Feeding time at the zoo

[jenluckenbach]

Ever wonder how I feed 13 cats? Well it goes something like this:

Step 1) Start by teasing cats by saying one or more of the following:
a) "Do you want to EAT?"
b) "Are you hungry?"
c) "Do you want din-din?"
making sure to emphasize the last word.

Step 2) Attempt to fill bowls with individual portions of dry food while cats, who are not allowed on the counter, keep jumping up to steal bites.

Step 3) Mix wet into dry for those cats who will not eat dry alone.

Step 4) Give Fern her bowl, on top of the shelf that is on top of the refridgerator. Keep others from going up after it.

Step 5) Take remaining 12 bowls, stacked on top of one another out of the kitchen, through the living room, up the stairs and down the hall to the right to the "cat" room.......followed by a herd of cats.

Step 6) Call Monte and Amber and tell them to get their butts up here and make it snappy!

Step 7) Begin feeding.........
a) Willow, on the bed (yes, he has trained me to feed him up on the bed)
b) Kim in cage 1 (Push Jim out of the way, pet Sterling)
c) Jasper in cage 2 (Push Jim out of the way, pet Sterling)
d) Lucas in cage 3 (Usually by this time Jim and Sterling get the idea)
e) Biddy in cage 4
f) Ashley in cage 5 (Give Sterling one last pet)
g) Sterling in cage 6
h) Jim in cage 7
i) Monte in cage 8
j) Amber in cage 9

Step 8) Leave cat room, close door and proceed down hall to "middle" room

Step 9) Feed Calvin, and make sure to pet him.

Step 10) Leave middle room, close door and proceed to bedroom.

Step 11) Feed Rutherford and make sure to praise him for being so patient.

Step 12) Rest.... because in 12 hours you'll have to do it all over again!!

He he , Jen , that was a great description of the "feeding ritual" !!!

One request : can you PLEEZZZZZZZZZ try to get a picture of that huge herd of cats , following you up the stairs ?? PLEEEEZZZZ JEN

[Randi]

Oh Jen, you have certainly got a lot to see to!

A picture of the whole herd following you, would be great!

[Barbara]

Or a video (including the push -Jim-pet-Sterling sections)
We are 2 people and 2 cats and every time when I'm alone with them for one weekend I see how much more work it is. I admire you truly for your hard work.

[Cataholic]

Jen, you MUST put a picture up of you being the Pied Piper of Cats...he he he...I know how hard it is to feed Tex his wet food on the counter top with four cats clamoring at my feet. It makes me nervous.

[catmandu]

At the lost cats hotel ,the feeding ritual is not as complicated . There are 8 feeding stations , 3 on each floor and 2 in the basement , all with canned food , cannisters of dry food at hand , and when one is empty I put a small scoop in , so they dont ahve too much food available as the vet says it will lend to thembeing chubby. It is interesting that the cats have preferences , some like the Eukanuba, some the Nutro , and some the Natures Best. They all like the Nutro canned best , along with the Iams.I agree that cats gfollowing you would make a great photo! But hard to get themto pose when they are HUNGRY!

[jenluckenbach]

I think capturing them on film on their way up the stairs might result in one big blur, as they race to see who can get there first. Now a video of the entire process.......THAT would be interesting!!!!

[ChrisH]

oh, Jen, what pictures you paint with your words!! I can almost see it all! Pictures of the procession may be too hard to get but if you could get pictures of any part of the process it would be just great? Please!

[NaplesLex]

That is too funny! Do you have a thread anywhere that has each of your kitties names with the pictures with them??

Here's my fedding ritual, which will soon change when Noel is comfortable enough to live out of the spare bedroom.

Ask loudly, (as in, Heeeeeere's Johnny!), "Whoooooooooooooooooo's ready for SUPPER?? (or breakfast whichever the case may be) WHO??? Who's ready. Are YOU ready for supper???"

Remember Jordy's bowl in the bedroom, go back for it. Zeke and Jordy following. Go back in kitchen. Get Zeke's plate. Get out wet food. One scoop dry each, one spoon wet in jordy's bowl. Mix THOROUGHLY.

Place Zeke's plate by the water bowls in kitchen.

"Come on Jordy, Come on!!" (said lightheartedly)

He realizes, and starts running to bedroom. He stops (every time) at the cat toy box and looks in. He runs to bedroom.

I put food down. He looks at food, looks up at me. I sigh, and rub his belly and kiss his nose. He eats about half the food.

If I want him to eat the other half, I have to HAND FEED HIM!

Talk about spoiled!!! Meanwhile, Zeke is at the door waiting patiently (or impatiently) for the door to open so he can lick Jordy's bowl, or finish it if there's some left.

I hate having to hand feed Jordy! But he LOVES it! He gets all excited when I finally go to hand feed him (pick up 2 peices of food and hold it for him while he delicately takes it and eats it. Then he pauses in front of the bowl, waiting for me to pick up more. For cryin' out loud, bend down and eat your own food!) and he puts his butt up in the air and starts moving his feet all around like a little dance. It's so funny. I'm afraid he'll starve if I don't hand feed him the rest every time. but I know he won't. But he acts SO HUNGRY, like I can't pick up the pieces quick enough for him.....

Alexis <><

PS. Noel weighed 5 lbs when I got her a week ago today. Now she's 6 pounds. This morning she might even be 6.5. She eats about 5+ scoops a day and the boys who weigh just over 10 lbs get only 2 scoops a day (one in the morning and one at night)

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Jen - I think you need a refrigerator in the "cat room", to save you having to carry 12 stacked bowls up a flight of stairs!
I'm with the others, that would be a sight to behold.

[Vermontcat]

Jen, after hearing stories like this I look at my one cat and smile and say, life is so simple with only one furry mouth to feed.
I really would love it if you could post some photos of the crowd too if possible.

[Miss Meow]

My god, you could run a fast food restaurant with your hands tied around your back after that practice! Add me to the list of those who want to see PHOTOS of mealtime

[krazyaboutkatz]

All I can say is WOW! I can't imagine having to feed that many cats everyday. I'd also love to see a picture of it. My feeding routine is very simple. Wash stainless steel bowl, fill bowl with one large scoop of dry food and place bowl on blue cat mat. Viola.

[kimlovescats]

hehehe.... great description .... I can see it now!