Cat nutrition

Good night, woke up early. Went to work. Nothing happening at work, so I left early.

Back at home was more interesting. I went straight into the garden with my Mips. I started working the path, a bit closer to the road than I’d like, but not so close that the Mips should go out. Rose walked past, a friend was picking her up to visit a mutual friend. Only, her car died. I just would not start, and it’s one of those where you can’t even change gears without power. They called the AA and sat down to wait. Only … with Rose sitting in a car in the road, and me halfway to the road, the Mips felt they could go into the road now! Rose called me, and I brought them two chairs to sit in the shade a bit further down the road while I moved closer to home. The Mips got the message and came back with me. Eventually someone from the AA came and started the car for Rose’s friend – only: they put the handbrake up so tight, neither Rose nor her friend could loosen it! So thoughtless and so typical. Fortunately I could help.

I got quite a bit of weeding done, though. I saw one of those flame-lilies had dried and was about to pull it out when I saw the seed pods hadn’t dispersed all their seeds, yet. I collected some of the seeds and gave them to Rose. I also collected more Vieruurtjie seeds and threw them next to the Hibiscus, where our gardener had done such a great job clearing the rockery.

I went back upstairs and Lady Jane went obsessively cuddly! Evidently she hasn’t burned off enough energy, so I went back into the garden. I can’t help myself, I can’t just stroll around, I have to do something – so I cleared more of the dried leaves off the Aloe’s. I could do that with my bare hands – there are no spikes or thorns on the leaves. The healthy leaves have spike-like, serrated edges. I didn’t get even a scratch. I ended up staying out a bit too late – and the Mips didn’t follow me home. I had to call them – only Lady Jane came running. I ended up having to shut her in the bedroom … shame, that’s not how her loving obedience should be rewarded! Ziva and Mewthos followed soon afterwards, though, so she wasn’t shut in for long.

I’ve been looking into cat nutrition, trying to work out some way to give them more wet food, because the dry food contains such a lot of stuff they don’t need. I don’t think Ziva is happy with her weight, she used to sleep on my lap and liked being picked up. She doesn’t anymore. She doesn’t like to be picked up at all anymore, nor does she like to be on my lap anymore. Yet she prefers the dry food to just about everything else – while at the same time getting very excited whenever I open a tin or sachet … only to turn her nose up at it when I put the ‘treat’ down! I’ve been throwing ‘left-over’ wet food away by the handful every night this week – I can’t afford to keep doing that. So tonight, I’ve put their ‘treat’ down and taken away the kibbles. So they have no choice but to eat what I put down. I have three highly upset cats on my hands, now.

Like I said, I’ve been looking into cat nutrition, and what comes up is a lot of raw meat diet – loads and loads of sites with pretty much the same recipes. At first, this sounds great: cats are obligatory carnivores, so raw meat is exactly what they should be eating, right? But then you look at some of the recipes, and they all involve having to get a variety of supplements – essential supplements, not optional. Plus, you’re supposed to grind the whole lot into a sort of mush (or mince) – bones and all. So, that’s not a realistic option – firstly, I have no clue where I should even start looking for those supplements (though I will have a look) and secondly … I don’t have a meat grinder. Let alone a meat + bone mincer.

Every variety of searching throws up the same, almost identical, recipes. Nowhere can I find anything along the lines of ‘supplementing dry food with some raw meats’. Or suggestions of raw meat treats, or even just meat treats. And all those sites open with ‘get rid of all dry food’ or ‘stop feeding dry food’ as if dried food is the root of all evil. That kind of wording sounds a little too pushy for my liking. After quite some searching, I also found a site that warned against ‘this new “raw meat diet for cats’ trend”.

Normally, I would refer to a book – I don’t have one, though. Nutrition, as such, has never been an interest of mine – cooking, sure, but nutrition? Too complicated. And – since it’s a fashionable topic, there’s no such thing as reliable information out there … everybody is just trying to make a buck.

So, I think I’ll just muddle along. Mynx lived to be fifteen – and, apart from getting a bit skinny in his old age, he was fine. And I fed him only Iams dry food. I love my Mippies, and I want only the best for them – but I think I’m overthinking things now.

Ok, time for bed. I’ll open a sachet for them and will only bring out the kibbles again when their dishes are reasonably empty. I’m NOT throwing away food by the handful anymore.