Day Eight

I wish I could say I had as easy a time with Houstons medication as Kirrily did.

We both woke up early in the morning around 0230 with food poisoning. Houston was asleep on the lounge and took the opportunity of me being awake to ask for some food, which of course I gave to him. I went back to bed. I woke up again at a more reasonable hour with Houston curled up beside me. When he realised I was awake he walked around me, alternately curled up and then walking up and staring into my eyes. He jumped down at some point and started rifling through Kirrily's magazines. This is usually what he does when he is hungry, but this mornings effort was much more subdued. I got up around 0900 and went out to feed him. His bowl was still three quarters full. I threw it out and put some fresh food down for him, a tin of the expensive stuff. Which he wolfed down and then licked the plate clean. It turns out we now have a cat that will only eat the dearest cat food available.

I did some study and watched him through the open window after letting him into the back yard, he explored different napping positions. I had taken his water bowl out and I noted how frequently he was drinking.

Eventually he sat at the door, waiting patiently for me to let him in. He went straight to the food bowl and licked the plate. I saw this as my opportunity to give him his medication. A small piece of beef mince was offered and accepted. The next piece of beef mince concealed the first tablet. He managed to suck all the meat off it and spat that tablet out on the floor. Same with the second tablet. Plan B was enacted which consisted of me shoving the tablet into his mouth then holding his mouth closed until he swallowed it. Mouth prised open, tablet popped in, mouth shut, hand clamped over jaw to prevent ejection of tablet. He looked at me. I looked at him. Five minutes pass with us in this position. Surely he's swallowed the damn thing by now. I release him. He releases the tablet onto the floor.

On the plus side, he doesn't seem annoyed by the experience, but victors rarely are.