Feeding Change

Well, I think we may be evolving into a final feeding format (FFF). Most recent changes:

• Marley allows the others to eat near him (we hadn't tried before so this may not be a change)
• Lucky and Powder Puff eat in the kitchen with him
• I've had to try a couple of different feeding layouts
• They are all eating wet food, and the same kind (thank God!)

Lucky, who used to be thin as a rail like Powder Puff has now grown and put on weight so that he is just about as big as Marley (13 lbs). He looks great with a beautiful coat, and Id like to send a picture of him, but since he is darker than a stealth fighter jet, none of the details come out unless I doctor the picture and make him look like he is made of dark sand (he's not though). Lucky's appetite is second only to Marley's, but he is less pushy than Marley, at least until the food is in the dish.

Marley is the most proactive about meal time. You've read before about him taking his alarm clock duties seriously and he is just as persistent with his interest in all things food. I should note that Marley is not offensive about food, but he is very interested, and thus wants to be in on the action until he is sure his food is being prepared. He will get up on the counter as his food is being prepared, and usually will get out of the way in the pass through and watch carefully until the food is being dished out. At that point he will carefully walk over to where the dishes are, take a quick sniff to make sure its his food, then jump down to the floor so as to be sure to guard his spot.

One quick side note - all the cats appear like magic in the kitchen if Mary Ann or I are in there moving around (and they have had some time to fight and sleep off their last feeding frenzy). Marley will watch or if he is really hungry get kind of annoying by following us from place to place trying to rub up against our hands and arms as we are trying to do something. This is also the time that Marley will be in non-stop purring mode, with brief pauses to give us a plaintive request for food. Lucky will find a high spot and watch to see what he might be able to get. (the other night I walked into the kitchen and he was sticking his head in a bowl of popcorn, grabbing some in his teeth, and eating it off the counter... then repeat.)

Powder Puff will pretty much remain on the floor, looking for any opportunity to rub up against the other cats (yes, Marley now lets her do that) and if they arent available, rubbing against solid objects. She is so timid that she doesn't often rub up against us.

Lucky usually stays at a distance of a few feet, but its also plain that sometimes he tries to take Marley's place of honor in the feeding pageant.

So Mary Ann discovered that they could eat together peacefully, and I refined the dish layout to ease tensions (Marley would have to stop and check the others out after each bite. This also makes the cleanup area smaller and a little quicker to those of us waiters who must serve the food with speed and finesse.

Unfortunately, there is still a little bit of a mad scramble to see who gets what bowl, but I can handle that ... so far. At this point the routine settles pretty quickly:

• Marley sets about like a man with a mission - head down, professional, and no wasted effort.
• Lucky attacks his wet food like a vacuum cleaner - I dont know if he has time to taste it. This is the same as he was with just dry food.
• Powder Puff is interested in her food, but follows a lady like routine. She doesnt gulp (although she does lick up all of the gravy first), she is quiet and more refined, doesnt like to eat the big pieces, and quits when she is full or is scared away (by things such as the trash can lid opening or almost anything else.
• Marley keeps going, looking as if he is trying to lick the surface of the bowl off. If Powder Puff leaves for any reason, he will abandon what he has left and go get hers, then come back to finish his own. When he finishes his own, he will then go to sniff at Powder Puffs if she is still eating. This will usually cause her to leave (he really doesnt force himself on her - she just is too skittish).
  
• Marley always finishes his wet food first, and then looks to see if he can get any more from the others dishes. As a last resort he goes to his dry food.

So, let me see if I can show you a diagram of the feeding layout. Next up (probably): there's a new fighting king in the making.