With every move comes change. Some change is planned, while others are unexpected.
I had planned to change the way I feed the cats to address the weight gain with some of them, like Malachi. Instead of leaving a feeder out for each cat to enjoy at his or her leisure, they’re now being fed twice a day, the same as the dogs. There is a downside, though. The cats start fussing to be fed long before I’m ready to get up. I think I may be getting up earlier for a while…. at least until they get used to the routine.
But the most pleasant, unexpected change also happened. Bubba Cat has stopped isolating himself! He had been spending all his time in my bedroom.
He is still not getting along well with Graybow, so I have work to do in that area. But at least he’s out among the rest of us. YAY!
I started feeding my two kitties twice a day when I brought them home. I had three before them, one very skinny and one very fat. I left the food out all day because I was worried about the skinny guy not getting his share. Unfortunately, fat Willie died from diabetes and liver failure. It broke my heart. I swore never to overfeed my kids again. You are right - they will wake you up early for food, even when they are in the routine. Prepare for window blind rattling and face pouncing!
Posted by bikerchick57 | July 13, 2013, 7:20 AMI may never have another decent night’s sleep.
Posted by rumpydog | July 13, 2013, 7:43 AMYay for Bubba. I hope in your new home only good things will happen. have agreat saturday
Posted by easyweimaraner | July 13, 2013, 7:26 AMI hope so too.
Posted by rumpydog | July 13, 2013, 7:43 AMCody hasn’t been allowed to be “free fed” for about 6 years now. He is too fat. If I were to fill a bowl of kibble and put it in front of him, he would eat until he would explode
Posted by Cody-Cat Chat (@CatChatCaren) | July 13, 2013, 7:30 AMMalachi has over-compensated for his being underweight and now he needs to lose some weight.
Posted by rumpydog | July 13, 2013, 7:43 AMHooray! I’m glad to hear that Bubba started joining you!
Hmmm…. Our kitties are fed four times a day, but we’re also thinking if we might feed them twice a day…
Have a lovely weekend at your new house!
Posted by eripanwkevin | July 13, 2013, 7:50 AMGo Bubba!! That’s a very positive change!
The Florida Furkids
Posted by The Florida Furkids | July 13, 2013, 8:03 AMGood luck with that feeding routine. I have four cats and one is fat. One will only eat dry and the rest get wet. It is very hard to actually see who eats what unless I stand there because they trade bowls. I was thinking of not leaving the dry out all day but the dry food cat is a skinny nibbler. And yes, I can always tell when it’s time to put out the wet stuff. There are dances that go on and chirping and stuff. Except when there is company here. They can go an extra two hours without food rather than come out if other people are here.
Posted by katecrimmins | July 13, 2013, 8:04 AMSometimes moving does bring out new personalities in pets, not always positive but maybe in your case.
Posted by Emmadog | July 13, 2013, 8:30 AMIf there were a St. Francis of Assisi Award, you would deserve it for life.
Posted by essaybee2012 | July 13, 2013, 8:51 AMI no longer free feed my cats either. They generally get fed three times a day (if I’m home) or twice a day if I’m out. Zelda gets fed in my bedroom because she’s the least assertive, and I don’t any of the others to steal her food. Also she was too heavy, so she no longer receives any dry food which has really helped slim her down. The rest receive half dry/half wet.
Posted by Vicki Cook (@vscook) | July 13, 2013, 8:59 AMWay to GO BUBBA. We have a self feeder. Hope MOM doesn’t see this and get any of her CRAZY SQUIRRLEY Ideas .
Posted by Frankie and Ernie | July 13, 2013, 9:02 AMGood for Bubba. I only have 1 cat, so it’s easier to adjust food amounts and routines. With the first 3 cats, I used to do free feed and never had a problem with weight. Mario came along, and he loves to eat! Now we feed him 3 times a day in measured amounts. It’s working, but again having only 1 cat is easier that trying to get several cats to adjust. Good luck. I hope it works for you.
Posted by mariodacat | July 13, 2013, 9:26 AMYay Bubba! And cool cooling on Malachi! Woooowoooooo, Ku
Posted by Julianne Victoria | July 13, 2013, 10:12 AMThey don’t much like changes…..but it’s great that your crew is willing to TRY! YAY!
Pam
Posted by onespoiledcat | July 13, 2013, 10:59 AMYou have my sympathies on the weight control issue. We’re now feeding our two cats a weight-control diet. We put the dish of dry food down twice a day, but I do leave it out if they haven’t finished it. (We also feed them wet food - a total of a can between the two of them - half of a small can split between them in the morning, the other half at night.)
Posted by earthriderjudyberman | July 13, 2013, 11:26 AMBabbage must be loving te new home
Posted by mythreemoggies | July 13, 2013, 12:20 PMI hope your kitties adapt. I had a diabetic kitty some time ago that would tap me in the face, turn on my touch lamp, and cry furiously for about an hour before it was feeding time in the morning. We had to change the schedule so I didn’t get 4:30 am paws to the face.
Posted by The Confluent Kitchen | July 13, 2013, 1:31 PMI’m afraid this may be my fate too.
Posted by rumpydog | July 13, 2013, 1:55 PMProbably. I did everything short of selling him to gypsies (and I threatened that) and it was like clockwork!!
Posted by The Confluent Kitchen | July 13, 2013, 3:01 PMHi, Bubba! Nice to see you.
Posted by ILoveDogs | July 13, 2013, 2:37 PMIf there is one thing that cats hate, it’s CHANGE!
Posted by Russell Smith | July 13, 2013, 2:50 PMNot all change is bad, but cats don’t like it anyway!!
Posted by CATachresis | July 13, 2013, 3:40 PMDere iz 2 more kittehz dere?? Mousiez Rumpy dat iz a full house fer shure!!! Malachi is bery handsum!!
N Rumpy ya are gorgeeuss too!!!
Lub Nylablue xo
Posted by Nylabluesmum | July 13, 2013, 4:23 PMWhee aren’t too fond of change here but sometimes whee gotta lets the hoomans do whats they wants to do. Whee always squeak for our veggies and hay hours before whee are supposed to get them. It’s our way to trying to train the hoomans!
xxxx
Posted by hutchagoodlife | July 13, 2013, 5:00 PMYay for Bubba! Looks like you’re keeping a pretty close big brotherly eye on Bubba too Rumpy x
Posted by bumpyroadtobubba | July 13, 2013, 6:06 PMFeeding twice daily with no free feeding is so much better physically and socially! I hope it works for you.
Posted by Bernadette | July 13, 2013, 6:26 PMCats have servants… and we love them even still 😊 Good to see the move suits Bubba.
Posted by EllaDee | July 13, 2013, 6:45 PMSo glad that Bubba is making an appearance..changes are not liked by any of us are they..at least we understand in a way why but the furbabies really don’t get it…yes you may be on the early shift for awhile
Hugs Fozziemum
Posted by fozziemum | July 13, 2013, 9:21 PMDearest Bubba,
We are Purrime Ministerettes. At your service. *paws to heads*
You like how you fooded, twice a day? It YOUR decision how you get fooded, not thems. YOU is boss, not thems. So if you has desire to get fooded 3 AM, you has right to. Thems shall learn soon to foodings you immediately when thems notice you has empty bowl. But bestest is not to even has thems notice. It very lawful to start whining when bowl empty and demand an IMMEDIATE FILL.
You has Purrime Ministerette purrmission. XXXX
Posted by Shiva & Jaya | July 14, 2013, 4:18 AMHorray remember little steps start epic journeys.
Posted by willowdot21 | July 14, 2013, 8:06 AMGlad that Bubba is coming out of his shell. I haven’t had cats for a long time, but three Shih Tzus probably equal four cats
Two have a weight problem, the third maintains her girlish figure through thick and through thin (sorry, couldn’t resist that ).
Because the oldest doesn’t “get up” until late morning and isn’t amenable to breakfast at that time, I had to switch the first of our two-meals-a-day routine from breakfast to lunch, and the second at supper time.
However, fearing that lunch was too long a wait from supper the night before for the other two dogs, I gave them all a hand-fed snack in the morning…whenever they got up. It usually consists of 2-3 small raw carrots (baby-sliced size) and 5-10 kibbles fed from the hand as well. It works.
Posted by Sandra Bell Kirchman | July 14, 2013, 10:59 AMThat’s so great that Bubba Cat is coming out of his shell. We hope he and Graybow can figure things out soon.
Moosey fusses when it gets to be near feeding time, too. MOL.
Posted by meowmeowmans | July 14, 2013, 11:27 AMAhhh great that he’s slowly getting more comfortable..
Posted by LifeOfBun | July 14, 2013, 11:36 AMYou have such determination and nerve. RC would hunt me down and I’d soon be cowering in a corner. (I’ve managed to end the endless food bowl and have scheduled snacks…she can’t eat a lot at one sitting or she’ll bolt it down, throw it up, and come looking for me demanding more….and she gets up really early - those pounding little paws to the head hurts.)
Nice Bubba is feeling more social!
Posted by philosophermouseofthehedge | July 14, 2013, 4:42 PMAww! Well done Bubba cat!
Posted by europasicewolf | July 15, 2013, 6:20 AM