a very spoiled cat

[a non-amos]

One of our cats had some dental problems.  We took care of those problems, but could not convince the cat to eat.  We put our brains into it, and came up with a way to encourage the cat to eat.  We came up with something that worked.

The dental problems are history, but now we are left with a cat that will only eat cat food alfredo.

Let's hear your stories about overly pampered pets (not restricted to cats)!

- A

[birdy]

One of my friends caters to her cats to an extent that the rest of us find ridiculous.  For instance, if a cat is sleeping in her lap, she will not get up until the cat wakes up and moves away on its own, because she doesn't want to disturb it. (If I had moved my cat to another location, he would have just gone back to sleep).

She had an elderly cat who did not eat well.  She would open can after can of cat food until he would eat a few mouthfuls.  When he showed a preference for one kind of baby food which she could no longer get locally (nor would the manufacturer sell it to her), she drove across two states to buy it at a grocery store which still carried it.

[cmh]

I am more of a doggy person than a cat person. My first dog was a Cairn Terrier given to me by my parents when I was 11 years old. He was a faddy eater and eventually we discovered that he would happily eat freshly cooked beef but it must be dry (no gravy allowed!). This was fine at home but my elder brother lived in Scotland (we were in the North of England) and when we visited the cost of fresh meat for the dog was at that time about 3 or 4 times what it was at home. Mother decided that the dog would have tinned dog food on the next visit and like it. However she felt that he ought to have a chance to get used to it prior to the next visit and so a tin was opened and put into his dish. The dog kept looking at the food but not eating. After 2 days (Mother held her nerve) he still had not eaten. That evening he went again into the kitchen and we heard the noise of a dogs nose in the food dish. Mother whispered that she had won but a few seconds later in walked the dog with some tinned meat in his mouth which he proceeded to place at Mothers feet and then he walked away and sat in his basket. Gracefully admitting defeat Mother found some fresh beef and Sandy never saw tinned meat in his dish again!

[ensiform]

I have never heard the word "faddy" before.  It is not in use in 'Merka.  It is great to be able to hear words being used in the natural context rather than just reading about them in dictionaries.

And when you say 'gravy,' do you mean the juice that you get from cooking beef?  In Italian-American culture 'gravy' means tomato sauce for pasta, and in 'Merka in general use it means a sauce you have to make by mixing cooked meat juice with flour.  We would not typically call the run-off from cooking meat 'gravy,' at least not in the regions I have lived.

[cmh]

I now know that "faddy" is a word that has not travelled far from the County of Yorkshire! Gravy is made from meat juices (not just beef) and can be left as is or thickened. It is also gravy when it is the liquid in a stew (casserole).

[Linda]

I now know that "faddy" is a word that has not travelled far from the County of Yorkshire!

It's certainly travelled to Cumbria - not too far, I must admit!

We had a very faddy cat, sadly no longer with us.  We have a sign on our back door (above the cat flap) saying "Cats are just children with fur!" - bit fanciful maybe, but not too far from the truth! 

[cmh]

I know it has travelled to Cumbria because i now live there and use "faddy"!!!

[pat]

We have a sign on our back door (above the cat flap) saying "Cats are just children with fur!" - bit fanciful maybe, but not too far from the truth! 

That's insulting to cats, Linda!

[Hobbit]

Take a look at Karl Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette Lagerfeld.  That is the definition of a very spoiled cat   Silver dishes to eat from, custom made Louis Vuitton Bags and  a bodyguard and 2 ladies-in-waiting!! Scary!

[Linda]

That's insulting to cats, Linda!

You're quite right, Pat!  I will remove the sign immediately! 

Karl Lagerfeld obvs more money than sense, Hobbit.  I bet old Choupette isn't allowed to be a cat at all.  No mousing or - dare I say it with Pat around? - birding for him/her whatever it is!!

cmb I didn't realize you were a neighbour!  What a small world it is.

[anona]

I live in South Wales and have never lived in the North of England, but 'faddy' is a very common word to me. Usually it's in the context of food; but I might use it e.g. where someone will do without something altogether rather than settle for anything less than what they have decided to use habitually - out of principle/habit rather than snobbery.

[cmh]

Hi anona. Yes That is a perfect definition of "faddy". Never been to Wales but at least I see possibilities of communicating if I ever do!

[cmh]

Hi anona. Yes That is a perfect definition of "faddy". Never been to Wales but at least I see possibilities of communicating if I ever do!

[a non-amos]

Dear Ensiform,

One of these days I must introduce you to a proper gravy.  Some dishes rely heavily on it.  Southern fried steak comes to mind.

This starts with a cubed steak.  Don't buy the cubed steak they sell at the market; that's usually a flank steak or a round steak.  Pick a sirloin with good marbling and ask to have it cubed.

Cook it in hot shortening.  It must be hot, or the coatings on the steak will not puff up and add a crunchy layer.  Turn down the heat after the meat is cooked (you don't need as much heat to do gravy magic).

Cook a few strips of bacon in the grease.  This adds much flavor.  Fish out the bacon (save for later) and throw in some sweet onion (Texas Sweet or Vidalia).  Use more onion than you think you will want; these onions have a more delicate flavor.  Cook the onions until they start to turn translucent.  Throw in some mushrooms and cook them for a couple minutes.  Press a few cloves of fresh garlic into that.  You are now ready to make the roux.

Add flour and stir or whisk until smooth.  Be sure to get all the particulates from the bacon off of the bottom of the pan; that's at least half of your bacon flavor.  Keep stirring.

After that thickens, add beef broth until you get the right consistency.  I like a thick gravy.  Chop the bacon and add it to the gravy as bacon bits.

Serve the meat with real mashed potatoes and gravy over both.  Also serve with something like bacon-onion-garlic-sweet pepper-tomato-green beans (Greek yani).  Yum.

This makes a brown gravy that is so much better than the white gravy you always see on a country fried steak.  You have to taste it to believe it.

If you want to get really fancy, you can throw some herbs de provence into the mashed potatoes, but please use a light hand; the gravy is the star of the show.

Can you tell that I miss having a kitchen?

- A