Sunday, December 18, 2011

Tabs was here all night

Tabs did not go home last night. She was sleeping on Jia-Wen's bed!

My husband said she actually came to our bed to sleep with us, but later must have gone over to Jia-Wen's bed.

She came down late for breakfast, though. Maybe she isn't used to having breakfast at 5am.

But smart little girl, she went for the stir-fried chicken with Udo's Oil. That's Bobby's food. Ever since Dr Susanna's advice yesterday, I'm going to take little steps to introduce more home-cooked food for my brood. So I'm starting with hiding small pieces of cooked chicken in the Fussie Cat.

Amongst my brood, only Bunny and Cleo are on raw food. The rest weren't willing to eat it though I tried converting them to it a few years ago, but maybe I wasn't persistent (or tough!) enough. Also, for mine, if they don't get what they want in my kitchen, they know they can always share the cats' kibble food at the neighbour's. Dr Susanna said if the system is weak, the animal will not eat raw food, then cooked food would be the next option. There's also the problem of habit, of course. Right now, they like Fussie Cat, but the jelly in it isn't healthy at all. I've tried other brands like Go! and Natural Balance, but they didn't like it and simply refused to eat it.

Maybe when we move and they are confined, they would have no other choice (save for doing Gandhi hunger strikes) but to eat what they are served with. Still, it should be done in baby steps. I don't want anyone falling sick because of the stress of not getting the food they like!

Even Bobby goes on hunger strikes when he doesn't get what he likes. And he would strike until he loses weight.

Why and how did I raise such strong-willed animals? Sigh...

Or is it a case of bullying?  They bullying me!

Anyway, here's Tabs eating Tiger's food, after she almost finished all the Udo-chicken I had cut into tiny pieces to be "hidden" in the Fussie Cat for my cats.


May I have some, Tiger?



Thank you, Tiger.


She finished everything.

3 comments:

Huey said...

Both my dogs started with home-cooked food so I didn't have much problem with their diet. Our beloved old dog who is already in doggie-heaven now, though, was fed food scrap since she was a puppy. It was when she was at her old age (10+) that I started learning about healthy diet for dogs, and I decided to change her diet completely. I had problem initially, since those healthy food (oats, boiled chicken, fresh vege, sometimes raw meat, etc) weren't something she was familiar with and she was quite picky. But I didn't stop there. I only served what I cooked/prepared for her, nothing else. Then she started to eat a little bit day by day. And then was completely happy to finish everything. I read that their bodies actually know what's best for them, and to change their diet, a short period of fast to flush whatever left behind always helps.

I recently put our current 2 dogs on liquid fast + vegetarian diet for about 1-2 weeks when they had problem with their skin. Coco the black mutt refused to eat her breakfast at first. I didn't give in - it's either that or no food. After several days, she realised that's the only thing she's getting so she might as well just eat them up.

Whenever I change their diet or fast them, I'm worried, and my boyfriend would roll his eyes. Hehe. Truth is, they always appear healthier and happier than ever after - or even during the fast. :)

mas said...

Hi dr chan

When i first got to know about this blog, i read all posts. and i've read most of your books, except "Do We Have A Choice" (started today)

and since i read most of it, i can picture how well and nice you treat your pets. but when i read your posts on difficulty u face when handling your cats at times, i do have a thought that your pets is bullying you, coz you're so nice. definitely, you're a kind person, but maybe need to be a little bit tough at times with your furkids :).

don't be discouraged by this comment coz i mean well. i can relate your situation with mine. i used to be so so so nice to my furkids when they are just 3-4 of them. but when the number keep growing due to fostering/rescue etc, problems start to arise (cat fights, hissing etc). then i realize too much pampering and affection make them spoil and stubborn.

then i changed my method to a more assertive way of handling them but at the same time still pampering them with attention and lots of patting. guess what,they are more obedient.

i cannot tell you how to start being little bit tough on them, but hope you can figure it out later :)

best wishes.

chankahyein said...

Thanks, Maslinda. Yes, I admit that's a weakness in me and perhaps that has to change. Maybe it's being a disciplinarian more than being tough! I'm very TOUGH with my (human) students, though (no mercy, rules are rules) but when it comes to animals, it's a different state of mind altogether. Talk about double standards, this is it! Your sharing is much appreciated - thank you!