Ronnie’s Bold Risk/Reward Gambit

by Kevin Burton

   Out younger cat Ronnie has a strategy for obtaining food that will not serve her well in the Burton household.

   Even though we just got our two new cats and are still getting to know them, certain things are obvious from their behavior.  Already we know these cats are no dummies.

   Ronnie clearly knows what a refrigerator is and what culinary wonders are kept inside.  When this magic box opens, she stations herself next to the human, my wife or me, close enough to slow dance, so we will know she is there and will think about her should there be any extra food we don’t already have plans for.

   Each of the humans has accidentally stepped on her once in the first week plus.  But somewhere in her feline mind, the risk of that pain is worth the reward of leftover ham or chicken. She clearly benefitted from such largess in the past from her previous owners.

   We have two ways of telling this. One is her behavior and the other is her size. She is twice the size of Gabbie, the other Ash kitty she was raised with.

   Ronnie has taken to meowing lately as she approaches the fridge, so she may be modifying her approach already.

   Jeannette and I have not yet solidified a strategy for enrolling Ronnie in Take Off Pounds Sensibly. But whatever we come up with will not include table scraps.

   We need to find a way to feed Ronnie diet portions and get Gabbie a little extra food. We don’t want to monitor them constantly but if we just leave the food out, jumbo kitty Ronnie will eat part of what was intended for Gabbie. 

   We’re open to suggestions from cat-loving readers!

   Now this just as an aside: I don’t think I have dropped a morsel of food from the kitchen counter in the last five months or so, or that’s the way I remember it.  But as soon as this big vacuum cleaner cat joins the family I’m dropping everything. I have to be lightning quick to keep the morsel from her too.

   I mentioned in an earlier blog that neither of the girls has disturbed the Christmas tree at all.  We don’t watch them 24/7 and there have been a few times such as when we went to my mother’s on Christmas Day, that they have had no human supervision for a few hours.  Ronnie did get under the tree and seems to have stayed there all day while we were gone. 

   This has been one of my first clues that these girls are not like Mex, my old cat.  After Mex got older and was no longer fascinated with knocking ornaments down, she would still sniff the tree and maybe even bite it, just to show that she was capable of doing damage.

   The cats are so docile I wondered in my last post if they are Stepford cats. Jeannette said he biggest surprises about our new pets are that they are so calm and that they are such lap cats. 

   “They’re really no trouble at all. All you gotta do is feed them and clean out their litter box and love on ‘em.” Jeannette said.

   They are also follower cats. They want their attention and will travel from room to room if need be, to get it.

   The girls are beginning to help with my creativity. I’m working on a parody song, a takeoff on the Beatles’ “Day Tripper” and I’m calling it “Tail Swisher.” Both of the cats swipe their tails violently just as a matter of course. Mex never did that unless she was up to the third stage of anger.

   As for anger, I’ve barely heard a cross word from either of the new cats.  When I did, I mentioned that they did not have 19 years of good will built up and they had better toe the line if they wanted to stay here.

   I talk big, but I wouldn’t send either one away for just a cross word.  I’m still getting used to the new arrangements.

   So far so good. Just got a new supply of Fancy feast. Steady as she goes for the moment.