Dear Savannah . . .

I actually have two questions:  My people seem to get so upset with my occasional gift of mice parts.  Why is that?  And they get frustrated when I reject the same food that I liked yesterday.  How can I let them know what I really want?

Signed,

Moxie, Princess Warrior Kitten

Dear Moxie,

Finding the gall bladder of a mouse on the kitchen floor does seem to put off most humans.  They need to understand that all cats enjoy an occasional rodent, but certain body parts, such as the gall bladder, are simply not palatable to felines.  Humans are the ones with weak stomachs—you know, don’t you, that they actually cook their food?  Crazy!  I would keep bringing the gifts, but try not to leave them where they’ll be stepped on.

Regarding your second question, since the beginning of time, cats have maintained the right to be finicky.  And how many humans do you know that would be willing to eat tuna twice a day, every day, for months on end?  Hold your ground, Princess Warrior Kitten.  Demand variety and quality.

Why?  If you’re fed a high quality diet you’ll stay healthy and save your human money in the long run. Finally, when you’re served a food you like, kick up the purring a notch and throw in a few headbutts and leg rubs—they’ll get the message.  

 

Bon appétit!

Savannah

“There are no ordinary cats”. - Colette

Dear Savannah . . .

My human is frustrated with me.  Occasionally she will find, on her carpet, the ummm . . . how should I say—contents of my stomach, along with some grass.  I suppose it is a rather unpleasant discovery for her—but to me it’s a relief!  Would you please explain to humans that throwing up is not something we take pleasure in—it’s a necessity!

Signed,
Hurly Girl

Dear Hurly Girl,

This is a favorite topic of mine—and so important!  Domestic cats are not the only ones who purposefully “lose their lunch” – big cats do it, too (your person would love cleaning up that mess!).

Humans may wonder why we eat the grass just to turn around and throw it back up.  Call it a sixth sense or just intuition, but we cats know that a little bit of grass goes a long way toward making us feel better. 

We eat grass for a number of reasons:  1) our human hasn’t been brushing us routinely which requires extra grooming on our part—the end result being too much fur in our stomach; 2) a mouse or bird had the misfortune of crossing our path—they are tasty but the fur, bones and feathers tend to bog down our system; and 3) I’ve heard reports from the feline community that eating grass may help relieve a sore throat! 

So, yes, we do eat the grass knowing it will come back up.  My resources say it comes back up is because cats lack the necessary enzymes to break down grass.  Bottom line—eating grass helps to clean out our system and make us feel better; however, when and where it comes back up is beyond our control. 

Heave Ho!

Savannah

"People that don't like cats haven't met the right one yet." 

- Deborah A. Edwards, D.V.M