It has been the high holy weekend of football. We are coming down to the final games and playoffs, so our life is carefully regimented around the games that Tim wants to see. Which is fine really. This is a big deal to him. I have plenty of things to occupy my time.
I have a most exasperating problem with Houdi. He suddenly has a strong aversion to the canned catfood that he has been eating right along. He still eats his kibble, but he meows incessantly for his canned cat food, which he sniffs and then walks away from. I have tried different brands. Different flavors. Pates, tender morsels in gravy, fish, chicken, turkey, beef. He sniffs and then walks away. It's getting pretty frustrating. It's not that the stuff is going to waste. I set what he has deigned to eat outside, and the ferals eat it with no complaints. We shuffle the cans down to the new build for the 'kittens'. They snorf it down in a happy way too.
Just one lone cat.
So. I'm not quite sure what to do with him.
My cough seems to be returning and I have a sore throat. Can't believe it. And no. I have not missed a dose of antibiotic.
I decided to start my sourdough over today. I'm not sure what I did, but it just did not look right to me. How I could mess up two ingredients, I can't even tell you, but evidently I did, because when I mixed up the second batch, it looked exactly as I expected it to. I took the other starter and patted it out and attempted a whole wheat naan bread, which, much to my amazement turned out to be quite good, so all was not lost.
I'm trying to think of something beautiful today, and I can't. It was not an awful day. We got a couple more inches of snow, but the worst of it is over now, so that's a good thing. It will be cold this week. We might have more snow moving in next weekend. According to the forecasts, we might get no snow, a couple inches, or another foot. It might happen this weekend. It might not.
I think I will just wait and be surprised!
Oh. I thought of a happy! I have my new radio/cd player in the kitchen tuned to a classic rock station. I seasoned the pork loin I was putting in the roaster, and chopped the vegetables to put in with it, listening to songs that I remembered from other times, other places. And I realized that what I felt was perfectly content. So. I guess that was my nice thing.
Houdi will not die because of his distaste for the offered food. Don't spoil him.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know nann could be made from a starter.
Sorry about you relapse, which may just be temporary.
I didn't know naan could be made from a starter either. But...naan is just unleavened bread, right. Sourdough starter (day 2) is not yet leavened. So...I thought to give it a try. It wasn't my worst experiment.
DeleteFingers crossed for the no-snow option.
ReplyDeleteContentment is a good Happy, I feel. Enjoy it.
Oh, I did. And...you just keep those fingers crossed sistah. It's working so far.
DeleteCats have a strange law of their own when it comes to food, hope your snow is in inches not feet.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we got more than a couple inches over night, very good news!
DeleteWelcome to the world of temperamental cats. As the keeper of a 19 year old deaf, very vocal cat it can be hell at times, just don't give in!
ReplyDeleteI hate it when Google makes us anon, it is Thelma of course.
DeleteClassic rock station sounds just the ticket.
ReplyDeleteIt was just the ticket.
DeleteHoudi is asserting his superiority - I expect he wants home-cooked chicken! I'm sorry to hear your sore throat has returned - what a pain, literally!
ReplyDeleteI rarely feel superior when I'm hungry. Just a thing that I've noticed that makes me different from cats, I guess.
DeleteOur Lacey does that but just on occasion. She will not touch a helping, usually one from the fridge, but then she will pester for food right away. It doesn’t happen often, TG.
ReplyDeleteThey are stinkers. I'm convinced that they think, "Hmmm...things seem to be running smoothly here. What can I do about that?"
DeleteWhat did the comedian Gallagher say about cats? They can't read but they can compare. He said there should be butt-flavored cat food! We had that frequently with the 12 different cats we had over the years. Now there are those little tubes of food that are treats, that you can snip and squeeze onto a plate. We have a neighborhood cat who comes and refuses Fancy Feast! So my Hubs insisted we buy the little tubes and she will eat those. Sigh. Cats. I've had the cold or flu get better, then get worse again, then better. It's like the virus is fighting for its life inside of us. I hope you get over this soon!
ReplyDeleteI will battle this virus to the bitter end. (It or mine!)
DeleteWhen we had cats, we had three, so if they got fussy, they lost out, the other two would eat their share, so no fussy cats. I hope your set back is just temporary. Gigi
ReplyDeleteHa. That might work. I know that pigs eat more when they are competing for food. Perhaps having another cat actively trying to nab his food would make Mr. Picky a lot less picky.
DeleteI hope you don't have what my MIL has. She started coughing about four years ago and has never really stopped. Some of it seems to be due to a chocolate allergy and for the love of god, she can't stop eating chocolate. But there seems to be something else to it as it seems to get worse over time until she is prescribed an antibiotic which makes it better... for awhile.
ReplyDeleteZoiks. But see Bob's comment down below. Maybe that is something that could help her. I've not had chocolate for over a week. I'm doing pretty good there.
DeleteWhole wheat naan bread sounds good! I'll look online for a recipe.
ReplyDeleteHah! I don't know that there is a recipe. It was awfully thick, more like a dough, which is why I decided to start over. Looking at it, I felt guilty throwing it away. I just patted it flat, added some Za'taar zesty thyme herb blend and tossed it in a pan. There was no recipe.
DeleteI think that contentment is indeed a beautiful thing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your sourdough is coming right along!
Thanks for your e-mail today. All sourdough tips greatly appreciated! I was really excited when I fed my sourdough today, I could see tiny bubbles already. I think it is 'working'. It isn't expanding at all, but it is sitting on my counter pondering the matter!
DeleteYou are working hard on the happy ,positive stuff. It's hard to do. I guess we tend toward the negative side of things.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of stuff to feel badly about, isn't there. Tim and I actually talked about you today! We watched your prime minister today. Ego did not stand in the way of what's best for the country. I wonder if that will ever happen down here.
DeleteTim talked about moving to Canada, and we decided that cost of living would require us to head west. I said, "I know a guy in Red Deer that could give us some pointers!"
DeleteHe obviously wants it warm!
ReplyDeleteI have put it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Nope.
DeleteMusic in the kitchen.... I used to do that. I need to do it again.
ReplyDeleteI haven't done it for a while. It was a pleasant morning.
DeleteMaybe Houdi has a bad tooth and it hurts to eat cold food.
ReplyDeleteI tried putting it in the microwave to warm it the slightest. That didn't work either. Yesterday, I heated some chicken broth and put over top. Hard no on that.
DeleteMy happy today, my husband is going to see a doctor. I threatened to leave him and that did the trick. I can't imagine being that stubborn, but I don't care, he's seeing a doctor. Hurray!
ReplyDeleteThat's good news! I hope that they can figure out what to do for him. Of course, giving up the Camels would probably help.
DeleteYears ago we had a Siamese. Mom was cooking chicken livers, and dropped one on the floor. The cat was ON it immediately. For the rest of her time with us, that's what she ate, chicken livers.
ReplyDeleteI've tried giving him meat from the table. No go. I'll look for chicken livers. He's becoming a monumental PITA
DeleteHope you feel better today, Debby. I like listening to "oldies" on the radio in my car but I listen to today's music too. I often remember the lyrics of the oldies I hear and they trigger memories of my younger years.
ReplyDeleteThey do. It was a nice moment.
DeleteI caught a "norovirus" that was/is going around. A week later when I was better, someone said it can live on surfaces for two weeks. So I made sure to wipe all the surfaces down with clorox wipes. Have you considered lack of humidity inside the house to be a problem? We have 7 1/2" of snow, between D.C. and Baltimore, it's 3:30pm.
ReplyDeleteTim is very conscientious about numbers: temperatures, humidity, gas usage, electricity usage. We are good on the humidity levels. We've got a foot here. It seems to have ended. I'm not sure if we've got anything on the way or not. I don't think the weather forecasters do either.
DeleteI actually lived in Gaithersburg, Md. for a time, and then in Baltimore, in a town called Essex. I know that 7 1/2 inches would be a much bigger deal there than it is here. A lot more road. A lot bigger population. A lot less snow removal equipment.
DeleteContentment is a good thing! I wonder if Houdi has some kind of medical/dental thing going on that's putting him off eating? It sounds like he's hungry but for some reason can't quite deal with the act of consuming food.
ReplyDeleteHe can eat food, and puts away his regular kibble/dry catfood. However, he wants his evening tinned food, and gets quite vocal about it. He is a creature of habit. I put out his cat food, which he sniffs at, backs away from, and continues to pester for his customary canned cat food.
DeleteSame with my two feral cats until I realized I was way overdoing the dry food. Now I measure an eighth of a cup (each) and they are better about eating wet food. They’d probably eat all the wet food….if I’d do better controlling treats…I’m trying and it’s how I give meds so not easy to figure out.
DeleteTwo years ago, I went to a sinus, allergy and asthma specialist. She determined I had no allergies or asthma but, rather, chronic rhinosinusitis. She put me on some heavy meds including a steroid, antibiotic and medicated nasal rinse and within 30 days I was much better. Within 60 days I was free of symptoms. This lasted until the week before this past Thanksgiving, just short of two years, when it all came back and I'm still dealing with it. I emailed her a week ago and told her what was going on, and she resubscribed all the meds again. I am doing better. I think the key is I need to do that sinus rinse every day. I got better and quit doing it the last time. I'm seeing her again in March, hopefully much better by then but I'm looking forward to checking in with her.
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting, Bob. Do you remember if there was something that triggered either episode?
ReplyDeleteGive him a little bowl of warm milk or some sour cream. I cat sit and sometimes put a dab of sour cream on top of food also those lickables make a nice topping for canned cat food.
ReplyDeleteWell. I might try the warm milk, but the last time, I don't think he much cared for it, if memory serves...
DeleteMy solution to a fussy eating healthy cat is quit trying. Keep the kibble dish full; when he's hungry, he'll eat.
ReplyDeleteI figure. I've tried to figure out what his major malfunction is. I can't think of anything else to try, so...
DeleteIs it at all possible that that he’s meowing for something that isn’t food? Or, another thought: When he starts demanding, pick him up and give him a good snuggle; even if he doesn’t like it, at least he might stop the caterwauling…
ReplyDeleteLOL. That's actually a good idea. I can't imagine what else it could be. When he's howling in the kitchen, it is for two reasons: he wants out, or he wants food or water. His water bowl is fresh, his kibble is full, and he runs when I open the door (it's cold out). That leaves only his food. This morning, I tripped over him several times,, because he was winding around my ankles as I worked. I fed him, microwaving it for just a few seconds. I set the bowl down, to his yowling. He eagerly went to it, sniffed, backed away and went to the other room.
DeleteMaybe Houdi caught your bug and it’s messing up his taste buds so nothing tastes right?
ReplyDeleteNow there's a novel idea.
Delete