Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

Yay! And Benjamin Button too!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yay! And Benjamin Button too!

The Swift family didn't raise no fool. Smart, extremely talented, and caring. Highest praise for my fellow #childlesscatlady and yes, those Three!

 

[daftcat75]

Might have been a too cold morning or who knows. But Betty didn't first pass her breakfast when she usually does. Which means she didn't second pass at usual time either. When I woke, she was right where I rolled her off of me for third sleep proper after our post-meds snuggle session. To make certain she didn't get sour stomach spits, I plopped her on the edge of the bed. When she finally took the hint and jumped off, it was a sniff and snub. So down I went and scooped a pile off the plate onto the carpet for her. That worked. So I got her to finish half her breakfast off the carpet and called that good enough. Still plenty of time for her tummy to go one way or the other. No need to push it. She came back for a little bit more after my breakfast. But ultimately, she left 1/3 of it. She needs to finish lunch today. To that end, I halved the already half dose of enzymes to make her lunch a little less "poisonous." (Whenever I put anything in hers or Krista's food, I felt like I was poisoning them with the reaction they'd give me.) I don't know if we're on hairball watch or just a soft start to her day.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Might have been a too cold morning or who knows. But Betty didn't first pass her breakfast when she usually does. Which means she didn't second pass at usual time either. When I woke, she was right where I rolled her off of me for third sleep proper after our post-meds snuggle session. To make certain she didn't get sour stomach spits, I plopped her on the edge of the bed. When she finally took the hint and jumped off, it was a sniff and snub. So down I went and scooped a pile off the plate onto the carpet for her. That worked. So I got her to finish half her breakfast off the carpet and called that good enough. Still plenty of time for her tummy to go one way or the other. No need to push it. She came back for a little bit more after my breakfast. But ultimately, she left 1/3 of it. She needs to finish lunch today. To that end, I halved the already half dose of enzymes to make her lunch a little less "poisonous." (Whenever I put anything in hers or Krista's food, I felt like I was poisoning them with the reaction they'd give me.) I don't know if we're on hairball watch or just a soft start to her day.

The kid had a little juicy furball last night. Right across my prized vintage stereo cabinet. Most of it came up. A little stain. Oh well. It IS vintage, after all, and it's got a ding from an EQ back in the mists of time.
Fluffy is being "finicky" about breakfast/brunch, too, maybe because of that, maybe not. Sometimes acting like we're eating it ourselves works, right? "NOM NOM NOM! MMMMMMMMMMM!"

 

[daftcat75]

The kid had a little juicy furball last night. Right across my prized vintage stereo cabinet. Most of it came up. A little stain. Oh well. It IS vintage, after all, and it's got a ding from an EQ back in the mists of time.
Fluffy is being "finicky" about breakfast/brunch, too, maybe because of that, maybe not. Sometimes acting like we're eating it ourselves works, right? "NOM NOM NOM! MMMMMMMMMMM!"

We're having a return of Gray Garfield. She's spending afternoons sleeping in her own blanket forts. Maybe she's hiding from the illegals that are eating pets.

Lunch is finished. So I guess she just inverted which meal she was going to leave a remainder. And until last night, she was doing pretty good about finishing her reduced portion second dinner. I think it just cooled down a little too much and she preferred snuggles over noms.

Or maybe... maybe she just needed to poop before she felt like eating again. And since she's not on a perfect 24 hour schedule, that poop moves around the clock. This morning, it came around my breakfast time. (Right up there with fresh coffee for aromas I want at breakfast. )

But really, I think we're getting on the edge of the seasons. We're going to have to adapt our cooling/heating strategy to make it both comfortable enough to sleep while also warm enough to jump out of bed for overnight business and noms.

 

[tarasgirl06]

We're having a return of Gray Garfield. She's spending afternoons sleeping in her own blanket forts. Maybe she's hiding from the illegals that are eating pets.

Lunch is finished. So I guess she just inverted which meal she was going to leave a remainder. And until last night, she was doing pretty good about finishing her reduced portion second dinner. I think it just cooled down a little too much and she preferred snuggles over noms.

Or maybe... maybe she just needed to poop before she felt like eating again. And since she's not on a perfect 24 hour schedule, that poop moves around the clock. This morning, it came around my breakfast time. (Right up there with fresh coffee for aromas I want at breakfast. )

But really, I think we're getting on the edge of the seasons. We're going to have to adapt our cooling/heating strategy to make it both comfortable enough to sleep while also warm enough to jump out of bed for overnight business and noms.

So bizarre. Fluff usually does his business late at night, but today, he did it in late morning.
Yeah, I guess no one from that camp is gonna mention that we childless cat ladies have a propensity for hillbilly babies

 

[daftcat75]

So bizarre. Fluff usually does his business late at night, but today, he did it in late morning.
Yeah, I guess no one from that camp is gonna mention that we childless cat ladies have a propensity for hillbilly babies

I rolled Betty off of me earlier this morning so that she would have time for her two breakfast passes before I wake up proper. Betty made her first pass and then left me with the wafting aroma of something dark and steamy. It wasn't coffee. So now I'm laying in bed thinking, I've got at least another hour before I have to wake. Do I just sleep through this or do I get up, clean the box, and try to go back to sleep for another hour? Simply getting up at that hour wasn't acceptable. Ultimately, I slept through it as best as I could. I can't wait til her business rotates to a better hour. Breakfast is clean plate. I'm experimenting with 1/8 tsp (1/4 dose) of enzymes since the bottle says 1/4 tsp per 20 lbs of animal per day. I somehow thought that was 1/4 tsp per half cup of food. Maybe it's written like that somewhere else?? Let's see if we still get the hairball eating benefits without the soupy consistency and food aversion.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I rolled Betty off of me earlier this morning so that she would have time for her two breakfast passes before I wake up proper. Betty made her first pass and then left me with the wafting aroma of something dark and steamy. It wasn't coffee. So now I'm laying in bed thinking, I've got at least another hour before I have to wake. Do I just sleep through this or do I get up, clean the box, and try to go back to sleep for another hour? Simply getting up at that hour wasn't acceptable. Ultimately, I slept through it as best as I could. I can't wait til her business rotates to a better hour. Breakfast is clean plate. I'm experimenting with 1/8 tsp (1/4 dose) of enzymes since the bottle says 1/4 tsp per 20 lbs of animal per day. I somehow thought that was 1/4 tsp per half cup of food. Maybe it's written like that somewhere else?? Let's see if we still get the hairball eating benefits without the soupy consistency and food aversion.

It probably was written elsewhere. I lot of products change these days, it seems. For instance, I've always used Advantage topical for my cats. It was a Bayer product and always expiration dated. The product was sold to another corporation and no longer "requires" or carries an expiration date. *Also, it seems to be completely useless. Anyway.*
Hoping you and Betty have better luck with those enzymes.

 

[daftcat75]

Slight decrease: 9.20

In the last few days, she’s been doing better since I trimmed the mix and the enzymes. Now her food is less creamy and I think she appreciates that. It’s possible that all her recent fussiness can be traced back to the enzymes. But since she went a month without hairballs while on them, and immediately hairballed twice in two days when we stopped, I’m still more inclined to keep them than ditch them. That said, 1/4-ing the dose may be what’s needed. At a quarter of the original dose and trimming the A/D back, we’re getting more clean plates again. Perhaps her overnight portion can be bumped back up. I had trimmed it some because she was leaving most of her remainders on overnight. But she’s been turning in mostly clean plates on overnight again. It was only about mid-week that I found she was eating better with a trimmer mix. So perhaps by next Sunday, a whole week of better eating, she might be back up to 9.3 again.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Slight decrease: 9.20
View attachment 484684View attachment 484685View attachment 484686View attachment 484687
In the last few days, she’s been doing better since I trimmed the mix and the enzymes. Now her food is less creamy and I think she appreciates that. It’s possible that all her recent fussiness can be traced back to the enzymes. But since she went a month without hairballs while on them, and immediately hairballed twice in two days when we stopped, I’m still more inclined to keep them than ditch them. That said, 1/4-ing the dose may be what’s needed. At a quarter of the original dose and trimming the A/D back, we’re getting more clean plates again. Perhaps her overnight portion can be bumped back up. I had trimmed it some because she was leaving most of her remainders on overnight. But she’s been turning in mostly clean plates on overnight again. It was only about mid-week that I found she was eating better with a trimmer mix. So perhaps by next Sunday, a whole week of better eating, she might be back up to 9.3 again.

You may very well be on to something. *Hopefully Betty will be, too.* She's looking very well. I love the tail-er pic.

 

[daftcat75]

You may very well be on to something. *Hopefully Betty will be, too.* She's looking very well. I love the tail-er pic.

I was trying to get a picture of how slim she's become. But she told me, "I did my one job this morning and got paid the same as every morning. Fluff this!" She knows this routine. She knows she's there to climb into the basket and eat a treat. Then she's done. She's not there to entertain the pawpurrazi.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I was trying to get a picture of how slim she's become. But she told me, "I did my one job this morning and got paid the same as every morning. Fluff this!" She knows this routine. She knows she's there to climb into the basket and eat a treat. Then she's done. She's not there to entertain the pawpurrazi.

Someday humans will admit it: cats ARE smarter than people in the ways that count.

 

[daftcat75]

It’s starting to get cooler up here and I can feel my cold weather appetite coming on. I think Betty’s is too. Her lunch and dinner have been finished today earlier than all summer.

 

[tarasgirl06]

It’s starting to get cooler up here and I can feel my cold weather appetite coming on. I think Betty’s is too. Her lunch and dinner have been finished today earlier than all summer.

Here, too, on all of the above. I love this time of year and it's great when the feline appetites pick up!

 

[daftcat75]

Here, too, on all of the above. I love this time of year and it's great when the feline appetites pick up!

I like it when Betty's appetite picks up. I also like it because it's easier to sleep at night. But otherwise, I'm not ready to give up summer yet. I'm also not ready to put on winter weight. I'm about 2/3 of the weight I wanted to lose this summer and I can already feel my potato cravings kicking in. I'm also losing the warm running weather and I just signed up for the first of potentially three 5K's in three weeks. Two of them are the same course, one weekend apart. It's the same creek trail that I've been running all summer. I'm still not back to the same pace I had two years ago, the last time I did this run. But unlike last year, I'm still healthy and running at the end of the summer. If I don't injure anything this weekend, I can sign up for the next one. And the next one.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I like it when Betty's appetite picks up. I also like it because it's easier to sleep at night. But otherwise, I'm not ready to give up summer yet. I'm also not ready to put on winter weight. I'm about 2/3 of the weight I wanted to lose this summer and I can already feel my potato cravings kicking in. I'm also losing the warm running weather and I just signed up for the first of potentially three 5K's in three weeks. Two of them are the same course, one weekend apart. It's the same creek trail that I've been running all summer. I'm still not back to the same pace I had two years ago, the last time I did this run. But unlike last year, I'm still healthy and running at the end of the summer. If I don't injure anything this weekend, I can sign up for the next one. And the next one.

You'll get there! It's great that you ran all summer, too. We normally need more calories in cool/cold times and we also benefit from a little extra "padding." That doesn't bother me -- it's what we're supposed to do. Potatoes!!! Oh yeah! They get a bad rap but actually they're really good for us. The thing is "everything in moderation" with good lifestyle and regular exercise. I don't weigh myself any more. As long as I fit into my clothes and they look good on me, I feel good most of the time, and I enjoy my life, that's all good for me.
Getting my silly boy used to the fact that he is now served wet food 2 or 3 times a day is a bit of a challenge, but after 3 months here, he seems to be starting to accept this pattern and he's coming in to the breakfast room some mornings, meowing.

 

[daftcat75]

You'll get there! It's great that you ran all summer, too. We normally need more calories in cool/cold times and we also benefit from a little extra "padding." That doesn't bother me -- it's what we're supposed to do. Potatoes!!! Oh yeah! They get a bad rap but actually they're really good for us. The thing is "everything in moderation" with good lifestyle and regular exercise. I don't weigh myself any more. As long as I fit into my clothes and they look good on me, I feel good most of the time, and I enjoy my life, that's all good for me.
Getting my silly boy used to the fact that he is now served wet food 2 or 3 times a day is a bit of a challenge, but after 3 months here, he seems to be starting to accept this pattern and he's coming in to the breakfast room some mornings, meowing. View attachment 484884

I only weigh myself on a body composition scale because the big number is meaningless. I look at fat%, bone weight, and lean body weight. I started Spring probably the highest fat % ever at 26%. Technically obese (>25% for men), though I certainly don't look it. But I was having back pain and I was facing an autistic's worst nightmare: shopping for new clothes. My shorts were fitting so tight, I thought the waist button might have to be registered as a concealed weapon. Today's weigh-in (I like to do it after my runs because it's generous) was 21%. I was probably in my best shape (since turning 40) in 2020 where I got it down to 18%. The existential crisis of COVID was great motivation for me to improve my cardiovascular health, and the quarantine provided me with much time and few opportunities save for running. My ADHD side likes to gamify everything. I'd like to settle in at 15% with a stretch goal of a six pack (low teens) while I'm still young enough to work that hard. But then I remember I like beer and potatoes and chips and salsa. So if I can keep it manageable under 20%, that would be alright with me. It's less about vanity than not having back pain and not having to buy new clothes. Nice thing about the weather cooling is that I can start working out indoors again. I can also spend more time in the kitchen cooking, actually cooking stuff, rather than frying a couple of eggs and microwaving veggie sausage. Mixed blessing of cooler weather is that Betty likes to cuddle more at night. And I still need every bit of sleep as I can get because I already know it's going to be broken up a few times. Perhaps once I get the radiators on their schedules, she'll go back to nom goblin mode. I'll see her once at bedtime and perhaps once in the morning and overnight, she'll be goblin her noms while I get my sleep.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I only weigh myself on a body composition scale because the big number is meaningless. I look at fat%, bone weight, and lean body weight. I started Spring probably the highest fat % ever at 26%. Technically obese (>25% for men), though I certainly don't look it. But I was having back pain and I was facing an autistic's worst nightmare: shopping for new clothes. My shorts were fitting so tight, I thought the waist button might have to be registered as a concealed weapon. Today's weigh-in (I like to do it after my runs because it's generous) was 21%. I was probably in my best shape (since turning 40) in 2020 where I got it down to 18%. The existential crisis of COVID was great motivation for me to improve my cardiovascular health, and the quarantine provided me with much time and few opportunities save for running. My ADHD side likes to gamify everything. I'd like to settle in at 15% with a stretch goal of a six pack (low teens) while I'm still young enough to work that hard. But then I remember I like beer and potatoes and chips and salsa. So if I can keep it manageable under 20%, that would be alright with me. It's less about vanity than not having back pain and not having to buy new clothes. Nice thing about the weather cooling is that I can start working out indoors again. I can also spend more time in the kitchen cooking, actually cooking stuff, rather than frying a couple of eggs and microwaving veggie sausage. Mixed blessing of cooler weather is that Betty likes to cuddle more at night. And I still need every bit of sleep as I can get because I already know it's going to be broken up a few times. Perhaps once I get the radiators on their schedules, she'll go back to nom goblin mode. I'll see her once at bedtime and perhaps once in the morning and overnight, she'll be goblin her noms while I get my sleep.

Yeah on all of the above and definitely, health is more important than vanity, though it's true for many if not most that when we look good *or perceive that we do* we feel good. Chips and salsa, and veggie sausages, and even eggs, aren't bad in moderation. *No comment on alcohol because remember, I'm a definite non-participant.* Clothes? Yeah. I still have clothes from high school and college (a few. Keep stuff long enough, and it's cool again. Or maybe not.) I've read/heard, though, that shape does change with age, and that definitely does seem to be true. But "technically obese" could probably use a little work because "technically" that's not great for health. Increased workouts can't hoit!
Hoping the Fluff will take his cue from Ms. Betty and start opting for the bed at night.

 

[daftcat75]

Betty is doing well with the reduced dose of enzymes and trimming the A/D mix. We'll see how it all shakes out on the scale on Sunday. She's also been cleaning her overnight plate. I guess she just needed some cooler weather. She has also gone back into Gray Garfield mode where she burrows into the blankets for half the day. Then she finally woke at 2pm and cleaned her lunch plate in one go. She got a full tank of loving from me and then went window watching for about an hour. That full tank only lasted that long before she was back for a refill. Fluff doesn't sleep with you at night? I love that Betty doesn't need to sleep with me. She will show up at random times in the night and morning. But mostly she's got her cave. Sometimes she wakes when I have to get up for a pee, and steals my back pillow while I'm gone. She has a decoy self-heating blanket that she sometimes uses. But she likes my back pillow more.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Betty is doing well with the reduced dose of enzymes and trimming the A/D mix. We'll see how it all shakes out on the scale on Sunday. She's also been cleaning her overnight plate. I guess she just needed some cooler weather. She has also gone back into Gray Garfield mode where she burrows into the blankets for half the day. Then she finally woke at 2pm and cleaned her lunch plate in one go. She got a full tank of loving from me and then went window watching for about an hour. That full tank only lasted that long before she was back for a refill. Fluff doesn't sleep with you at night? I love that Betty doesn't need to sleep with me. She will show up at random times in the night and morning. But mostly she's got her cave. Sometimes she wakes when I have to get up for a pee, and steals my back pillow while I'm gone. She has a decoy self-heating blanket that she sometimes uses. But she likes my back pillow more.

Well, can you blame her? That's a GREAT pillow and if I had one I'd be all over it, too
Fluff is eating more now, too, due to the cooler weather and the ant-free dining area (I've observed that ants come in when it's really hot and there isn't much to be done about it except mop them up. Unfortunately, with the seesawing temperatures we're forecast to have next week, I'll have to be vigilant.) He hasn't really got a pattern yet, if he ever will. Remember, he was a colony cat for ??? and then in foster with 8 other cats, a dog, his fosterer and her son for 3 months. So he probably doesn't HAVE a pattern. Then he comes here and really loves Elvis, who leaves us 3 months later. And now we're a little over half a month with him being an only cat. It must be kind of bewildering for him. He's been coming in and sleeping with me off and on, not all night, but at least some. His doing his full-on spa treatment while I'm trying to sleep isn't optimum, but I'm glad he's with me rather than up at the other end of the house. And he's been exploring different spots -- the dining room window perch,the back of the living room sofa, and on the biggest cat activity center with a vantage point out to the patio being the newest -- which I'm glad of. Hopefully it means he's happier, even if he is lonely. Really hoping to adopt soon but just need a little more time to grieve.