No... not me... Nell!
Nell's usual afternoon/evening routine is to go for a walk about 4.30 - 5 ish and then have her meal and settle down for the evening. She usually goes straight to sleep and then at 9 - 9.30 (it used to be 10 - 10.30 in her younger days) she gets very perky and demands to have her biscuits and go to bed.
Last night I was sitting having a glass or two of wine and watching a bit of crap telly while trying to tidy up a poem at approximately 7.30 and Nell comes wandering over, pestering me. I stroked her, she wagged her tail at me. I stroked her some more, but she wouldn't sit down, just stared at me in that very familiar way, wagging her tail... and then it dawned on me... she wanted to have her biscuits and go to bed! She was told in no uncertain terms that it wasn't time. After trying to stare me out for a minute or so, she decided she was on a loser, however I did let her go upstairs and settle on her bed.
At about 10.45 I decided I'd make myself a hot drink and head for bed and realised Nell hadn't woken up for her night time biccies, but as soon as I woke her and mentioned that fact she was keen to make up for lost time.
Off we went down to the utility room. She had the biscuits, had a drink, went out in the garden for a pee and by the time she came back in I'd made my drink and was ready to go up... but no... not her... she actually stood there looking from me to the biscuit box. And yes, she wanted more! When I said 'no' to that, she looked at me in absolute disbelief, with a glare that said, 'But why are you starving me? I need my biscuits!' No amount of persuading on my part would do, but I didn't give in, I went and got my cup from the kitchen and told her 'Upstairs.' Very reluctantly she complied.
Although this is quite funny, in a sad kind of a way, it also reminds me that she's not got that much longer to live. She really is quite elderly now and it did occur to me that an extra biscuit or two probably wouldn't make a huge difference.
I'm not inclined to pander (Mountain Man doesn't call me Strict Woman for nothing), but I'm wondering, what would you do in these circumstances?
It's very hard with ageing pets. In the end we forgave our cat so much in memory of the pet he once was. I'd give the biscuits, but then I've always been a soft touch.
ReplyDeleteI'm a soft touch too and I would give her the biscuits, especially since she seems to be genuinely forgetting the previous biscuits. Poor Nell, and poor you. It isn't easy.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard, but you haven't persuaded me. I'm still inclined to keep to the routine. She actually had a puppy moment on our walk this evening and positively gambolled out of the door and down the road for the first 5 mins, then remembered she was elderly and limped the rest of the way!
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