I thought I would share with our readers
a brief story about our week cat-sitting a dear little old guy named T.C. Loved and nurtured by our son Jake for many years, he is now a remarkable 21 year old orange and white tabby, with white paws and an unforgettably handsome face.
At first, when Jake asked us to cat-sit T.C., I was a bit hesitant. After all, this senior kitty was used to his own comfortable home, and his daily routines. We also have two other cats, one senior, who has been ill off and on and is generally not receptive to other cats. Nevertheless, T.C. made his way into our home, and into our hearts.
We first kept T.C. in my husband’s office where we provided all of the creature comforts he needed, all except one – the freedom to roam and explore our home! He soon found a way to escape and within a few minutes, T.C. had explored all nooks and crannies, from the basement to the top floor. All hopes of confining T.C. to one room were dashed. His tenaciousness had won us over!
By the end of T.C.’s “Excellent Adventure” at our home, he had taste tested some new flavors of canned food, discovered he loved catnip and enjoyed his daily exercise, swatting at the Da Bird toy. He also discovered my husband’s comfortable lap, while sitting at the computer. I couldn’t resist taking several photos of T.C. I thought I’d share with you my favorite.
T.C. may have left on that cold, wintry day to return to his rightful home, but he has forever warmed our hearts and our souls. May God bless and keep you, T.C. We think of you often.
A healthy cat will eat what you give her, a kitty who is a little under the weather may need some persuasion; we won’t be talking about those manipulative and overly dramatic “finicky” kitties here. We’re considering cats who are recovering from illness or injury or who are elderly, and for whom even eating is a little bit of a burden. She may seem hungry, even show up for mealtime, but take a sniff or even attempt to eat and walk away. Often illness, surgery, trauma or age reduce a cat’s appetite through weakness, stomach upset, loss of smell or loss of taste, and a cat in a slightly weakened condition may need some inspiration for the taste buds. First, wake her up at least 15 minutes before you want to feed her—a sleepy kitty in a weakened condition isn’t ready to eat as soon as she wakes up, so pet her and give her attention for a while until she seems entirely alert. Always use fresh food, usually canned, so its smell is the strongest, and you don’t need to resort to fish-based foods, often liver-based food is more appealing. Then tease her with the food—play “kitty airplane” the same way you would with a recalcitrant child, show her the can and her dish, open the can and let kitty sniff the food then put it aside, making a big show of getting her dish ready, putting the food in the dish, allowing her to smell it all the while, then finally present it. This little play helps to get her digestive system started and her body gives her the signal to eat, plus, she’s wondering what they heck you’re up to, and curiosity is a big stimulant for a cat. If she’s still reluctant, pick up a little in a spoon and offer it for her to lick off; a little at a time is sometimes just enough. Don’t leave her food out, but put it back in the can and keep it, offering it again a little later. It may mean wasting a few cans, but open a new can with every session. She’ll appreciate your efforts.