New "Old" Cat Food Bowl

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Since the fast-feeder bowls always end up getting tossed to the floor, spraying kibble everywhere, I figured that Tulip would prefer a normal plastic bowl. So I started putting her food in it last week. Of course, that solved absolutely nothing.

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This is a new game that Tulip made up. She drags the bowl to the end of the table and pushes it off the table immediately. I think she just wants to eat the kibble off the floor. She then drags the empty bowl across the living room floor. If any food lands near the heating vent, she likes to bat the crumbs into it. 

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A future redo of the table will probably involve a stainless steel top and a surrounding nailed on "wall" that will stymie her escapades. 

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You know, Tulip has provided many puzzles for me to figure out. Why can't she learn from  my food treatments?  Tulip is much too smart for me.

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#Tuliptricks

#Tulipfood

#Mycatrules

Offloading Spectrum Internet and home phone

My Spectrum bill just jumped up another $20, edging close to $180 per month. Last week I decided to switch most of these services to Brightspeed. 

Their rep, John, kept me on the phone for over an hour. There was a problem charging my debit card because I had put a freeze on my credit. I fixed the problem, but did not hear back from Brightspeed.

Today a different Brightspeed rep had me fill out the required forms repeatedly (four times)! Déjà vu, right? 

I called Experian and requested that the credit freeze be lifted temporarily. Uh-oh; it already WAS, but their chatbot didn't hear me say, "Refreeze my account tomorrow."  The account was frozen once again today. So I went to Experian online to settle the freeze-thaw issue. 

Back to Brightspeed. All was fine from my end, but the Brightspeed rep still couldn't get the $50 down payment to work. That explains the repetitious form-filling that took over an hour and a half.

These two Saturday sessions with my future Internet carrier were frustrating. I feel like the monster in their print ads. (Oops; he's a troll). He may be smiling, but all I can say is,

"Grrrr!"

#Internetswitch

#Brightspeed

#Spectrum

#Customerservicefail

Breeze Litter Pellets

Tulip noshes on the unopened bags of Breeze litter pellets. I kept hearing the crisp sounds of teeth marks on plastic bags. There is no way I want the litter bags breached. Last night I draped a lap blanket over the four bags. 

I'm going to need to order more bags. Thanks to Tulip, I have recognized our Chewy.com needs.

🌼

On another note, Tulip acts like a snake about to swallow an ostrich egg as she tries to bite the edges of her food table. I'll add a picture later this week.

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My sister asked why I don't feed Tulip on the floor. Well, I do, eventually, once she tosses here bowl down.

It hurts to bend down. Especially since my recent falls. I raised Tulip's Breeze box on top of the last upturned litter box.

#Tuliptrouble

#Tulipaddswoodtoherdiet

I keep falling

On Thursday I missed another monthly meeting of my writers' group because I tripped up a curb at Smithfield Library. This was much worse than last June. An ambulance took me to the hospital. I had 5 stitches in my left eyebrow, a CT scan and blood work that said I am anemic. I was feeling okay enough to go ahead with my book launch.

Unfortunately, I fell in the house Friday night and nearly could not get myself up. These were two hard falls in two days. My Medical Guardian necklace didn't detect either incident. Yet the necklace gives false reports all the time.

I wrenched my back so badly that I sat in a recliner all last night. Couldn't sleep at all. I can't do much of anything until the back spasms disappear. I have a meeting scheduled for Monday that I may have to back out of.

Tulip's Getting Worse

Now the cat food table no longer has the plastic spikes on it nor finishing nails to hold them down. When Tulip started to eat the Contact paper on it, I pulled it all off. What remains is spotty, rough wood. Now she's trying to pull at the white mat to upset the water bowl sitting on top of it. 

My plans are to put more contact paper on the tabletop. I think I may have to nail the mat down so the water bowl doesn't get upended. Tulip still tries to munch off the trim on the table.

Where's her dish of kibble now? On the floor, to the right of the table. See the patch of blue?You might call this Tulip's moveable feast.

#Tulipmoveablefeast

#cat_hijinks

#Tuliptrouble

Water Works

Today I took a video of Tulip soaking her food table by standing in and pawing at her water bowl. Used two kitchen towels to sop up the mini-flood.

Right now, Tulip must be exhausted from her swimming; she is asleep near a kitchen window.

#tulip&water

#waterlovingcat

#tuliploveswater

Monday, March 2 -- I'm Annoyed...

...with Tulip. So what else is new? 

This morning, right after I filled her food bowl, she promptly pushed the full dish off the table. Kibble everywhere. One piece got lodged in the heating grate.

And, of course, she is daring me to spray her with the water bottle by trying to eat the plastic edges attached to the table. I may have to put a taller barrier on it. Or start putting her dish on the floor. That's no guarantee that she'll leave the dish alone. She pushes it everywhere.

The way Tulip picks up her dish to carry it around is cute, effective and maddening. She also flips the plastic mat beneath the dish, dumping that down as well.

I put nails along the edges of the table and hooked some of the plastic spikes over them. Tulip immediately pulled out two of the finishing nails and put her nose under the spikes. Make that three nails now. She knows to lift the spikes up. By tomorrow, I may have to replace the edges with wood. Or leave it as a jobbie for my contractor to do.

Another thought: I could replace her dishes to "regular" plastic bowls (not the slow feeders she's using now). I should bring the metal bowls and cat frame to my favorite thrift store. I have no doubt that Tulip would flip those bowls over in record time.

When I think about it, I should also donate the coffee pot I never use. Coffee is on my Do Not Consume list, along with gluten products.

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Tuesday, March 3rd. 

After I took the picture seen above, I affixed a Velcro strap to the top right corner. Oh boy! Tulip just loves picking at it. 

Three more nails were dislodged this morning. This situation needs a better solution.