Today, Minnie attacked Ginger…bigtime.
Twice.
But Ginger is not injured. He just lost some tufts of fur.
Minnie is on a warpath with any cat who crosses her path.
I was a bit worried about Rey again today. Yesterday, she was almost the same size as the rest but today, she looked smaller again, so I weighed her.
263 grams today. So we are on track. What a relief!
Today is Day 11.
Minnie has been eating very well.
If the kittens are asleep, she eats by herself. If even one of them is awake, I would have to hold the bowl to her mouth and “remind’ her to eat.
That’s Smurfy eating too.
Minnie and family will definitely go on 100% raw food. 14 years ago, I didn’t know any better so our cats started on kibble and canned, then homecooked food, and the mixture of everything (“semua taruh”) which wasn’t biologically appropriate.
Last September, I took up the courage of converting everyone to raw food and I managed to do it in about one month (the hardest being Heidi, who even now, only eat Cubgrub and no other raw food). The rest can “toggle” between Cubgrub and Coco&Joe’s, but not Heidi. But it’s really already heavensent that I managed to convert Heidi (being our oldest cat – age unknown because she came as an “old cat” and without teeth too).
I had known about the appropriateness of raw food especially for cats, being obligate carnivores, for at least two years before, but I thought our cats were “too old” to be converted. I had already started them on raw food, but it wasn’t 100% – I mixed, thinking they would have the best of all worlds (kibble, canned, homecooked, raw) – that was not wise at all as it would only upset the digestive system. I was also thinking of convenience, when I was not around to feed them, kibble would be the easiest. Again, “convenience” should not be an excuse.
It took me two years to realise that they ought to be on 100% raw. That would be the best I could do for them. After all, you are what you eat.
The fact that Indy, Cleo and Bunny, who were diagnosed as having chronic kidney disease last year (before I started everyone on 100% raw) are doing well now and not requiring any other treatment except the twice-weekly subcut and Indy is even off subcut already, is testimony enough for me to raw food is the way to go. Pole is the exception as she has other complications (hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure). Perhaps she also has a genetic disposition to kidney disease. We can’t win them all, can we?
So, for Minnie and her kittens, they will all be on 100% raw food. Minnie and Smurfy took to raw food instantly when they first came. Smurfy, for example, won’t even eat any kibble, canned food or even Primal. He’s only into Coco&Joe’s and Cubgrub.
I do wonder, though, how Smurfy survived on the street since he was born. I remember distinctly Minnie clutching a grey newborn in her mouth, walking up my road. Then, Minnie was seen clutching another Calico kitten. That time, the guard told me Minnie was from the certain house down the road. How did Smurfy survive for 3 months before coming to our house? Minnie must have looked after him well. Or, Smurfy is simply, a survivor.
Yesterday, I gave both of them raw beef chunks too. It’s supposed to be good for cleaning their teeth. Of our older cats, only Indy, Cleo, Bunny, Tabs, Ginger and Heidi are willing to eat beef chunks. Pole and Cow won’t touch it. Minnie and Smurfy love it.
I’ve tried chicken feet and neck, but they don’t know what to do with it. Not even Minnie and Smurfy. The alternative to chicken feet and neck would be beef chunks as they are tougher in texture, and therefore, more appropriate as “dental treats”. It also took me some time before I gathered up courage to buy beef. I’ve never eaten beef in my entire life.
As much as I revere the cow, I have to accept the fact that cats are obligate carnivores and this is their food. They need it.
Minnie and family are going to start off nutritionally right. I am totally aware that some diseases are due to genetic predisposition and nutrition cannot solve all problems, but at least I can do this much for them, now that I know and am fully convinced.
For your reference: https://feline-nutrition.org/
If you are worried about converting your elderly cats, I was too, until I tried and I managed to convert all of them in one month. Cow, Bunny and Pole were 13 years old when I did it and Heidi was OLD (last year). Heidi refused to touch raw food, she would even walk away in protest. It took a lot of patience. And I consider one month very short. From insisting on her canned tuna, Heidi is now on 100% Cubgrub. And one month IS short because my friend took ONE YEAR to convert her most stubborn cat. She never gave up as she was fully convinced of the benefits of raw food. Her cat also wasn’t young at the time.
If you need moral support, do write to me. BUT…I am NOT a professional in feline nutrition so I cannot give you any advice. Just moral support and sharing.
Oh, after the bigtime attack on Ginger, we managed to get Minnie to go back into her condo. Ginger then came round to “take revenge”. He simply sprayed urine into Minnie’s drinking bowl.
Sigh…what can you do, right? Just change the water, that’s all. And wash the cover-cloth as some urine got onto it as well.
Smurfy is a VERY intelligent cat. Well, which cat is not intelligent, right? They all are.
This afternoon, the doorbell rang (it was the piano tuner), and immediately, Smurfy ran, as quick as lightning, from his comfortable shelf into his tunnel (photo above) and hid inside.
Now, HOW on earth did Smurfy (a former street kitten) associate the doorbell with a stranger coming into the house? How did he know? Why doesn’t he do this when the delivery people come (they also ring the doorbell)? How did Smurfy know the piano tuner was going to come INTO the house?
How? We will never know because we are simply too dumb to know!
As I’ve always said, cats rule this earth. We just don’t realise it, but they do.
Smurfy also knows that by coming to the kitchen, it means he is hungry. He has learnt this too.
Cats rule!