The 'circling sharks' phenomenon is back!

When I lived with Frank and Nikki, feeding time always included the
'circling sharks' phenomenon. The past 6-7 years, I've only had one
'shark' at feeding time: Caliban has been the only one eager to get fed
at feeding time. Miranda saunters in half an hour later and may deign to
take a sniff at the food, and maybe even a bite.

But now, with Viktor, I have the circling sharks back! He has learned
the signs that feeding time is imminent, and he and Caliban mill around
excitedly when I start to prepare their dishes for them. It's kind of
fun, though very hectic. The tails straight in the air are like shark
fins that circle around my legs.

So I start to cut up the meat for them, and Caliban jumps onto the
counter and tries to snatch a piece. Not only do I have to fend him off
the cutting board, but I also have to protect the food bowls that I'm
filling. When they are ready I put down Caliban's bowl for him and
Viktor charges up and tries to get a piece of meat from that bowl while
I wave his bowl in the air and try to get him to come to the bathroom,
where I can shut him in so he can eat in peace. When I've shut Viktor
into the bathroom, Caliban has usually finished his food and then he
sits outside the bathroom door, waiting for me or Viktor to open it so
he can raid Viktor's bowl.

Only now do I get to prepare Miranda's dish. I used to have to fend off
Caliban at this point, but now he reckons he has a better chance of
getting to Viktor's food, so he sits with his nose to the bathroom door.
When I've put Mir's portion out of the way on top of the fridge, I go
and pick up Caliban and hold him tight while I peek into the bathroom to
see if Viktor has finished.

Mir still saunters in half an hour later to see if the food meets her
standards.

--
Marina, Miranda, Caliban and viktor.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

On 04/11/2012 01:15 AM, Marina wrote:
When I lived with Frank and Nikki, feeding time always included the
'circling sharks' phenomenon. The past 6-7 years, I've only had one
'shark' at feeding time: Caliban has been the only one eager to get fed
at feeding time. Miranda saunters in half an hour later and may deign to
take a sniff at the food, and maybe even a bite.

But now, with Viktor, I have the circling sharks back! He has learned
the signs that feeding time is imminent, and he and Caliban mill around
excitedly when I start to prepare their dishes for them. It's kind of
fun, though very hectic. The tails straight in the air are like shark
fins that circle around my legs.

So I start to cut up the meat for them, and Caliban jumps onto the
counter and tries to snatch a piece. Not only do I have to fend him off
the cutting board, but I also have to protect the food bowls that I'm
filling. When they are ready I put down Caliban's bowl for him and
Viktor charges up and tries to get a piece of meat from that bowl while
I wave his bowl in the air and try to get him to come to the bathroom,
where I can shut him in so he can eat in peace. When I've shut Viktor
into the bathroom, Caliban has usually finished his food and then he
sits outside the bathroom door, waiting for me or Viktor to open it so
he can raid Viktor's bowl.

Only now do I get to prepare Miranda's dish. I used to have to fend off
Caliban at this point, but now he reckons he has a better chance of
getting to Viktor's food, so he sits with his nose to the bathroom door.
When I've put Mir's portion out of the way on top of the fridge, I go
and pick up Caliban and hold him tight while I peek into the bathroom to
see if Viktor has finished.

Mir still saunters in half an hour later to see if the food meets her
standards.


What a scene! TuTu does the circling bit too but she also adds her
"wounded seagull" voice. Normally she has a sweet kitty voice, but at
feeding time it becomes raspy and pathetic like shje has starved for
weeks. She always has kibble available, so that is not true. Best
wishes. MLB

On 11.4.2012 14:07, MLB wrote:


What a scene! TuTu does the circling bit too but she also adds her
"wounded seagull" voice. Normally she has a sweet kitty voice, but at
feeding time it becomes raspy and pathetic like shje has starved for
weeks. She always has kibble available, so that is not true. Best
wishes. MLB

Oh, I forgot to mention the sound effects. 'Wounded seagull' is a very
good description of the sound!

--
Marina, Miranda, Caliban and viktor.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

Marina wrote:

On 11.4.2012 14:07, MLB wrote:

What a scene! TuTu does the circling bit too but she also adds her
"wounded seagull" voice. Normally she has a sweet kitty voice, but at
feeding time it becomes raspy and pathetic like shje has starved for
weeks. She always has kibble available, so that is not true. Best
wishes. MLB

Oh, I forgot to mention the sound effects. 'Wounded seagull' is a very
good description of the sound!

I think of it as "rusty hinge" - at least when Roxy meows for food.
She's 14 this year, though, so she's got the old-lady creak for a meow.

Licky's is more like "I'm a poor, downtrodden stray, who nobody wants,
and I'm so lonely and sad and HUNGRY!" I've never heard such a pathetic
little cry in my life.

--
Joyce

I prefer to live with Feline Sapiens, thank you very much.

"Bastette" wrote in message
...
Marina wrote:

On 11.4.2012 14:07, MLB wrote:

What a scene! TuTu does the circling bit too but she also adds her
"wounded seagull" voice. Normally she has a sweet kitty voice, but at
feeding time it becomes raspy and pathetic like shje has starved for
weeks. She always has kibble available, so that is not true. Best
wishes. MLB

Oh, I forgot to mention the sound effects. 'Wounded seagull' is a very
good description of the sound!

I think of it as "rusty hinge" - at least when Roxy meows for food.
She's 14 this year, though, so she's got the old-lady creak for a meow.

Licky's is more like "I'm a poor, downtrodden stray, who nobody wants,
and I'm so lonely and sad and HUNGRY!" I've never heard such a pathetic
little cry in my life.

--
Joyce


You have perfectly described Waffles' cry when he thinks it's time for
dinner. He usually starts about an hour early, and it is ridiculous coming
from a 15-pound cat.

Joy

On Apr 11, 2:15*am, Marina wrote:
When I lived with Frank and Nikki, feeding time always included the
'circling sharks' phenomenon. The past 6-7 years, I've only had one
'shark' at feeding time: Caliban has been the only one eager to get fed
at feeding time. Miranda saunters in half an hour later and may deign to
take a sniff at the food, and maybe even a bite.

But now, with Viktor, I have the circling sharks back! He has learned
the signs that feeding time is imminent, and he and Caliban mill around
excitedly when I start to prepare their dishes for them. It's kind of
fun, though very hectic. The tails straight in the air are like shark
fins that circle around my legs.

So I start to cut up the meat for them, and Caliban jumps onto the
counter and tries to snatch a piece. Not only do I have to fend him off
the cutting board, but I also have to protect the food bowls that I'm
filling. When they are ready I put down Caliban's bowl for him and
Viktor charges up and tries to get a piece of meat from that bowl while
I wave his bowl in the air and try to get him to come to the bathroom,
where I can shut him in so he can eat in peace. When I've shut Viktor
into the bathroom, Caliban has usually finished his food and then he
sits outside the bathroom door, waiting for me or Viktor to open it so
he can raid Viktor's bowl.

Only now do I get to prepare Miranda's dish. I used to have to fend off
Caliban at this point, but now he reckons he has a better chance of
getting to Viktor's food, so he sits with his nose to the bathroom door.
When I've put Mir's portion out of the way on top of the fridge, I go
and pick up Caliban and hold him tight while I peek into the bathroom to
see if Viktor has finished.

Mir still saunters in half an hour later to see if the food meets her
standards.

--
Marina, Miranda, Caliban and viktor.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

This made me laugh. I have circling sharks in the morning too--Frank
and Bosley.
Biskit and Boots wait patiently for their turn.
Bosley has this maddening habit of running beside me, then cuts in
front of me. Like
he's "herding" me or something. It nearly always results in me
stepping on his foot.
The other strange phenomenon about circling sharks is that they are
very forgiving about
having their toes stomped on. If I stepped on Bosley anytime *except*
the a.m. sharkfest, he'd
run from me, perch himself up on top of something, and give me this
persecuted, wounded
look. At feeding time, he forgives me immediately.

Sherry

Sherry wrote:

This made me laugh. I have circling sharks in the morning too--Frank
and Bosley.
Biskit and Boots wait patiently for their turn.
Bosley has this maddening habit of running beside me, then cuts in
front of me. Like
he's "herding" me or something. It nearly always results in me
stepping on his foot.
The other strange phenomenon about circling sharks is that they are
very forgiving about
having their toes stomped on. If I stepped on Bosley anytime *except*
the a.m. sharkfest, he'd
run from me, perch himself up on top of something, and give me this
persecuted, wounded
look. At feeding time, he forgives me immediately.

He knows that picking a fight with the person who's about to feed him
is a bad idea.

But you'd think he'd learn after all this time that cutting in and out
in front of you is going to result in pain for him.

Nice to see you back here and posting!

--
Joyce

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you
come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people
who have come alive." -- Howard Thurman

On Apr 13, 2:45*am, Bastette wrote:
Sherry wrote:

* This made me laugh. I have circling sharks in the morning too--Frank
* and Bosley.
* Biskit and Boots wait patiently for their turn.
* Bosley has this maddening habit of running beside me, then cuts in
* front of me. Like
* he's "herding" me or something. It nearly always results in me
* stepping on his foot.
* The other strange phenomenon about circling sharks is that they are
* very forgiving about
* having their toes stomped on. If I stepped on Bosley anytime *except*
* the a.m. sharkfest, he'd
* run from me, perch himself up on top of something, and give me this
* persecuted, wounded
* look. At feeding time, he forgives me immediately.

He knows that picking a fight with the person who's about to feed him
is a bad idea.

But you'd think he'd learn after all this time that cutting in and out
in front of you is going to result in pain for him.

Nice to see you back here and posting!

--
Joyce

Exactly! He's ten years old now!

But he has mad skills avoiding the carrier and any kind of medicating,
so I know he's
not dumb. I was fingering his claws the other day, and then got up to
find the clippers,
came back and he had completely disappeared. Like he could read my
mind. It was
spooky.

Sherry

Sherry wrote:

Exactly! He's ten years old now!

But he has mad skills avoiding the carrier and any kind of medicating,
so I know he's
not dumb. I was fingering his claws the other day, and then got up to
find the clippers,
came back and he had completely disappeared. Like he could read my
mind. It was
spooky.

Sherry

You obviously forgot to wear your tin foil hat. ;-)
--
Adrian