Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Every day Vance writes another chapter in the book called “Worst VP Pick Ever”.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

It looks like winning debates is a black job!

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. Do not congratulate. This is not business as usual.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”

Second rate reporter says what?

We’re not going back!

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Fat Cat

Reader Interactions

64Comments

  1. 1.

    Mary G

    Your house has turned into a warm and cozy home. My smart cat Shiloh got out the night before last, as he does once in a while, and was gone all day and a second night and I was worried the coyote got him. Last night he threw himself at the bedroom window, yowling at the top of his lungs, and I let him in. He bitched like that at me for a good twenty minutes.

  4. 4.

    Josie

    My son has a cat named Apollo who looks and sounds just like Steve. He is also very demanding about his food and asking to be on the other side of the door.

  9. 9.

    ArchTeryx

    Steve looks like such a character. That strident meow of his! He sounds like a big strong boy, even if he’s constantly protesting that he’s starving to death and that his “can opener” is the Worst! One! Ever!!

    It’s easy to translate meowing like that. “I’m hungry! Hear how hungry I am! Are you stupid? Are you dense? Do I need to speak louder so you can understand me? Feed me, dammit!”

  11. 11.

    CaseyL

    Is that Steve’s normal speaking voice? He sounds like a toy police car’s siren.

    I love that last disgruntled sotto voce grumble.

  13. 13.

    AnotherBruce

    All cats are from planet cat. They long ago figured out trans planetary transportation. They are smarter than our crude ape species. The ancients who worshipped cats were not wrong. They have deeply penetrated our world. They’re are our loving freinds who just want us to get along. They promise us peace, but only if we continue to feed them. If we forget that simple request there will be a horrible wailing and gashing of their teeth!

  15. 15.

    debit

    I am currently having the exact same conversation with Oliver. He is massively overweight and after watching him lumber up the stairs this morning I have vowed to reduce his food. Before you judge, none of my other cats are overweight. IT’S JUST HIM.

  18. 18.

    Gravenstone

    I feel your pain. My tomcat (Draco) has a serious food fixation. And will announce in no uncertain terms that it’s time for food. And five minutes later, it’s time for more food. ad nauseum. He’s also picky as all fuck. I give them a small can of wet food in the evening to supplement the dry food buffet. He’ll deem only one flavor sufficient, for a few months. Then decide he never liked it and something simply must be done. Lather, rinse, repeat.

  19. 19.

    WaterGirl

    Try giving them pumpkin in addition to their food. Helps their tummies feel more full and both of mind look much better – gorgeous coats – since I started giving them the canned pumpkin.

  22. 22.

    Gvg

    Willow barfs it up if I feed her too much at once. Tiny little meals work, if I have time several times a day. This means I have accidentally trained her to think she can be fed any time. Oops. I am training myself to limit total though. Trying to anyway.

  24. 24.

    TenguPhule

    @AnotherBruce:

    but only deploy them at night if you starve them.

    I would debate the if part. They seem to deploy them at the drop of a meat animal’s still living footprint.

  25. 25.

    Lyrebird

    @WaterGirl: Just a quick thanks for your comment on the previous thread, noting that yes at some point in life hands will genuinely accidentally bump one’s adipose tissue. I am not trying excuse skeezy behavior, just wanting to stay in reality. Also, I’ve moved a lot. I have spent time in handshake cultures, air kiss cultures, and so forth… and I’m a klutz. I have more than once kissed someone’s ear an a much too familiar way because I was aiming for that edge of their face and missed. Usually with someone who knew I had goofed rather than tried something weird on purpose.

  26. 26.

    danielx

    I get a lot of that, but the kittens (now more or less grown at seven months) want to eat ALL THE TIME.

  27. 27.

    Ryanayr

    This is precisely what my Maine Coon does every night and there is no negotiating with these feline terrorists

  28. 28.

    WaterGirl

    @geg6: My dogs love it, too. But on day 2 one of them puked up the pumpkin on my white rug, so I backed off with the dogs. :-)

  29. 29.

    WaterGirl

    @Lyrebird: Ear kisses! :-) I should introduce you to my little dog Henry. He thinks ear kisses are awesome, and he will occasionally go for eyelids. I try to tell him that’s too personal, but alas, he does not listen.

    On a more serious note, you are very welcome!

  30. 30.

    debit

    @WaterGirl: Interesting! Oliver will mug me when I crack open a can of pumpkin so obviously he’s already a fan. I’m going to give it a shot.

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    @debit: I give my guys dry food, pumpkin and roast chicken. Some days they start in on the pumpkin, even before the chicken!

  35. 35.

    Aleta

    @Josie: Same ! If ignored too long, he tries to knock pictures off the wall.

    eta Though the last two years he insists much more often so I’m thinking maybe I should get his thyroid checked.

  40. 40.

    Czanne

    30 calories per pound per day. A cup of kibble runs between 350-500 calories. A little can of wet food (Fancy Feast size) runs 45 calories (for the FF Naturals line, which many cats don’t consider food, but is the best diet cat food) to 110 calories (the FF cheesy ones, which are considered cat junk food), with an average in the 75-90 range. A big can (5.5 ounce) runs 150-200 calories. (Wet nutritional info is here: http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf )

    Steve’s about 15 pounds, I think, so he needs around 450 calories per day. If he’s free feeding a lot of kibble, reduce that first, because kibble is much harder on their kidneys and pancreas. He is much better off eating two big cans of Friskies a day and a couple ounces of kibble, plus kibble is easier to restrict. Kidney disease sucks ass for everyone: for the cat, it’s like having a 24/7 hangover, and for us, it means sub-q fluid and middle of the night crises, far more expense than the cost of years of wet food, and a long heartbreak. Wet food slows kidney damage, since cats don’t have a strong thirst mechanism.

  42. 42.

    Saving Private Equity

    I’m at the emergency vet right now having my favorite furry feline put down, after he threw a clot into his spine and became paralyzed.

    This is your reminder to give as much love as you can to the furry ones in your life.

    I don’t even really like cats, and this was a fucking awesome animal, I’d have traded him for most people.

    It goes too fast. Shit.

  47. 47.

    AnthroBabe

    OMG. I also, too, have discussions with my cats Dexter and Isabelle. Mostly Dexter, because he is LOUD. I love it when I know people actually talk to their cats like I do. SQUEE

  49. 49.

    mad citizen

    @Saving Private Equity: So sorry to hear about your loss. Words of wisdom for sure; we lost 2 of our 4 cats this year. Have an 18.5 year old deaf female who also wants to eat canned food every five minutes.

  53. 53.

    No One You Know

    @laura: @Saving Private Equity:

    I’m so sorry for your loss.

    I can tell thou from experience that I’ll never have a cat put down again, after my first heartbreaking trip. Peanut Butter showed up for two weeks after that. Between my legs, the backseat of the car, and while my husband didn’t see he, he heard her. We think she was still demanding dinner.

    I didn’t make up a word of that, either.

  54. 54.

    J R in WV

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I agree, John, you have a great broadcast voice for Radio, TV, documentary films.

    I’m not sure what this podcast thing is everyone is talking about. Listening to the Innertubes, innit? I can read so much faster than folks talk. Why bother?

    Love Steve, too. Of course. What a monster. Our biggest cat (13.5 lbs) has discovered how nice it is to be under the feather comforter. Warm, dark, and quiet. She can be hard to sleep with.. Wife tends to stick a foot out to cool off, and if she touches Cat, cat will bite her. All at 3 or 4 am. Owwwww! then we throw the cat out, unless it’s sleeting or something like that.

  58. 58.

    J R in WV

    @No One You Know:

    I know it was, is, hard. But we owe it to them in return for all the joy they bring us, to let them pass as painlessly as we can. Drawing out their last fatal illness isn’t a favor to them, not to anyone really.

    I spent several weeks in MICU with my wife, who slowly recovered from septic shock. I saw families agree to shut down total life support, usually late at night after most of the family and close friends has a chance to be with the victim, who died one of two hours later. It was sad.

    But I met a young man (to me, old guy) who’s aunt, his only relative, was on total life support, while he was living in a waiting room off in a corner, with no lights on and drapes on the windows, for folks who couldn’t afford a motel and lived 3 or 4 hours away. He had been there for a couple of months, and was still there 2 months later when wife and I went home again.

    He could bear to tell them to stop, and they couldn’t stop without his permission. She was gone, but not yet really gone. Very sad. I wanted to tell him, but couldn’t . . .

    It is the hardest but most valuable thing we do for our people. Let them go when it is time. And yes, you will see them, hear them, for a long time after. I still catch glimpses of cats who have been gone for years now. Because I still love them.

  59. 59.

    karen marie

    @debit: Has your vet suggested you put him on a wet food only diet? My cat’s current vet and her previous vet both explained that dry food has a lot of carbohydrates, so if the cat needs to lose weight, feed wet food only — way fewer carbs. Our Gracie lost three pounds (starting weight of 13 pounds) in less than a year switching to wet food. A couple years ago I started her back on that diet, only giving her dry food when I couldn’t deal with anything more complex. She typically gets 1/2 of a normal can of cat food, with added water to make it soupy (both vets agree that cats don’t drink enough water on their own), twice a day. When she started kicking her bowl off the shelf where she eats because she was so hungry, I took her to the vet, and she was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. Since she’s been on medication, she’s much less aggressive about her bowl being empty. Good luck with the kitty diet!

  64. 64.

    West of the Cascades

    to Saving Private Equity — I am so sorry. It was about a year ago that I had to have my last cat put to sleep after 11 years together. Finally, this past Sunday – thanks to John and Steve for the inspiration – I adopted two adorable Maine Coon sisters, Sheba and Shasta, from the local CAT Adoption Team. Both of them are underweight having spent the last two years living outdoors (after the first two years of their lives indoors), but they’re settling in well and it’ll be no time before they are complaining that they’re not getting enough to eat! But for now they need to put on a few pounds. I will give them extra hugs this morning.

Comments are closed.