The Object of Great Desire

I admit it…every single animal around here is spoiled.

  I give in far too easily.

Back when Miss Kitty was still alive and well here on the hill, I began buying canned cat food because she didn’t seem to have the strength to eat the crunchy stuff. If you somehow missed the tale of “Miss Kitty”, you should read this. "End of an Era" (be sure you have a tissue…it’s sad)

The other barn kitties got accustomed to eating clean-up after Miss Kitty, she always got first dibs and no one ever argued with her. But, after she died…I just kept buying canned cat food for them, because they seemed to like it so much.  See?  I told you.

It began to seem like that cat food was disappearing rather quickly.  I mean, three kitties can eat…and eat quickly, but this was getting ridiculous.  …and wait a minute!  How are these cat food cans getting outside?  …in the front yard? Hmmmmm

The Boss insisted that the DOGS were eating the cat food. I had suspected as much, but we had no hard evidence.  Occasionally, a dog would brush past us while we were doing chores, but either one of them just hurried back out the door…and at first we never suspected…we never gave them a second thought.

But, one day, something about the whole thing seemed more than a little suspicious. 

I waited…I watched… AH HA!  The dogs are so large that they can hold the entire cat food can in their mouth with ease.  Their floppy lips covered the contraband and they would slink out the door, taking their little goodie outside for some al fresco dining.

By the times the cats finish with the food, there is at most a tablespoon left in the bottom.  Why the dogs even bother is beyond me, but they both have a true weakness for all things feline.

They seemed to be taking turns.  Jed would get it and then Ellie.  They weren’t fighting over it at all.  I guess they were just putting one over on the humans.

Since the Boss is almost as soft-hearted as I am (oh, don’t tell), he devised a system so that the cats got their food and the dogs just ate “clean-up”.  Now, Jed and Ellie know that they can’t come in the barn to eat until we allow it…and yes, they get the can.

Now, if we could just get them to pick up after themselves!