Cats Do Bark

Bitty and I are having a Mexican standoff while Dr. Boy is traveling. She's usually pretty distracted and neurotic about food; you have to be next to her, petting her, but not looking at her, or else she'll just forget to eat and yowl. She's developed this awful high pitched, nasal yowling when she wants food. She definitely learned it from Grumpy, but her register makes it un.bear.able. And she always takes a few breaks to run around the room and hide. But this week she's just refusing to eat.

Well, refusing to eat her food when I want to feed her. She'll eat Playful or Grumpy's food. Coincidentally, watch an 8 pound cat try to intimidate a 16 pound cat over his food bowl and win. Hee-larious. She'll yowl for food 2 hours after I put out her bowl while I'm trying to sleep.

She's pouting too. She won't sleep with me like she always does, and she's been getting into cabinets and drawers that get closed and pitching a fit when I lock her in. This is like living with a pissed off 16 year old. She's not just mad and uncooperative. She's trying to piss me off and let me know she's mad.

I am so done with her. I put out her food when I'm feeding the others, and if she won't come eat, I put it away. Last night, 2 hours after I fed them, I came in to get ready for bed. She jumped on the dresser, a little over my eye level, and barked at me. It was a short, deep, loud, growly noise I've never heard her make. Somewhere between a bark and yelling "hey!" I turned, and she did it three more times. We had a talk, and I didn't give her what she wanted.

Today, she was obviously hungry. After 3 tries to get me to feed her before I woke up, a few bites of Grumpy's food, and a refusal to eat what I put out for her, she must've been starving. The hideous nasal yowl was gone by lunch and I got the sweetest, little melodious purry fan dance song while she waited for her bowl. She purred through the whole meal.