Not here. You’ve probably noticed the scarcity of Friday cat pics of late. The ladies have gone on a general strike, insisting that this foolish diet Stella imposed on them be ended forthwith… or else I’ll get no more kitty pictures.
On the other hand, as I’ve tried to point out to them, there’s at least one cat in the world who seems always willing to pose, and Alexandra of the blog Usyaka uses that willingness to good advantage. The cat is of some Asian variety. Good photos, charming cat… what more could you ask? I’m adding the site to the blogroll at left.
Steve Bates - Yellow Doggerel Democratic Views 
Comments
Well Steve you are going to have to change that diet or bad things will certainly happen!
jams, the thing that worries me most is that look in Esther’s eyes. She’s always had a particularly intense gaze, but lately, her stare in my direction has looked… hungry. Uh-oh!
Usyaka is an Oriental, a distinct breed like Siamese or Maine Coon. They are supposed to be very nosy cats, always trying to be helpful.
Yes, dieting cats are not exactly a thrill to be around.
Thanks, Bryan. Usyaka does look very different from cats I see every day; I suspected she might be a wholly different breed.
What a pleasant surprise! 🙂 Thank you, Steve!
As Bryan said, Usyaka is Oriental Shorthair.
What are your cats eating now? Is it working for them?
Welcome, Alexandra! I believe it was ellroon (see my blogroll, on the left) who pointed me to your site,
The ladies’ diet is supervised by their veterinarian, who is generally known as the best in our city for cats and dogs. Yes, the diet is working; Lily in particular has lost perhaps a pound or two. Lily needed to lose even more than her mother Esther… Lily was nearing that 18-pound mark above which a cat’s weight gain seems to be permanent.
To my surprise, the diet is substantially canned (wet) food, because dry food has more calories. They like it well enough, though of course any indoor cat will beg, almost as a matter of principle! 🙂
I’ll have a look at ellroon’s blog.
It’s great you have a good vet, I know it’s priceless. I’ve never known dry food has more calories. Usyaka eats both dried and canned. She’s been on her diet for most of her life ( she had digestive problems and vets advised us to keep her on the veterinary diet only) and thus she’s used to it. I’ve heard that for cats who are put on a diet after their usual food it’s difficult to get used to it, because it’s tasteless for them.
I hope that your ladies will get fit soon and will be happy again eating their usual food. It’s good that you are taking such good care of them 🙂
Alexandra, my partner Stella lives for those two ladies; I hope she never has to choose between them and me! 🙂 By the time you reach our age (early 60’s) you’ve tried a lot of vets and found that they are not at all the same. Several of our friends with cats have gone through the same process of changing from one vet to another; eventually those of us to whom our cats are special take those cats to Dr. Tippitt. Her prices are fairly high, but her work is exceptionally and reliably good… Stella’s oldest kitty, Tabitha, who died two years ago, was 21 years old!
Steve, to be honest, vets are a painful topic for us. We did try a lot of vets, although Usyaka was just 5 month old then and I was in mid twenties. To make the story short – they almost killed her. Usyaka didn’t get better until I stopped all the vets and just hoped for the best. It was in Russia. I bet the veterinary medicine in the States is a whole different story and I envy you ( in a good way) that you have a choice between several vets none of whom is like the monsters we saw in Russia.
Alexandra, I am very sorry you have encountered bad vets. Unfortunately, one cannot assume that vets are uniformly high quality in America. It’s not that they don’t care; most of them seem to care. But their skills… diagnostic, surgical, etc. … vary considerably from one vet to another. Even here, it isn’t easy to find a good one.
I am glad Usyaka is still with you!
Of course sometimes cats seem to last forever with practically no attention . . . We have 2 15-year-old cats that seem quite unchanging — perhaps a tad less energetic
My best wishes of good health to your cats, c. Regrettably, they’re getting to what I’ve observed is a kind of watershed age where cats may at any time go into decline. It happens to humans, too; I started falling apart about three years ago. But with luck and a bit of vet care, your cats can stay with you for a few more years.
Steve,
unfortunately, no one lives for my cats the way Stella does . . . which may ultimately prove the undoing of the cats. We shall see, I suppose. Clearly your cats are beloved companions and that makes them important members of the family.
c, Stella’s cats serve as her children. That has the positive side effect that she does not direct all her mothering instincts toward me. 🙂 The ladies are grateful in the way cats show gratitude: they purr and sit on Stella’s lap. Mostly the cats ignore me except when I am the only one home at feeding time. 🙂