I’ve shared that I don’t like canned cat food. Poor Mom has tried dozens of flavors. I usually try a bite and leave the rest of Sophia or Missy when the bowl gets pushed to the floor. I really don’t know how that happens. I just know that like my litter box, it needs to be buried. She is still stirring that medicine into that gravy “chowder” stuff she orders. Some days I’ll eat it and some days I won’t. She even bought special plastic bowls with lids so that when I don’t eat it, she can put it in the refrigerator for later. Sometimes it does taste better later. She talks to me about my weight loss. She is afraid that the cancer has spread. That powder in my food is to stop that. I have decided to take the broader view – the tumor was a slow grower. Any new cancer will also be a slow grower. I’ll eat what appeals. If I am not hungry, I won’t eat. Pretty simple really.

Last week Mom stopped at the grocery and bought their fried chicken for dinner. She had a meeting at the election office and didn’t feel like cooking. She has done that before, but this time, the chicken smelled so good. I couldn’t help myself. When she got up to get a glass of water, I took a bite of the chicken on her plate. Mom and Dad had told stories about dogs they had who took the chicken off their plates, but I never did anything like that before. Mom was not pleased. She pushed me off the table, but I came right back. I needed to let her know that I wanted more of the chicken! She took a knife, cut off the piece I had eaten from and then, chopped more chicken into small pieces. She pushed those pieces and me to the far side of the table. Wow! It was great. Once I ate that, she did the same thing with more chicken. When I finished, I looked at her plate. It was empty with only a few bones left. I wonder if she got any of the chicken for herself.

This next week is Thanksgiving. Mom always set the dinning room table with nice dishes even if it is just for her and Dad like it will be this week. She keeps the door closed because she knows that I like to smell all of the dishes and drink the water straight from the glasses with the ice. She will also fix a turkey. I know that turkey is related to chicken. I wonder if it will taste as good as that grocery store chicken? If she doesn’t close the door, maybe I can grab a bite or two when she isn’t looking. I’ll need to work on my stealth skills. Better yet would be if she set a place for me.

Thanksgiving from years past.