A post should appear every Sunday

Thursday February 9th 2023

We may recall that Isis, who  was very underweight when rescued from the streets, gobbled up her kibbles with great gusto. A bag of them came with her from the rescue centre. Kerry explained that these were unavailable in Britain, and advised me to wean her off them gradually, replacing them with a different brand.

This I did, and Isis continued to eat heartily. When she developed a severe skin allergy, two years ago, I did some research and bought her Burns Sensitive. This she ate enthusiastically until a few months ago, when her appetite began to diminish.

Since then, it has been necessary to add a little extra flavour. For months she was content with Chappie, but then, eventually, she became bored with that. Since then, as you know,  we’ve been through a range of flavoursome treats: sardines, pilchards, tuna, egg, cheese, chicken – you name it, we’ve tried it. Some of these she’s eaten enthusiastically for a few  days, then she doesn’t want them.

I don’t think that I’m over indulgent, but she’ll refuse to eat for several days. I know she’s not unwell, because, as always, she devours her bedtime treats, but  I can’t allow her to go hungry.

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‘Purina Gourmet Gold Savoury Cake’ the packaging proclaims. Hmmmmm, expensive, but the taste should appeal to a discriminating dog. There are eight tiny tins, two each of ‘with chicken’, ‘with beef’, ‘with tuna’ and ‘with salmon’; moreover, the food is without added artificial flavouring, colouring or preservatives. All of the packaging is recyclable, and no plastic is involved.

This should tick all of the boxes. I know cat food isn’t good for dogs but I only put a tablespoonful in each of Isis’s meals. Her main food is still Burns, and any add-on is just to add piquancy, in other words, to get the hairy little toad to cut out the faffing and get chomping.

After all, what’s for a dog not to like? Surely we’ve hit the jackpot this time …… haven’t we? My only doubt arises from past experience.

I stir a flat tablespoon of Purina’s Gold Savoury Cake into her bowl of kibbles, and offer it to her.  She walks on the spot looking hungry, but makes no attempt to eat.

Sigh.

Ah, wait, impatient Human, there are variables to consider. Yes, the food should appeal to her, but there’s bright light streaming through the glass of the front door and into her dining room.

I lift her feeding frame into the back room, and she eats her breakfast immediately.

Ah, so this exotic cat food does fit the bill. Great!

I serve it again for her next meal and she turns it down.

Breathe deeply Human, and think. How is this meal different from the one she enjoyed this morning? Well, this morning’s repast was fresh. The tin had not been the fridge.

O.K. Perhaps she doesn’t like it being so cold. I add a little hot water. She eats it immediately.

But we’ll not hang out the flags yet, for the next morning she refuses point blank to even consider the offering.

She. Does. Not. Want. It.

I can tell by her expression that were she human, she would say, “No way.”

Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone close by who has a cat. I put her leavings and the rest of the tin into my crow food container.

I wonder whether she’d like liver or kidney. Nigel over the road only has pigs’ kidneys. Nigel and I agree that pigs’ kidneys have a strong smell and should tempt her. But never the optimist, I buy some mince as a back-up.

Shuddering at the thought of the poor pig, I keep my eyes averted as I cross the road, carry the kidney into the house, deposit it on the bottom shelf of the fridge and hastily close the door on it.

I do not enjoy preparing her evening meal, but needs must. I fry the kidney gently in the pan, cut it into small pieces, and place a small heap, still warm, among her kibble.

You’ve got to be joking.

She walks towards her bowl, but this time stops with her nose about three inches from it, and looks horrified.

Later, I offer it to her when it’s cold. She disdains to sniff it. She’ll not even pick out some bits of kibble. Clearly, she knows that it is kidney contaminated.

Right. The whole meal, plus the freshly cooked kidney remaining in the pan, goes into the crow’s pantry, along with a generous helping of dry porridge oats.

The Highbury crows are delighted with their feast. About eighty of them descend to gobbble it up. They’re particularly pleased with the kidney.

Isis dares to show some interest in what they are eating.

“If you dare to pick up what you refused to eat this morning,” I admonish her, “I’ll have your guts for garters.”

It’s Sunday, and the shops are closed.

Well, it’ll have to be mince, whether she wants it or not.

Back to the drawing board.

Isis came from Aeza cat and dog rescue in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@azea.org or go to http://www.dogwatch.co.uk.