Introducing Betty White

[tarasgirl06]

She left her first remainders last night. She left about 11 grams (1/3 of the portion) on dinner and another 12 grams (about 1/4 portion) on overnight. It actually would have been bigger than that. But right about 5 am (my alarm for breakfast goes off at 5:15 but I was already "awake") she tucked in to overnight that sat mostly untouched until then. I wonder if she got a smaller gabapentin dose (it's nowhere near an exact science splitting one of those capsules four ways) or worse: what if she's building a tolerance? She still showed up for breakfast to take her meds. She predictably snubbed the food. But I put three morsels on the carpet, and got a 1/3 portion into her so she takes those meds with food. While I was cooking my breakfast, she got up and finished hers. Looks like this morning's gabapentin is doing its job.

I've never encountered/heard of another cat who likes being fed on the carpet, but Betty definitely has a preference for it, doesn't she?

 

[daftcat75]

I've never encountered/heard of another cat who likes being fed on the carpet, but Betty definitely has a preference for it, doesn't she?

It's an odd one for sure. But it's a nice insurance policy. In most cases, I figure she's just on the margins of her meds since it's only the med meals that I will do this for her. If she takes two or three mounds from the carpet (about 6 to 10 grams or not quite 1/3 portion), that's good enough for me. That means if her meds need a little food, she eats a little food. When the meds kick in a little later, she doesn't need mine or the carpet's help. She finished her breakfast before I finished mine. She effectively finished her lunch before I started mine. There's an afternoon's snack left at 1 pm (maybe 6 to 8 grams.) It will be a clean plate by 5. Last night I guess she just wanted to sleep more than eat.

 

[tarasgirl06]

It's an odd one for sure. But it's a nice insurance policy. In most cases, I figure she's just on the margins of her meds since it's only the med meals that I will do this for her. If she takes two or three mounds from the carpet (about 6 to 10 grams or not quite 1/3 portion), that's good enough for me. That means if her meds need a little food, she eats a little food. When the meds kick in a little later, she doesn't need mine or the carpet's help. She finished her breakfast before I finished mine. She effectively finished her lunch before I started mine. There's an afternoon's snack left at 1 pm (maybe 6 to 8 grams.) It will be a clean plate by 5. Last night I guess she just wanted to sleep more than eat.

Whereas here, Elvis likes the base of his tail scritched before he eats. He's not the only one who's needed/wanted/gotten this treatment. I call it "priming 'em." It works.

 

[Furballsmom]

LoL
Cats

 

[tarasgirl06]

LoL
Cats

He loves it! Suggest anyone with sluggish eater(s) try/ies it.

 

[daftcat75]

Whereas here, Elvis likes the base of his tail scritched before he eats. He's not the only one who's needed/wanted/gotten this treatment. I call it "priming 'em." It works.

Betty likes that treatment after eating. Since I have to dip and drop her meds before I give her her med meals, I simply sit there with her during her first pass on med meals. When she's had as much as she wants, she'll snake around me looking for scritches and fuss. It's a good thing she either likes or does not object to having her tail stroked. Because she often swishes or rests her tail right in her food after she's turned around for fuss from me. I think some of the times she snubs the food, she's just rushing to the fuss.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Betty likes that treatment after eating. Since I have to dip and drop her meds before I give her her med meals, I simply sit there with her during her first pass on med meals. When she's had as much as she wants, she'll snake around me looking for scritches and fuss. It's a good thing she either likes or does not object to having her tail stroked. Because she often swishes or rests her tail right in her food after she's turned around for fuss from me. I think some of the times she snubs the food, she's just rushing to the fuss.

Oh yeah, that's been known to happen here, too, sometimes in "their" food, sometimes in mine. So I have to be vigilant. "No, my food doesn't need any more texture and your tail does not need to be adorned."

 

[daftcat75]

Same shot. Different angles.

 

[daftcat75]

She’s fallen asleep, wet nose to my elbow. The law is that I have to let her sleep even if she starts blowing nose bubbles.

 

[Margot Lane]

She’s fallen asleep, wet nose to my elbow. The law is that I have to let her sleep even if she starts blowing nose bubbles.
View attachment 439135

If your elbow falls asleep does it blow nose bubbles?

 

[daftcat75]

Last night she was being a total booger. She slept in the middle of my half of the bed. I tried to move her to her half and she just returned to her chosen spot before I could lay my claim. I ended up sleeping diagonally around her. And that would have been enough, except when I woke for breakfast, her litter box was used. At some point in the night, the queen got up, did her business, and then came back to the same spot. Meanwhile I somehow slept through it all twisted diagonally around her. Slept through my chance to reclaim the bed. She did turn in a clean plate. She did that early in the night before we angled for the sweet spot in the bed.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Last night she was being a total booger. She slept in the middle of my half of the bed. I tried to move her to her half and she just returned to her chosen spot before I could lay my claim. I ended up sleeping diagonally around her. And that would have been enough, except when I woke for breakfast, her litter box was used. At some point in the night, the queen got up, did her business, and then came back to the same spot. Meanwhile I somehow slept through it all twisted diagonally around her. Slept through my chance to reclaim the bed. She did turn in a clean plate. She did that early in the night before we angled for the sweet spot in the bed.

CATucation 101: There IS no "my half of the bed." ALL and EVERYTHING belongs to CAT. If and when CAT is magnanimous(e) enough to share, we are to do proper obeisance and be $^&* glad CAT sees fit to give us anything/let us have anything. And BTW, Betty: "Dad. DAD! WHAT are those THINGS on your pajamas???"

 

[daftcat75]

CATucation 101: There IS no "my half of the bed." ALL and EVERYTHING belongs to CAT. If and when CAT is magnanimous(e) enough to share, we are to do proper obeisance and be $^&* glad CAT sees fit to give us anything/let us have anything. And BTW, Betty: "Dad. DAD! WHAT are those THINGS on your pajamas???"

Dogs in scarves and Christmas sweaters. That’s what’s on my pjs. It was a Ross buy one night while traveling.

Betty is a very good sport about being lifted and relocated. But she can also be a stubborn booger like last night. I lifted her from the center of my half to her half. And before I could lay back down, she had already left her half and laid back down where I had lifted her from.

It’s like the honeymoon is finally ending and she’s becoming more her own cat now. This morning was the first time she walked away from an active fuss session to finish her breakfast. For the first time in the nearly eleven months I have had her, she chose food over fuss. I’m not complaining. She finished breakfast and now I don’t have to worry about that until lunch is served.

 

[Margot Lane]

Dogs in scarves and Christmas sweaters. That’s what’s on my pjs. It was a Ross buy one night while traveling.

Betty is a very good sport about being lifted and relocated. But she can also be a stubborn booger like last night. I lifted her from the center of my half to her half. And before I could lay back down, she had already left her half and laid back down where I had lifted her from.

It’s like the honeymoon is finally ending and she’s becoming more her own cat now. This morning was the first time she walked away from an active fuss session to finish her breakfast. For the first time in the nearly eleven months I have had her, she chose food over fuss. I’m not complaining. She finished breakfast and now I don’t have to worry about that until lunch is served.

I’ve woken up cramped & in weird positions too, only to find that the cat -after initially hogging the bed- decided to sleep elsewhere in the night.

 

[tarasgirl06]

What's more difficult is when you have a cat on your lap and (s)he DOES NOT want to move. I've had to stand more than half the way up before Elvis moves. *Not that I WANT to move, or move him, but sometimes, you know, you gotta!* If he's on a cat blanket on my lap in the office, it's pretty easy -- just get my hands under the blanket and move blanket AND cat. But if I'm anywhere else, there is no cat blanket. That's when the going gets tough.
Ross? My roomie loves Ross. I like Old Navy. But my favorite? The Animal Rescue Site. My brand new PJs from there are black with paw prints and hearts in several colors. They're flannel, very soft, very warm, and they were ON SALE

 

[daftcat75]

I’ve woken up cramped & in weird positions too, only to find that the cat -after initially hogging the bed- decided to sleep elsewhere in the night.

We used to have this agreement where Betty would get up and move on to her half of the bed or her poof once I decided I needed to roll to my side to go to sleep. Lately, though, instead of perching on shoulder and chest, she has been perching on the body pillow because I've had to lay more propped up than usual while sick (or recovering from sick which seems to be longer than actually being sick.) When I roll over to my side, Betty says, "I'm good here on the body pillow." Except she's not. She spills over it and into my sleeping space. And if I scoot over to have more space, I find she'll just suck up that spot I vacated. She really has become such a booger lately!

 

[daftcat75]

What's more difficult is when you have a cat on your lap and (s)he DOES NOT want to move. I've had to stand more than half the way up before Elvis moves. *Not that I WANT to move, or move him, but sometimes, you know, you gotta!* If he's on a cat blanket on my lap in the office, it's pretty easy -- just get my hands under the blanket and move blanket AND cat. But if I'm anywhere else, there is no cat blanket. That's when the going gets tough.
Ross? My roomie loves Ross. I like Old Navy. But my favorite? The Animal Rescue Site. My brand new PJs from there are black with paw prints and hearts in several colors. They're flannel, very soft, very warm, and they were ON SALE

I help Betty out of my lap most mornings when the automation says it's time to leave for the office. She knows the routine. I gently place her front feet on the pillow stack in front of me and then provide support and guidance to help her back feet onto same. Occasionally I have to get up and return. Sometimes she's still hanging out on the pillow stack. Lately she's been returning to the chair I just vacated. This is a rare exception where I will actually lift Betty. In all other cases except vet trips, I resist picking her up off her feet, and instead prefer to help her go where she needs to go on her own. She's a very good sport about handling (except nail trims.) But I get the impression that she would prefer not to be lifted.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I help Betty out of my lap most mornings when the automation says it's time to leave for the office. She knows the routine. I gently place her front feet on the pillow stack in front of me and then provide support and guidance to help her back feet onto same. Occasionally I have to get up and return. Sometimes she's still hanging out on the pillow stack. Lately she's been returning to the chair I just vacated. This is a rare exception where I will actually lift Betty. In all other cases except vet trips, I resist picking her up off her feet, and instead prefer to help her go where she needs to go on her own. She's a very good sport about handling (except nail trims.) But I get the impression that she would prefer not to be lifted.

You have a very good and kind system there! I guess a pillow stack is needed here.
Most cats really don't like being picked up. Oh yeah, I know -- all those pix of cats being carried like human babies, being smushed on the kittehbelleh, may make us THINK they do. But they don't.

 

[daftcat75]

You have a very good and kind system there! I guess a pillow stack is needed here.
Most cats really don't like being picked up. Oh yeah, I know -- all those pix of cats being carried like human babies, being smushed on the kittehbelleh, may make us THINK they do. But they don't.

Caught this one the other morning. I leave for the office around 9:30. This was 10am. She was still chillin on the pillow stack.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Caught this one the other morning. I leave for the office around 9:30. This was 10am. She was still chillin on the pillow stack.
View attachment 439171

Betty's looking very comfy there. It's a really nice room!