Sassy cats – Opportunist cats

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Doing good things for cats comes with a risk. If they like it, they make it a regular routine. If they don’t like it, you are in big trouble.

And this is why treat time started

When Morgan broke her leg last year, I tried to do special things for her. She had to walk in a splint for 11 weeks, so I started treat time after dinner. You cannot do treats without the Bobbsey Twins Sasha and Gus showing up. And so it was. It’s over a year and a half later; the leg is fine; and we still have treat time in the evening for the three cats. I can’t think about discontinuing. The cats are in queue after the dishes are done. If I go elsewhere, I get an escort to recalibrate my priorities. They are known to sing the song of their people. Loudly. In three part harmony!

Then there is Gracie. A few weeks back she had to go to the vet. She doesn’t eat treats (no, I don’t understand it either as she loves kibble). It’s harder to do special things for her. Give her a box and some nip and she’s good. That is until I took the zoom groom with me to the vet. She gets upset there so I thought if I groomed her, it would help. It did. Up until now she hasn’t shown any interest in any brush, comb or grooming devise. Now she loves the zoom groom. I cannot sit down at my computer in the morning without giving her a good brushing first. If I try, she is all over my computer, changing things, putting the cap lock on and who knows what else she is doing. There are consequences for humans that don’t do the right thing. That is now a routine. It’s not special.

Where are the treats!

Just get the treats Cupcake!

Just like the cats, if I find a special treat that I love, I move it to the routine part of my life. My mocha latte started out as a Friday pick-me-up when I worked. Now it’s a daily routine. Maybe this only happens in my self-indulging household, but I doubt it.

Be aware of what you start!

Have a great weekend from everyone here and for those celebrating, Happy Labor Day weekend.

 

51 thoughts on “Sassy cats – Opportunist cats”

  1. I can relate to the treat thing. When Yella Fella was diagnosed with diabetes I stopped treats because of the others got them, he wanted them too. Sure, I could find another way to treat him, but he’s a sneaky devil and would take from the others if given a chance. I have yet to be forgiven for this discretion.

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  4. So many new things to try and then add to what you can’t do without (treat-wise). My downfall is Goldfish Crackers and they have a new one out that pairs with Dunkin Donuts – it’s a pumpkin spice Goldfish Cracker. I am a purist and only have the whole-grain crackers, so not sure whether to expand my horizons since I rarely eat sweets anymore.

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  7. My dogs and Gracie are the same way. They all know when a dog gets medicine, they all get the treat chaser. Gracie is in the thick of it with them, as she likes treats too. She does have different ones, though. I have one medication that must be buried in peanut butter. Every dog wants a lick at the peanut butter. Now, Gracie does, too. It is pretty funny to see her trying to get the PB off her cat tongue! And if she wants a treat that she knows I keep in my home office, she has the gall to sit on my keyboard until she gets it. I have had to do a LOT of clean-up there, sometimes. Ugh!

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  8. Thanks for the tip! I am looking into that zoom groom thing as Zoe has never really liked the slicker brush. There is another version with a kind of handle on the back that you can slip between your fingers. I think that might work better for my poor hands but I’d like to be able to brush her and have her enjoy it and perhaps these thingies would help. And if not, perhaps they’d make a nice scalp massager.

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  9. Cats never forget anything! I found the zoom groom pretty interesting when you mentioned you used at the vet visit for Gracie a few weeks back. It sounds like a pretty special grooming tool. Good for Gracie finding it a treat. I wish I had a thing for fancy coffees. I am in love with the whole idea of them but I am not a coffee drinker. SSNS enjoys them and I love your love of them!

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    • It’s like me and pumpkin lattes. Love pumpkin in my bread, cake and muffins but don’t put it in my coffee. It’s a big deal around here when they come out and I’m like “yuk!.” I wouldn’t have bought the zoom groom on my own because it’s just rubbery fingers but another cat owner recommended it as the grooming tool her cat loves best. Always have to try. I have a box full of stuff they don’t like.

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  12. We have many things with the cats we have started and can’t stop now. One is Rosie needing to watch her red string video on the big tv a few times a day or she will scratch at the screen-very bad habit. Gracie sounds funny walking on the keyboard. 🙂

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  13. I think our pets are incredibly smart. I could understand their responses if an action were repeated over and over, but so often, all it takes is once, maybe twice, and the expectation that you’ll continue in your role to “serve them” is in stone. LOL! I see the same with Zena. I know how very old she’s getting by the way she sometimes forgets to beg for her evening treats. Have a great weekend, Kate. I think this is the reunion weekend?

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  14. In some ways your first sentence could be applicable to some people. Do something nice and they like it, you’re golden. Do something nice for them that they don’t like, and you’re a pariah. Just saying, humans and felines might not be that different…

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  15. We started a few things with our little dog, and she will NOT let us forget. We started giving her a treat when we got home from being gone for a couple of hours, another treat she likes to chew on when as soon as she eats her dinner and a little bone treat when WE finish dinner. If we forget and get busy with something else, she simply follows us around and stares at us until we remember, or she will do a little howl sound to get our attention. Crazy – but she is so darn cute we can’t resist!

    I started a “Friday treat” routine for myself when I was teaching to celebrate the end of the week and the start of the weekend – a morning trip to Starbucks along the way was the usual, but I would switch it up on occasion to keep things interesting – a family-owned donut shop was a wonderfully delicious choice as well as another family-owned breakfast stop if I happened to feel hungry for an egg and biscuit. Life is short…enjoy the treats!

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  18. Teddy and Jack were pretty laid back about breakfast but then along came Sophie. She says breakfast is six am! If I don’t fill their dishes at that time, I can forget about sleep, because Sophie starts trouble with the boys and that is very uncomfortable for me. Three sets of fighting claws are dangerous!

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