I laid back down, and when he saw that I wasn't following, he hoisted himself back onto the bed to climb on my back again and nuzzle the back of my head. There was a slightly desperate quality to the meowing now. "Meeeerrrrrooooowwww!"

At last I got up, but instead I headed into the living room to turn on the Weather Channel. Rogue was hot on my heels, gut sack swinging as he ran (he's quite spry for a fatty). I went into the bathroom to turn on the tub faucet, as they like to drink from it in the morning. This got Lou's attention, and now both are standing outside the bathroom door, looking more and more pissed. The goal was to distract them, so I could put the food back out without them noticing that I'd done it. The idea being that I didn't want them to associate begging with getting the food back.

No dice. The typical delight of running water was of no interest this morning. As soon as I headed into the kitchen, both cats ran in to sit in front of the place where the FOOD BOWL SHOULD BE. I stood there, and said "What?" Rogue let out a 'meow' that clearly said "Hey, lady, what's the deal? Where the hell is my food?" Lou gave me a quiet, polite little 'meep' that said "Um, excuse me, but did you notice we have no food?"

I finally gave in and put the bowl down. They both sniffed at it for a moment, then went into the bathroom to drink from the running faucet.

Chronicle of a Furry Alarm Clock

I decided to try Sunday Scribblings for the first time. Yes, I am aware it's Tuesday. GET OFF MY BACK.

Chronicle of a Furry Alarm Clock

*lick* *nudge* *lick* *nudge*

Silence

*nudge* *nudge* *lick*

"leave me alone!" *rustle*

"Mrow?" *lick* *lick* *nudge*

"Mrrrooooooow!!" *thud* *scramble*

*poompf*

Silence.

*nudge* "Mrrow?"

"Alright, alright. Jesus." *rustle*

*thud* "Mrrrrow. Mrroooooowww."

"I know, I know." *patter* *patter*

*gallump* "Mrrrooow."

*faucet runs*

*skitter* *thud*

*lap* *lap*

"Mrrrow."

"You're welcome."

i'm a bad person

i felt a little under the weather this morning, and called in sick with the bargin to myself that I would work on my paper, so that I wouldn't have to spend all weekend at the computer.

with my skills at procrastination, that hasn't gone so well. I'ev been at i it for the last hour, though, and I am now twice as far as I was when I stopped last night, it's only about 4 pages out of 12-15, so it's not stellar.

some of the parts are starting to gel, at last, so I'm making progress. but one of the cats is asleep on the futon behind me, and every now and then he snores a little, which is both cute and distracting.

i really want to go lie on the couch and watch a movie before I have to leave for the Playground, but I must, must, must write this paper...

whoops!

i think Rogue spent all day in the closet today. whoops!

i just got home a few minutes ago and was at my desk checking email, when I heard what sounded like a cat climbing inside the trash can. i go into the kitchen, nothing. from there, i track the sound to the living room, and then the closet, against which I placed my bag when i walked in the door.

I open the closet door, and Rogue is sitting there, having pulled the strap of my bag under the closet door to yank on it, which was making all the noise.

I opened the closet this morning, looking for an umbrella. I certainly hadn't opened it since I got home.

sorry kitty! he probably spent all day curled up sleeping, which is what he would have done on my bed, but i still feel bad. that closet is tiny and packed with junk, so there was no room to move around, especially for an 18 lb lard-ass.

i have no idea why he didn't start meowing when i came home. but I should have suspected something was up when I poured food into the empty food bowl and he didn't come running.

sorry fatty.

my crushes

as insane as it might sound... i re-realized (is that a word?) this morning how much i love my cats. i mean, really truly love them. how much a part of my life they are, how happy they make me just by being. the unconditional love of a pet is something that exists in no other relationship.

this morning, as I was getting ready for work, both cats were milling around, as they often do. when i sat down to put on socks, one was next to me on the bed, meeping and rubbing against me. while i brushed my hair, another was sitting on the bathroom floor chirping at me, responding whenever i spoke to him. as I left the house, both were sitting in the living room watching me go. and when i got downstairs and onto the front walk, i looked up, and both were sitting in the living room window, looking down at me. and i know when i get home tonight, both of them will be waiting by the front door, already meowing as I walk up the stairs, long before the sound of my key in the door could have alerted them i was home.

it just reminded me that i'd never give either of them up for anything. and that no matter what might happen, there are always two furry little friends who will love me no matter what.

procrastination: it's how things get done

i'm a horrible procrastinator. i'll admit it. i'm always the one getting stuff done the night before. it's virtually impossible for me to finish something early.

i took today off work, as I have some vacation days i need to use up before the end of the fiscal year. I figured it would be a good day to work on a huge project for school. it's 15 small papers that need to be done by the end of the quarter, 15 days from now (sprint class!). So far, I've finished one. But I've done a load of laundry, groomed the cats and vaccummed the house. I might fail Intro to Research, but at least something is getting done.

also, i spent 10 minutes today looking for my house keys. it turned out the cat was sitting on them.

mortal enemies

As much as i love my cat, i sometimes want to drop-kick him out the window.

he's, to be polite, an idiot. maybe he's bored. i don't know, but he has made it his life goal it get into everything. as soon as I bring a new bag home, he's sticking his face in it. if i leave my keys on the counter, he knocks them off. if I set a glass of water on the coffeetable, he sticks his paw in it.

last night, i was woken up at 4:30 by Rogue crawling next to my head, immediatly follwed by a crash and then a thud as Rogue bolted for the door. My sleep-addled brain recognized that the cat had decided to knock the (plastic) plate on my bed side table to the floor. For no real reason, other than it was there. At 4:30 am.

Anyway, what I discovered this morning was that with the plate, he'd also knocked my glasses to the floor, snapping them in two right at the bridge. they are unrepairable, and i really really liked them. tahnkfully, I'm neurotic enough that when i bought them, I bought a back-up pair as well (they were having a sale, and i have a fear about leaning over a balcony and my glasses falling off. seeing as how i live my life on balconies...).

so, thankfully I'm not wearing my sunglasses to work again, as I had to do last week when I changed into my sunglasses before leaving the house, and forgot to bring my regular ones with me.

anyway, i would have drop-kicked the cat, but he has this cute thing he does where he'll snuggle up next to me in bed and drape his paw across my wrist. I can't resist.

but this is why all my dishes are plastic.