coup d’état
noun \ˌkü-(ˌ)dā-ˈtä, ˈkü-(ˌ)dā-ˌ, -də-\:
a sudden attempt by a small group of people (or cats) to take over the government (or house) usually through violence (or naughty behavior)
Recently I have been trying difference brands and kinds of cat food.
Like any dysfunctional family, everyone likes or needs a different food. One doesn’t like chicken. One doesn’t like turkey. One doesn’t like beef. This changes from week to week too. The only thing they agree on is tuna and ocean white fish. Everyone likes that. Usually.
In addition to flavor preferences, I have a “barfer” and a “hair ball tosser.” There is one with a sensitive stomach who gets the poops when she eats the wrong food or dairy. All of this happened frequently until I started feeding them grain-free cat food. Now we can go for a full month without a patch of something lying in wait for unsuspecting feet.
It’s much easier to find grain-free, healthy versions that don’t break the bank.
I tried one brand, then another and then a third. This was all good. They liked the brands equally well and I knew if I couldn’t get to the local pet store, there was a brand at the grocery store that worked.
That is until I bought the last bag. When I reached for the bag of grain-free chicken kibble, I noticed they had ocean white fish so I tried that.
Someone needs to explain to me why cats love fish. My cats won’t go near water. I’m quite sure no one has gone deep-sea fishing. They haven’t caught a goldfish let alone a tuna. How did they get to love that flavor?
If I make tuna salad, the cats come out of their daytime coma to drink the tuna juice.
Jake went crazy for the new tuna kibble food. Then I noticed that everyone was eating it with abandon. (I may need to get a job to keep my cats in tuna food!)
That is except for poor Hazel, who is on a diet and only gets wet food. This didn’t make her happy. I was able to coax her to do physical therapy on the cat tree with the fish kibble. No small feat.
Then I ran out.
I didn’t remember which brand had the tuna. It was a new flavor. I hadn’t seen it before. I didn’t remember where I bought it either. (Why don’t I write this stuff down?)
All this came to a head at 3 a.m. (which you all know is not my favorite time) when Jake hollered for his nighttime feeding. (He’s the only one who does that.) He has me trained to get up and give him a handful of kibble.
It wasn’t always like this. I used to keep a full kibble dish on the floor but then Hazel ate it up and blossomed out like the Goodyear blimp so it was removed.
Jake bellyached loudly. He fully understands that he has the upper hand at 3 a.m. Some catnip quieted him down (gotta love drugs!) but after an hour I heard some loud sulking.
First thing in the morning (really second thing after my Starbucks) I went out to track down that brand.
Success.
You can bet I won’t forget it. Now I have to figure out how to mix it with the chicken so it all gets eaten.
You can’t fool cats who are used to eating at a 5-star restaurant.
excellent post and formidable definiiton of “coup d’état… 🙂 merry new year & cheers! Cappy Mélanie – catlover, à la vie, à la mort! 🙂
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Thanks! Happy New Year to a fellow cat lover!
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Finding a new brand of cat food is always a challenge for the cats and the humans in the house. I’m glad you found the right food.
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For now. Next month they may not like it anymore!
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A delightful, hilarious post! For those of us who like cats, their difficult behavior just makes us like them more. Cats must have eaten fish at some point in history. Have you seen the video with the cat on the frozen pond trying to catch the koi swimming under the ice? Very cute! I love it.
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Yes, I’ve seen it. It is hysterical. Jake will not go near the pond even to watch the fish. He would never venture out on it. It’s frozen right now. We have birds and squirrels walking on it.
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Thank you for that laugh, because I literally laughed out loud. My two cats Princess and Ernie are the same way, they like what they like. We had to switch them from their Ocean White fish to another flavor because Science Diet doesn’t carry it anymore. And as far add tuna fish goes, we practically get pounced on for just one bite.
Princess is or late-night eater so I can sympathize with your 5am feedings with Jake, my hubby is usually the one who must tend to get feedings.
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Although my conundrum is a dog equation, rather than a feline one, it ends up having the same final outcome. I’ve tried substituting the more economical brands, but end up paying the price in more ways than one. A hundred pound dog with digestive upset issues will have you heading back to the store to get the “right” brand in no time at all. The little dog, who obviously lived on the street before I adopted him at the age of six months, will eat EVERYTHING in huge quantities, if given the chance. Let’s just say that maybe his nickname should be Hazel.
I’ve even tried giving the little dog, who is less discriminating and seems to have a tummy made of steel, the cheaper food, but then am plagued by guilt for what feels like doggie kibble favoritism. So I end up back at the pet food store, standing in line, asking myself why my dogs rule the roost. Silly question. They are my sweet loves, and what they want, they get. Simple as that. Besides, I tell myself, it’s healthier for them. Oh, who am I kidding? They know what they prefer, and I know how to keep them happy. In moderation. 🙂
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This week has been especially guilt-ridden as Jake as been hungry all day. I try to sneak food to him but Hazel has a nose that won’t quit. At his 3 a.m. kibble time, she actually pushed him aside to get at it. She is not at all an aggressive cat so she must have been hungry. She is dropping weight but not at all happy. The decrease in digestive issues was a surprise to me because my normal cat food wasn’t the cheap stuff but it did have grains. It really made a different for Mollie and Hazel to switch. Jake drinks quite a bit of milk and he is not lactose intolerant but Hazel sneaks that too and she is. We have lactose milk too. What we do for our furry friends defies logic to a normal person. Oh wait, we are the normal ones!
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Hazel I feel your pain girl!
As for the food …. I just did the same exact thing and did not save a bag or take a note with my new purchase. After what seemed like hours in the pet store my memory was restored.
Grumpy Cat cracks me up!!!
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All cats are grumpy cats. Some just smile while they are being grumpy!
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Cats…even the males are divas! I eat only tuna and white fish, so I understand their desire for the good stuff. 🙂
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You would be right at home here.
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This is hysterical…so many funny lines. Poor Hazel…I keep thinking of Lucy when she was on a diet who, when Ricky and the Mertzes were having a grand meal they wouldn’t share said, I’m goin down to the bakery to smell the bread.
It’s truly a testament to how much you love them, all the trouble that you take. I hope they know how lucky they are…catnip…gotta love drugs…classic.
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It isn’t quite so hysterical at 3 a.m. but they are entertaining. “Smell the bread!” love that line.
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It was when she was trying to lose weight to be in the show at the Tropicana…LOL
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“If I make tuna salad, the cats come out of their daytime coma to drink the tuna juice.”
Yes! All of our cats enjoyed tuna juice ~ a seaside cocktail. No umbrella required.
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A catnip mousie on the side is always good.
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You could run a concurrent Tuna Kibble Anonymous to go with the Starbucks anonymous. That should fix all addictions in that household 😛
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Without our additions we would be very boring and I wouldn’t have any stories to post!
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Too funny, that is why we call them finicky. What brand are you using? Last night I just purchased a weight management kibbles that broke my bank account!
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The tuna is Purina’s new Beyond which is grain-free. They also like New Balance and Rachel Ray’s brand. The grain-free has made a big different in the barfing department. All are twice as much as the regular stuff and three times more than the store brands.
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Thank you. I will look into this.
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Good luck. Some cats don’t like food changes at all.
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Around my house we were always expected to eat what was on our plate or we didn’t eat at all. Perhaps it is time your cats………..No, too late I suppose. 😦
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Way, way too late for that. They all (except for Jake who was scooped off the streets) came from shelters where food and selection was limited. It didn’t take long to ruin them.
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May New Year have bright new beginnings for you and safety.
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Thanks.
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Five star is right! You are such a caring cat parent.
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Caring? Most people use words like nuts or crazy. I like caring….
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I sooooo sympathize. And with mac almost wasting away from health problems and old age, it’s quite a trick to deal with Tiger who is a little round ball cat. She ballooned up when I switched to healthier foods and when Mac started needing to eat more frequently. He keeps sneaking Tiger food every time I turn my back. And I can’t watch them 24/7 as they eat, believe it or not. I’ll stay in the room, but the phone rings, I have to pay a bill, etc.
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I got that! Sounds like Hazel who will finish everyone’s food if you don’t watch her. Jake is a grazer so I have started putting his wet food up when he walks away. Then he comes back 10 minutes later and whines. It’s a full time job. Hazel has lost 2-1/2 lbs. since the first of November so I shouldn’t complain but I am doing all the work.
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Yes yes yes, this is Mac and Tiger except that I can’t get Tiger to lose weight! I even have coat her bowl with wet food to pretend there is food in it and she still gains weight!
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Too funny! I think you have a permanently chubby cat!
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When I call her my Chunky Monkey hubby gets irritated. She’s his favorite, I think ;).
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Chunky Monkey is a love name, isn’t it? Perhaps she’s getting a few treats from him too. As long as she’s healthy.
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Cats can be such demanding creatures! Gotta love ’em. Our cats don’t like fish…chicken and turkey all the way.
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I think it’s healthier. Jake is not supposed to get a lot of fish because of his diabetes. Try telling him that.
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