Of cats, cat food, and competition

 

A dozen or so years ago we adopted Kili, our older female cat, a blend of tortoiseshell and tabby coloration.  She was up for adoption at a pet store in Hermitage, TN, and looked so pathetic and woebegone surrounded by energetic kittens that Miss D. couldn't resist bringing her home.  We were told she was 3 years old, but she only weighed 4 pounds, which seemed alarming.  We soon found out why.

The pet store told us to be cautious about introducing her to new cat food:  to blend her existing food with the new stuff, little by little, until she was used to it.  We decided to feed her premium food from the start, opting for Orijen's dry cat food line (which, while expensive, was more affordable then than it is today).  From the very first day, she made it extremely clear what she preferred - she studied the plate of mixed food for a moment, then proceeded to pick out, one by one, the pieces of her old food and drop them disdainfully on the floor next to the plate, while hoovering up all the new food.  That night, she ambushed Miss D. as she was cooking potstickers at the stove, whacking her on the back of the knee with a paw and startling her, so that she sent a potsticker flying off the spatula and onto the floor.  It was instantly pounced upon with a triumphant mew of "Mine!!!", and batted around the kitchen floor until it cooled down enough to be devoured.  Kili doubled her weight inside a month, which was a whole lot better than the scrawny, underfed cat who'd come home with us.  She's never looked back.

The funniest part of her new diet was when I introduced her to Orijen's Six Fish cat food.  She liked all the Orijen flavors, but this was utter nirvana to her.  She squatted down over her food plate with her front legs stretched around it, her body and head covering it almost completely, and actually growled at me when I tried to stroke her.  There was absolutely no doubt what she was saying.  "This is mine!  All mine!  **** off, human!  Go find your own food!  MINE!!!"  It was highly amusing, particularly because she displayed that attitude every time we brought home a bag of Six Fish food.  It was hers, and anyone who got too near it was a threat, as far as she was concerned.

When we came to Texas we couldn't find a local supplier of Orijen cat food at first, and buying it by mail order was a mite expensive, so we switched to Royal Canin.  When our Blogorado kitten, Ashbutt, came home with us, he was fed the same diet.  A year or two back, on the recommendation of friends who'd found their pet to do very well on it, we switched to Gentle Giant cat food, and found both of our cats liked it.  Buying in big bags, it's less expensive than many other premium cat foods, and it's kept our two very healthy.  So far, so good.

Well, this morning we dropped in at a local pet store to buy a second cat carrier.  Our scare with a brush fire last night made us remember we only had one cat carrier.  It's big enough to accommodate both of ours at close quarters, but that's not good for extended travel if that had been necessary:  so we wanted a second unit.  While browsing the shelves, I found a section offering Orijen's wet and dry cat food.  Remembering Kili's love for the stuff, we bought a small bag of Six Fish to take home as a treat for her.

Her reaction was precisely the same as it had been in Tennesee:  "Mine!  All mine!  GO AWAY!!!"  She hunkered over the bowl and chowed down, stopping only when she was overfull, then tottered away to sleep it off.  Once she'd fallen asleep, we brought Ashbutt to the food area and offered him some, and his response was just as enthusiastic as hers.  Both cats have made multiple visits to their bowls over the course of the day - we moved them further apart to prevent "discussions" over whose food was whose.  I expect them to put on weight over the next week, until the small bag we bought runs out.  After that it'll be back to their regular Gentle Giant food - we can't afford to pay what Six Fish costs now!

I think I may have made a small error of judgment with that "treat".  Kili, on the other hand, would doubtless disagree most profoundly.  Ashbutt probably agrees with her.

Peter