My typical day starts with Cleo (the alarm clock) waking me up, and usually, there would be at least two cats in the bedroom (Which two? They take turns and I haven't quite figured out their system yet!). This morning, it was Bunny and Indy. Bobby is of course, still sleeping at my foot. Usually Cow sleeps next to him.
So I get up and everyone else is either just outside the room, on the stairs and at the foot of the stairs.
But today, Pole wasn't here.
I decided to feed the rest first and will go look for Pole when it's a bit brighter.
So, first thing first, everybody gets one round of kibbles.
Then, it's waiting for Bobby to come down so that I can cook his stir-fried chicken for him. That's Bobby's breakfast. Bunny and Cleo get their raw chicken treat. They are the only ones who would eat raw chicken.
Round One is done.
Then, as the sun rises, there's Round Two.
The reason there are so many rounds is that all the cats don't eat very much at one go. Rather, they eat frequently. It's like feeding on demand, which of course, many vets do not recommend, but what would you do if they just refuse to eat a lot, right? You wouldn't want to force them, and anyway, HOW can you force a cat to do anything?
This is Round Two:
Cleo absolutely INSISTS on fresh foods. She thinks food from the container is more fresh than those dished out, even if you do it right before her eyes. So, she just HAS to eat directly from the container.
Cow is very "chinchai". He doesn't mind eating from anywhere, and when he was young, he would wait for Bunny and Pole to finish eating, then he comes and picks up all the left-overs. So, as cranky as he is (he hisses and bites whenever he feels like it), you just got to give him credit for his "good side". My son says he never quite had a childhood as he spent his time looking after Bunny and Pole, and later, Tiger, so that explains his slightly "dysfunctional" behaviour now. We accept Cow as who he is - Cow.
Indy is a very easily-contented cat. He has had Round One, he doesn't need Round Two. This is Indy's granite table.
Bunny is also quite contented. No need Round Two.
(He looks like a feline Schwarzenegger, right?)
You know, when I rescued Cow, Bunny and Pole from the roadside five years ago, I was told they would not survive as they were only 2 days old. Then, I was told they would be very small-sized since handfed kittens are usually so. I don't know how Cow and Bunny grew to be so big! They are not fat, they are actually big-boned, muscular and very tall! My son says they are so long-legged, they look like those long-legged robots in Star Wars.
Yesterday evening, there was quite a scene at home. I was out giving a talk and when I returned, I saw Bunny sleeping contentedly on the "favourite chair". You see, the favourite chair belongs to Bobby. But the cats will try very, very hard to take turns on it whenever Bobby jumps down. Yesterday, apparently, according to my husband, Bunny wanted the chair. But Bunny is not aggressive or demanding, so he waited patiently at a distance. The moment Bobby jumped down, he rushed over and jumped up and settled comfortably on the chair.
But Bobby is blind and his sense of smell isn't too good either. So, Bobby came back soon after, and unknowingly climbed onto the chair only to be scratched by Bunny. My husband witnessed the whole thing. Now, he's an old-schooled Chinese who firmly believes in respect for the elders, so he reprimanded Bunny, and tried to carry Bunny down, but NO....Bunny would not allow this. He looked at my husband and meowed loudly as though pleading, "But I waited patiently for this chair and I've got it now, so it's mine for now!"
You've got to give it to Bunny, you know...he really has a way of getting what he wants, so husband relented and Bunny got his chair for the entire evening. We pacified Bobby by putting him on the sofa instead.
I don't know why, but everybody seems to like that chair.
Back to my breakfast story now...
So, I have to hunt for Pole. She's usually in one of the neighbours' house. There are three houses that allow her to sleep on their porches.
So, I went out calling for Pole.....
There she is. Obviously, she's decided it's Sunday, so she could sleep in.
Oh, it's time for breakfast already??
Cleo never fails to dutifully wait for her mum.
This is what I call unfailing loyalty and filial piety.
(My vet doesn't agree but we have agreed to disagree on many things!)
Cow comes out too.
Bunny also.
Cow and Bunny are Pole's brothers. They both chased Pole out of the house after Pole was done breastfeeding her litter. Ever since then, Pole lived as a community cat and seems to prefer it. That's four years already now.
I carry Pole back and put her on the ground, but she is still scared, so I carry her into the house.
When this happens, Pole always gets a special treat (to tell her it's worth coming back). So, it's Fussie Cat for her first. But this can has been in the fridge for three days, and no, no, Pole wants it fresh as well.
Bunny doesn't mind. "I'll eat it", he says.
Indy also doesn't mind and neither does Tiger. So, there goes the 3-day old canned food. All finished now.
Pole gets a fresh can, and oh well, everybody gets a bit too.
Is this counted as Round Three?
Indy is very easily contented.
Cow also.
And Bobby wonders why everybody is eating again, so he also comes out, and he's almost finished his stir-fried chicken (just one piece left, and he cannot see it. Never mind, Bunny will eat it up later.)
Bobby actually cannot remember when he has eaten, so he'll ask for food each time I come home....from anywhere. His cue is me coming home. But he cannot eat too much at this age or he'll have pasty stools, so I have to limit his meals to just twice a day.
Husband ensuring Bobby gets his chair this morning.
Eh, who are you calling "dysfunctional"?
Ok, point taken, Cow. You're not dysfunctional, you're....SPECIAL!
So, that's today's breakfast story.
And as simple as it may be, it's memories in the making.
Cherish moments with your loved ones, you'll never know when they would be taken from you, or you taken from them.
Have a great Sunday!
