Tuukka - Input and Output

It seems I spend a good part of my time monitoring the input and output of the feline family. To an outside observer, this would seem boring watching the cats eat and just gross observing the litter box behaviour.

But with pets, this is one of the keys to figuring out if someone is sick. Right now, 4 of the 6 have some major health issues and I have to make sure they're eating, how much they're eating and then ensure it comes out correctly on the other side.

Tuukka has been my latest worry. The guy eats a ton. I feed the cats canned cat food twice a day. This started off to be strictly for Dickens (he's 18 and I need to make sure he gets something without the others pushing him away) and for Hamilton who is diabetic. But it's impossible for me to feed the premier food without all of them, so Bridgette, Barclee and now Tuukka line up in the chow line. (Molly will not eat canned food for some reason. She goes her own way as always.)

Back to Tuukka. Initially, I gave him the same couple of tablespoon-sized serving I gave the others. By the time I had the last bowl down, he'd already finished, pushed Dickens aside to eat his and was moving on to Hamilton's. I kept increasing his portions until now he gets almost a full can a day. He STILL will shove the others aside, so I sit there watching to make sure everyone gets a few bites in before he moves in.

What's worried me is he's now lost weight. I took him in to the new vet and found he had only lost 1/3 of a pound. It seemed like a lot more. It could be he's getting more exercise now, and isn't just sitting around eating. But I'm worried that it's a sign of bigger troubles. During this time, he also lost his soft, luxurious under coat. He's no longer soft and fluffy.

So, I've been reading all the cat vet sites I can find to figure out what those 2 things could be and have come up with nothing. It seems it could be the first sign of his kitty AIDS, but he doesn't have any sores or swelling in the lymph nodes. His personality is still friendly and outgoing too.

And his output? Let's just say he's very dedicated and busy in this area. All good.

In the meantime, I'll keep my eye on him and continue to hang with everyone during dinner time. There are worse ways to spend 10 minutes.

Everybody Loves Molly

Now - Tuukka has joined the Molly fan club. It was a rough start with her attacking him and growling if he came anywhere near her personal space.

All the other cats love Molly. I can say that because I see how they interact with each other. All of them will go out of their way to rub up against her, or go over and wash her head. She accepts all of the attention as her due.

Spott and Truman really took care of Molly when she was little. One time I heard her cat screaming and I go into the living room to see Truman has her pinned down and is washing her ears! They were her foster parents and she no doubt missed their attention. But, I've seen all of them step up and give her those affectionate pats that they don't do with each other. It's really interesting.

It took 2 months, but yesterday, I witnessed Tuukka rubbing up against her and giving her head a quick lick. She's no doubt decided that he is not going to usurp her place as the baby and now allows him to worship her just like all the other ones do. Because everyone loves Molly.

Except Mariah who ranks her as favorite cat #3.