Hungry cats

Emma, Buddy and Kid were hungry.  It was morning and therefore a human should supply food.  There was a human wandering around the house, therefore she should provide food.  It wasn’t Val, who was still asleep, but rather some other nice lady they had met before and who was happy to rub their heads and scratch behind their ears.  Unfortunately, nice as she was, she didn’t know where the cat food was, or so she explained at length.  

Kid sat in his special spot, right next to his food bowl on a low cabinet, and every time the human walked by he stood up and arched his back and tried to look adorable, hungry and friendly at the same time to encourage her to provide noms.  Emma sat under the table, perched on one of the legs and Buddy threaded his way between the human’s legs to let her know he was hungry.  

The human, to her credit did try to figure out where the food was.  She found a container of dry food and put a scoop in Kid’s bowl.  To be polite, Kid ate a few mouthfuls, but he wanted squishy food.  “It’s in the cabinet to the right of the stove.  If it’s not in front, just push everything around – you’ll find it.”  

Unfortunately, the human didn’t speak cat.  Kid knew that, but was hungry enough that he repeated it for emphasis.  The human thought he wanted love, so she stopped and scratched his ears, rubbed his head and apologized again for her lack of knowledge, and promised she’d get it right tomorrow.  

Ziggy and Bella wandered into the kitchen when they heard food going into a bowl.  Who knows, maybe she’d feed them too.  Ziggy bounced up to her and said, “Good morning, yarn lady.  I hope you slept well.  Wouldn’t you like to feed us all now?  Everyone gets a bit of squishy food from one of the cans in the cabinet.  I know it’s cat food, but Bella and I get to eat it because we help Kid get in the house.  I like cat food, I really do.  It’s squishy and tasty and I wish Val would give us our own can for our help.  You know that we risk our delicate skin twice a day to help Kid get in here.”  

The yarn lady bent down to pet Ziggy and try to convince him to be a bit quieter since Val was still sleeping.  Bella looked at him and snorted.  “Your mouth has the runs, Zig.  And no way we’re going to get our own can of food, and even if we did, I wouldn’t eat it all.  I’m watching my figure, you know.”  

Buddy offered a sotto voce comment from the dining room.  “It’s an easy figure to watch, since there’s so much of it.” With his full voice he said, “Ziggy – if I wanted to nail that furball, Kid, I would.  You’re no match for me.  I just let you two do it because you look so darned silly escorting that cat.  Think about it.  Do you see me attacking Kid in the house?  No.  We’ve all been sitting here for the last half hour, oh-so-patiently waiting for food and I haven’t laid a claw on him.”

Just then they heard Val come out of her bedroom.  Food time!  She showed the yarn lady where she kept the squishy food and how much to give everyone, although she did explain that Kid could have more if he wanted it, since the only time he came in to eat was morning and evening.  Buddy and Emma could graze on crunchies at other times.  

Kid finished eating and returned to his outdoor domain.  Buddy and Emma finished their portions and went out to sit on the deck, since it was such a lovely morning.  Bella and Ziggy settled down on their blankie under the coffee table.  Just before he dozed off for his morning nap it occurred to Ziggy that the yarn lady hadn’t asked about feeding him and Bella.  Uh-oh.  He’d have to rectify that situation later.  She sure needed to know where the dog food was kept and how much to give them.  

Kid

Emma