PLAYING CHEF TO FINICKY CATS

Some cats won't eat anything new; some want it all.

Why are cats so finicky? Or, I guess I should say, why are domesticated cats so finicky?

I mean, feral felines do just fine scrounging for scraps and hunting for mice and birds. In fact, they establish vast colonies that become problematic in cities and on islands, making it necessary for humans to trap and neuter them to reduce their number. So, why must my fat, lazy and lovable companion animals demand that I search the earth for the most select morsels of tasty delights to place in their dishes before they will deign to eat?

Now, to be fair, it’s only my younger cat, Flash, who is the picky eater. Shadow, my older cat, will eat anything. She’s lived on the streets and eats like every meal is her last. That’s the problem. She’s overweight and has health issues, so she needs “special food” (read: expensive food) to manage both.

For a while that meant actual diet food, which she happily ate, but it did nothing for the health problems. So, I switched to “fresh food” for both cats, which I buy on subscription and arrives frozen. Shadow scarfed it up, so no problem there. And it helped. She lost some weight and her health issues improved. Hurrah!

Flash, though, doesn’t like change. The transition to the new food was rough. She turned up her little nose at the new food in her bowl. I mixed it with her old food. Nope. I put salmon flakes on it. Some interest. Beef was a complete no-go. Turkey was only occasionally okay. Chicken was acceptable.

Oh, but then there was an interruption in shipments from the food supplier! (There was a mix-up with an order.) To keep the flavors and texture similar, I ground up canned salmon and chicken for the cats until the cat food folks could get back on track. All well and good; the cats ate it. The fresh food has arrived this week from the cat food supplier, but now I’m back at square one with Flash, who won’t touch the “new food” again. AAAGGH!

My daughter, whose cats willingly eat plain kibble, thinks I’m crazy. Maybe you do, too. But “free-feeding” isn’t an option for my cats, since Shadow would eat her food AND Flash’s food all at once, then throw up. I have to measure out her food in three feedings and monitor the meal so she doesn’t eat more than she should. Plus, wet food is better for elderly cats, who need more water to avoid kidney problems. Yeah, I know, the things we do for our pets!

On the other hand, my daughter’s cats aren’t the least bit friendly. They hiss and won’t let me pet them. Mine, meanwhile, like to cuddle and purr. Shadow seeks out pets from our guests, and Flash likes to play with the dogs. So maybe all that fussing over their food has some benefits, after all.

Cheers, Donna

 

ON VACAY--ENJOY THIS CAT!

I'm visiting family in wild and wonderful West Virginia this week, so I have no blog post for you. But enjoy this picture of Flash, who wanted to help me with the packing as I was getting ready to go! I'll be back next week as usual.

No, Flash, you can't go with.

 

 

 

 

 

 Cheers, Donna

THE GREAT COSMIC KITTY GAME

Late one night this week . . .

--Shadow! What are you doing on Mom’s computer?

--I iz riting book! Mom ritz bookz. I rite book to.

--Ridiculous. If anyone should be writing a book, it should be me, Blanca, Queen of the Universe. Everyone would want to read that. What is your book about?

--The Grate Cozmik Kittee Game. All kitteez shud know rulez. Then they wont cheet like u.

--I do not cheat. You simply fail to play the Great Cosmic Kitty Game as well as I do. You aren’t sneaky enough.

--I plenty sneaky.

--Then why is my Cosmic score 1,587,962, and yours is only 337?

Blanca, thinking of ways to add to her Mega Kitty Point score.

--U mean, that why.

--Fine. Show me what you’ve written. Oh, never mind, this intro is too long. Hasn’t Mom told you about info-dumping? All you really need to do is give the reader examples of how to score Kitty Points in the game.

--I do that. Reed dis part!

--“Gole of the game iz to surpriz ur human. Humanz shud NEVER be bord wit ther kitteez! Pointz r won for trix like theez:

--Oh, for heaven’s sake! I can’t read your incompetent mewlings! Haven’t you ever heard of SpelChek? Here, let me rewrite this! Now:

            --Weave in and out of your human’s feet while they are walking. Bonus points if they trip while carrying something.

            --One point for every minute you can stay on the kitchen counter before your human yells.

            --Play hall hockey with toys late at night. Bonus points for multiple players.

            --(Here’s one of my favorites): Appear ravenous for a certain expensive food until your human buys a whole case of it on sale. Then never eat it again.

--I never do that one.

--I know. See my score. See your score. 

--U mean. Keep reeding.

            --Hide from your human. Do not come out no matter what he or she does! Bonus points if you make your human late for something important.

            --Leave hairball where your human will step on it barefoot in the dark. (Oooh! Good one!)

            --Sneak up on your human and lie directly behind his feet. Squall like you are mortally injured when he steps on you. (I concede: you are very good at this one.)

--Tank u!

            --Do anything that will cause your human to say, “Aww, that’s so CUTE!” Bonus points for posting on social media.

--U get many pointz for this one, Blanca.

--Yes. Thank you. So, is this all you have?

--I cant tink of anyting else.

--This is why you need me. There should be a special section just for our mom.

--Y?

--Because our mom is a writer, that’s why. There are lots of ways to earn extra points from writers!  Here:

            --Drape yourself over the desk, the computer monitor or the keyboard. Bonus points if the keyboard is on and deletes something or repeats the number seven for fifteen pages.

            --Insist on attention while your human is “working”—playtime, petting, treats—until your human interrupts work to give you what you want. You get a double reward for this activity!

            --Pick a fight with your kitty sibling or the family dog so your human must interrupt work to break it up. Bonus points if you win the fight!

            --Bonus points for any of these activities if your human says, “Okay, that’s it! No more work for today!”

--Oooh, thoz r gud! Book iz reddy now! We go online and get famooz.

--But wait! If we publish this online, humans will read it. They aren’t supposed to know about the Great Cosmic Kitty Game!

--They rnt?

--No! It’s a secret—only kitties are allowed to know. Humans just think we do the things we do to make their lives interesting. They have no idea we get rewarded for it.

--O. Ok. I push button for DELETE.

--Shadow, NO! Not that one! That’s PUBLISH!

So, humans, now that you know, what are you going to do about it?

*The concepts of the Great Cosmic Kitty Game and Kitty Points were shared with me not by my cats, Blanca and Shadow, but by holistic veterinarian Lisa Pantzer, who practices here in Marshall NC. She will not reveal her sources.

Cheers, Donna

Meet Some Adorable Authors' Pets

Pets play a major role in many of our lives, and authors are no exception. For those who spend many hours at the solitary job of composing stories at their computers, having a companion (or two) can help make that time a little less lonely and isolated. Animals become our silent partners and muses, a special brand of chicken soup for the writer's soul.

Most readers on this blog have already been introduced to my writing buddy, Katrina (here's a previous blog), and writing-buddy-in-training, Luna, and my mischievous feline anti-muses, Serenity and Sugar, but I thought it might be fun to introduce a few other authors and their pets.

And they've got some real beauties!

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Cara Bristol's Hannah

I was asked to write about my real life pet muse. That would be my cat Hannah, who supervises my writing from her perch (scratch post) next to my desk. I often do character sketches for my characters, so I thought it would be fun to do one for my cat.

Name: Hannah.

Nicknames: Hannah Banana. Girlie Cat.

Age: 13 in human years.

Citizenship: Feline American.

Physical description: Long-haired striped tabby. Green eyes.

Personality: Affectionate on her terms. Can be demanding. She doesn’t bite or scratch, but is quite vocal in expressing displeasure.

Vocabulary: Speaks fluent feline and has a working knowledge of English. Understands “treat,” “food,” “cuddle time,” “outside,” and “bedtime.” Also understands “no” although she pretends not to.

Likes: Hiding in bags, evening “cuddle time,” late afternoon treats, lying in the sun. Her favorite food is anything fishy smelling.

Dislikes: Being brushed, being petted when she isn’t in the mood, riding in the car, and flea medicine.

Author bio
USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol has written more than twenty-five books, which include two science fiction romance series: the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance cyborg series and Breeder.

Author's Website: http://carabristol.com
Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/9aRJj

Stranded with the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-Fi Romance 1)

Mated with the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-Fi Romance 2)

Captured by the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-Fi Romance 3)

Trapped with the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-Fi Romance 4)

Destiny's Chance (fantasy/paranormal)

Goddess's Curse (fantasy/sci-fi romance)

Naughty Words for Nice Writers (sex scene thesaurus)

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Midnight - Writing Buddy

Carol Post's Morgan and Midnight

I have two writing buddies: Morgan, my long-haired dachshund, and Midnight, my big black cat. Both were rescues.

Morgan spent seven years in a very abusive home before coming to us, and we saved Midnight from the pound a few hours before he was going to be gassed. Rescued pets seem to sense what we've saved them from and repay us with unconditional love.

Morgan in backyard

Morgan lies quietly at my feet as I write.

Midnight likes to hang with me as I write, too, but his favorite spot is in my lap, with his paws on the keyboard. I sometimes end up with some really strange things inserted into my stories!

Author Bio
Carol J. Post lives in sunshiny Central Florida and writes fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense. Her books have been nominated for a RITA award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund. You can find her at www.caroljpost.com.

Cedar Key Series - Deadly Getaway (prequel), Shattered Haven, Hidden Identity, Mistletoe Justice - Love Inspired Suspense
Harmony Grove Series - Midnight Shadows, Motive for Murder, Out for Justice - Love Inspired Suspense

Trust My Heart - Coming October 25, 2016 (Murphy, book 1)

Buried Memories - Coming January 1, 2017 (Cedar Key, book 4)

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Lea Kirk's Indy

Indy playing with Myrtle, one of Lea's many foster puppies

Indy was my dog from the moment we brought her home as a rescue dog. Don’t get me wrong, she loved my husband and kids as well, but she and I just got each other. She was a six-year-old Lab-Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.

A month after she came to live with us, we humans went on vacation for a week. Indy and our other dog, Shasta, boarded with our vet. When we go home my hubby picked up the dogs. I was excited to see my girl again, but when I opened the back door Indy took one look at me, turned her back and sat down with her nose in the air.

Seriously! I’d never had a dog cop an attitude with me before. And it went on for two days!

Clearly, it was the Ridgeback in her because labs are always happy to see you no matter what. (Case and point, Shasta was a lab and she was just fine.)

Anyway, Indy eventually forgave me and we became besties. We even had “date nights” twice a year. January 1^st and July 4^th. We’d go into the office and I would write while she hid under my legs from the fireworks. One of the best dogs who ever owned me.

Author Bio

Lea Kirk loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her science fiction romances. Her first book, Prophecy, placed second in the 2014 Molly Award Contest. It’s the first book in her sci-fi romance series of the same name.

Her fascination with science fiction began at six years old when her dad introduced her to the original Star Trek TV series. She fell in love with the show, and was even known to run through her parents’ house wearing the tunic top of her red knit pantsuit and her white go-go boots pretending to be Lieutenant Uhura. By nine years old she knew she wanted to be a writer, and in her teens she read her first romance and was hooked.

She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wonderful hubby of twenty-six years and their five kids (aka, the nerd herd).

You can find Lea online here: Lea Kirk

Prophecy - Science Fiction Romance
All of Me - Science Fiction Romance
Salvation - Science Fiction Romance, Coming Fall 2016

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Barbara Elsborg's Winnie

 

Winnie

Sad to say, I don't currently have any pets at my feet while I'm writing. My son took his little miniature long haired dachshund Winnie from the UK to Texas when he moved over there. Winnie recognised the noise of my computer shutting down and used to leap up and scratch my legs because he knew I had time to play.

 

His favorite game involved - and still does - a tiny teddy bear that I pretend to drop and he runs away with and I chase him. Sometimes he lets it go to let me pretend again to drop it for him to race away with. All the time, I'm calling - come back with Little Ted! Anyone watching would think I was mad but I love doing it and the moment we're back in Texas visiting our son, Winnie sniffs in the suitcase for the toy.

Winnie and Charlotte: Guess who's the boss?

Winnie is ecstatic to see both me and husband when we arrive at the airport. We're licked to death much to the amusement of those around us. When it's time to leave, Winnie gets into our case and on one occasion ran out of the house and jumped into the hire car. Ahh - my poor heart! I miss him. I feel pretty sure he thinks he's my dog. He won't leave my side when we visit. In the morning he jumps into bed and licks us awake. (I could do without that!) He now has a 'sister' a golden retriever called Charlotte - who is definitely the submissive dog. See who's sleeping on her bed?

Author Bio

Barbara Elsborg is moving tomorrow from the north to the south of the UK! She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.

After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.

Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they were to write.  
 

You can find her website here: http://www.barbaraelsborg.com/

 

I write in a range of genres but my favorite sci fi romances are:

Lucy in the Sky - SFR erotica romance

Taking Stock - SFR erotica romance

 

Other books:

Crossing the Line - Dark Suspense Romance

Strangers - Contemporary Erotica Romance

Dirty Angel - Fantasy Erotica Romance (m/m)

Lightning in a Bottle - Paranormal Romance

Plus almost 40 additional books you can find here: http://www.barbaraelsborg.com/books/

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A very big thank you to all my guest bloggers who took time from their very busy schedules to share photos and stories about their wonderful pets. Animals do so much to enrich our lives, they deserve a little recognition of their own now and then, don't you think?

 

Have a great week everyone (and your pet/s)! 

 

Laurie