Monday, November 28, 2011

Bug rocks the field

Chris Monter photo credit

My niece Maria aka Bug, three time girl's cross country champion, continues to make strides toward her goals.  She qualifies for the footlocker invitational early December.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

defreaking Arthur

 Houston, we have lift off!

This year's everlasting October has morphed into November.  Our newest addition, a peaches and cream rescue named Arthur has been lounging in the autumn sun, pleased with his new digs.  He came with my daughter from a townhouse experience and before that, heaven knows.
He is not perfect.  A frozen ear tip makes him slightly off-balanced looking.  He has a heart murmur.  But he has azurene blue eyes and he is a cuddler.
Living by his wits, he assumed a crazed behavior which manifests as a feeding frenzy.  The quarter cup of dry food he was allowed twice a day never satisfied him.  He would have no qualms about pushing Moto out of his dish, and was not shy about getting into human food if it presented itself.  Nothing could be left on the counter.  Our sleep was interrupted nightly.  At 3 am.  Not good.

Richard suggested a perpetual feeding dish.  Caroline and Tony agreed.
The dish was filled with over 2 cups of dry food.  Arthur leaped on it.
He ate and he ate and he ate.
He kept eating even as his face was turning green.

He finally slowed, looked to see that there was till more available food and slunk under the table.  We were waiting for the barf.  He did not barf but he did not move much in the next four hours.  He actually was able to watch his friend and food rival Moto approach his own dish to eat... and... breakthrough!  He sat and watched!  Houston, we have lift off!

Over the next few days he has not mewed, begged or scavenged.  We have slept through the night.  Our psychology, of course, is that the state of perpetual food will calm his behavior and with his innate animal instinct he will self regulate his intake.

He and Moto have ceased hunting and wrestling and both of their bellies are arching south.  They take turns lounging in the pet bed and lazily eyeing the ottoman.  Because of Arthur's heart condition and the general bad idea of growing fat cats, we will start to taper off the availability of the food.  Hopefully, his freaky behavior will stay modified.

Anyone with a similar experience?