Concentrate!
On Saturday
morning I was feeding the animals, assisted, as ever, by Jellicoe purring round
me and giving me encouraging little nips as I measured his insulin in the insanely
small hypodermic syringe. There were no B12 capsules to split and spread on
his food. He is supposed to have half a capsule every day but it’s difficult
impossible to be accurate so he has one capsule every other day.
The routine is well established and I could almost do it in my sleep. Herschel and Jellicoe are fed first, as it’s the only way to stop the incessant yowling. I had switched on the radio, which I don’t normally do, and something interesting caught my attention, something so enthralling that I cannot now remember what it was.
While the cats were happily occupied eating their breakfast, Jellicoe in the kitchen, Herschel in the conservatory, I turned my attention to the dogs. Roxy is always fed first and Gilbert waits patiently. It’s a matter of moments before he can also eat, as Roxy consumes her food rapidly.
When I put
Roxy’s dish on the floor, she looked at me with a puzzled expression. Gilbert appeared
a little alarmed but he’s a well-mannered pup and doesn’t push in. As soon as Roxy
started eating, I realised I’d already fed her and so she was enjoying a generous,
unexpected second helping. Her rate of consumption was not noticeably slower
and her girth had not
expanded, but she had a smaller supper later on.
Herschel finds a box to sleep in. He is a very long cat!
I’m not usually easily distracted but the radio interrupted my concentration. I’m sure Roxy hopes there will be further lapses.
