FurBabies Place

An early snowstorm had encouraged the humans to just cuddle at home during the weekend. Tristan had come into the room with that little tremolo in his voice that he uses for intensely important issues. We had to agree it was a crisis.

We had been slowly feeding the Emergency Food over the holiday weekend, and now the least favorites were appearing in the buffet. We told him we would “go to the store,” and we did.

Tristan was very happy (the stacked paws are a major clue) because he was able to exert some influence over his environment. His complaints were taken seriously. This is, in some ways, even more ideal than his humans anticipating his every need. The more cats are able to think, instead of simply worrying, the happier we all become.

develop teamwork

My cats know the phrase “go to the store” is an acceptable answer to their look of betrayal when they look in the bowl and get a surprise they don’t like.

I believe in switching up flavors and brands. This keeps our cat more flexible about what they will eat, safeguards against any one food having not enough nutrients, and spreads a possible toxin load.

But this doesn’t mean they don’t have favorites. Because of course they do.

We try to keep all four supplied with foods that offer high to medium satisfaction. Between Reverend Jim’s tummy issues, Olwyn being especially fussy (of course!) and Tristan developing a fondness for a particular type, there’s some juggling going on to keep everyone happy.

I encourage my cats to let me know when they are hungry, since their appetites taper off in warm weather, and ramp up in the cold. In addition, if we are feeding cats who are still growing, there might be extra servings involved, especially when they are young and their little tummies can’t hold much.

So with all these factors, I don’t tell them what and when to eat. I want them to get into discussions with their humans. We get feedback that lets us give them more satisfaction, and they feel they have some control over this important part of their survival.

Cats are used to being autonomous hunters who manage a territory. The more we can duplicate this in the home, the more their instincts mesh smoothly with their circumstances.

build understanding

When I help my cats develop their thinking skills, there are fewer instances of anxiety, simply because they have a better idea of how all the parts work together.

If dinner is disrupted and they had no part in the process, there’s nothing they can do but worry. If they know they can consult with the management, they are less likely to feel helpless. Feeling unable to take any useful action is a source of stress.

Tristan had actually cut us some slack. This was the third day without any of his favorites, and he was starting to wonder if we still loved him. That’s the point of worry for any cat experiencing substandard service and not understanding why. What happened to our happy taking care of each other?

Acknowledging their distress and apologizing for upsetting them are ways we can show we still care. This soothes their biggest worry, which is that things have changed and so have our feelings for each other.

When we took Tristan’s complaint seriously, and then acted on it, he gained a sense of security. We responded to his worries and feelings, instead of ignoring them.

grow trust

By supporting these avenues of communication, my cats know they can do something to fix things that seem broken. Instead of being anxious, they can at least act on their grievances. When they are used to telling me what they need, I have that much more help when it comes to keeping the routines running to their satisfaction.

Cats want to be active participants in their care, from careful observation and monitoring to expressing opinions through verbal or body language. When it comes to mealtime or playtime, some of my cats want to summon me, some want to be summoned, and some want to take turns.

If we let our cats know we welcome them thinking about processes and being a part of them, they have the respectful partnership we both want.

See my post, Breaks in Service, for more about feeding cats in an emergency.

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There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.