Eating their feelings!

Nickolas 2005

Tort 2005

Prior to our son being born our kitties were our babies. They were loved and adored like little princes. Since they were kittens they've been the center of everyone in this household's attention. We regulate their food to a half a cup each twice a day. I've taught them to sit up pretty, they "say please" before getting food, and both of our cats can "sing" the song from Lady and The Tramp... "We are Siamese If You Please MEOW..." they will sing every meow requested of them. Everything was fine until... "that baby" entered the house. (Excuse my hiiiigh whine-y voice. How embarassing.)

As of late every time they see either Loving Husband or myself move they bolt for the kitchen... for food - Nickolas is a pro at pawing at our food out of our hands (the audacity!) and their table manners (though always poor) are now appalling. Then they get started meowing, and then the baby fusses, and then the phone rings, then there's a dirty diaper.... and sadly the cats draw the short end of the attention stick and so in the interest of getting them to leave us alone we feed them. We've been neglectful kitty-mommas and daddys. It's true. I acknowledged that they're meowing for food because that's when they get the attention - so we try to pet them more. They are getting better (this is an extremely relative term) especially now that I've made the connection between neediness and food. But the truth remains: our kitties are eating their feelings.

Now they always bulk up a bit in winter simply because they don't go run around outside as much - it's cold here! So inside they stay sleeping on the back of the couch... and to be fair to these two - they are large cats to begin with. They have always weighed 13+ pounds since reaching adulthood. Tort is a maine coon - they're average is 16-17lbs. So we wouldn't ever have dainty cats. These are a man's man cat!

So allow me to introduce our kitties in all their glory (and my is there a lot of it!) For comparisons to their former selves I've posted "Pre Baby Weight*" pictures and "Post Baby Weight" pictures taken today. :) Those will be the only of their kind ever posted on this here website!

* To be fair it should be noted that the "pre baby weight" pictures were taken in the summer of 2006 and they were barely a year old. So they were still spry teenagers and not to their full adult bodied potential... but for comparison and dramatic sake :)