(no subject)

[desperance]

One Chaz, one vote. Which went Lib Dem, with a deep reluctance. But it is still true that I do still like voting. In person, in a poll-booth, with a pencil on a string. I always have. It's a surviving shred of community, that one moment where you get to feel more like a citizen than a subject. They tried to take it away from me; ran an all-postal ballot last year, as an experiment. And they did get more people voting, and they did also get a lot more fraud, both of which were utterly predictable. There was a mood amongst the politicians to keep it, just to make the figures look better (depressingly few people vote in local elections these days), but thankfully something changed their minds - possibly the court cases. Anyway, I didn't have to trudge the streets in search of the Phantom Pollbooth. Aw, c'mon, you knew that's where this was heading, didn'tcha?

I have a fabulous new photo, of Barry-the-cat heading up my trouser-leg with his eyes on my throat. Tried to upload it here, just for the fun of sharing, but something went horribly wrong with the process. No matter, the photo survived. As does Barry, on pitifully short commons (he thinks). And tries to eat me, to make up the deficit. I worry about his weight (is he too thin? is he too fat? who can say?), but then I worry about everything. It's his own fault. He is the wild adolescent, which means he has cast me entirely as anxious parent, and I play up to that. He's desperate to get out there and kill things; I am desperately anxious about the main road, the traffic, the dogs... (Every time a dog comes by, he's leaping from window to window, wanting to taste its blood. That's all very well with little yappy things, but a Staffordshire terrier? A German shepherd? A Rottweiler? I don't think so. I explain to him about being outweighed & outclassed, but he just sinks his fangs into my arm and says "y'what?" Metaphorically speaking, of course. He does have a vocabulary, but it's not English. Tho' he spooked me wildly this afternoon; we were out in the back yard, I called his name, and he actually came bounding over. Lord knows what was going on in his little catty head...)

Oh, and I did at least write three pages today. That's a sort of bare minimum, not enough but not catastrophic, a basis to build on. Something of a relief, after the last couple of days and ahead of what will be a very blank weekend; I haven't lost it altogether. Tho' I wish I liked it more, what I've been writing. "Don't get it right, get it written" is a fine motto and will cover a lot of ground, but there's a building pressure inherent in wrongness, in a growing pile of pages that you know will have to be reworked from the ground up. The self-same ground, as it happens.

Now I'm going to watch election results until I fall asleep. Then I'll move upstairs to bed and listen to more election results until I fall asleep again. You can't call it entertainment, exactly, but I'm a slave to input.

Comments

what should a cat weigh?

[mallory-blog.livejournal.com]

Here are some basic tips: you can see the whole list here:
http://www.catclaws.com/cat-facts-about-cats.html


(3) What should my cat weigh?

Just like for people, that depends on gender and bone structure. Common domestic (not purebred) cats probably ought to weigh from 8 to 12 pounds, and a male will weigh about 2 to 4 pounds more than a female. However, if you have a purebred Maine Coon, which is a naturally large cat, 18 pounds would be an acceptable weight.

(4) How much water should my cat be drinking?

Cats need about a cup of water (8 fluid ounces) per 8 to 10 pounds of body weight. If your cat eats only dry food, you need to be watchful of his fluid intake because his only source of liquid is the water bowl. (Cats who eat canned food get some liquid from their moist meals.) Drinking adequate amounts of water is very helpful in preventing urine crystals, constipation, and hairballs. If you want to promote more water intake, then try putting a few extra water bowls in different places in the house. Keep in mind that domestic cats originated in hot, dry climates (think Egypt and the Middle East), and it isn’t in their nature to take in great quantities of water. Just monitor your cat for any drastic increase or decrease in water consumption; any sudden, dramatic changes are a sign that you need to consult your vet. (If your cat likes running water, take a look at the Drinkwell Pet Fountain.)

(5) How much should my cat be eating?

10 pound cat . . . about 250 calories per day
15 pound cat . . . about 300 calories per day
20 pound cat . . . about 325 calories per day

Of course, these calorie numbers are rough estimates because every cat is different. Active cats need more calories to fulfill their energy requirements. A cat who is “fixed” needs about 25% fewer calories than an intact cat. (When can I spay/neuter a kitten?) Remember, no one knows your cat better than you do. Feed your kitty a sensible amount of food and share some physical playtime every day. (See our great selection of interactive cat toys -- they'll get your cat moving!) If you think your cat is overweight and you want to reduce his food intake, try to make the change gradually over time.

Re: what should a cat weigh?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. My problem is that I lived for a decade with two little girl-cats who regulated their own intake (and I spent much of the time trying to persuade them to eat more, bless their slender little souls), so it was never a concern: dried food down all the time, tinned food every morning, treats, anything they could be persuaded to enjoy.

Now I have one big robust adolescent boy-cat, who was skin & bone when he was rescued, so I gave him lots of food and he put on lots of weight and now he wants to go on eating lots of food and I'm slamming the gates down and giving him measured quantities that he hoovers up in moments and he and I both think I'm starving him - but you can't see his ribs any more and he looks sleek & healthy and he has more energy than I can keep up with, so I think we're in the right general area. He is just soooo hungry and I feel soooo guilty at these mean little portions, and...

Well, you get the idea. I am adamant, and he makes me suffer for it. Oh, and the bathroom scales don't work, so I don't actually have any numbers. That doesn't help.

Re: what should a cat weigh?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Damn - wrong icon above! No doubt there is a way to edit these posts, post-posting, but it's not immediately apparent...?

Editing comments

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

The only method I've found (since the typo always appears immediately after I post) is to copy, then delete, then use the back button on the browser to go back and re-post. Sometimes the text is still there, sometimes I have to paste the copied text...

Re: what should a cat weigh?

[mallory-blog.livejournal.com]

Hi :)

You may have a long term problem. Sometimes if an animal has starved for a time they live in fear of starvation and eat when it is available (all the time if possible) - they seem to lose the ability to self-regulate.

I think you are doing a good job just keeping an eye on his appearance and taking care of him (generally) - I would probably go to a fixed amount of food based on that guide I gave you or something similar and he will adjust to it - he may never like it but he will adjust. Optimally, he will be healthy and even if he worries for the rest of his life about food, if he is healthy he will be a happy cat - in spite of food control.

Re: what should a cat weigh?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this - based on his behaviour, it makes a lot of sense. And it's reassuring. Any time I need more reassurance, trust me, I'll scream...

Re: what should a cat weigh?

[mallory-blog.livejournal.com]

:::he he:::

Anytime - I have 7 felines in my home and 3 dogs and a vet technician (not me) -- so I have experience and access to quality resources :)