Where’s the peanut butter?!

Four years ago Tanya was out of town in London and I had a boy over. Well, at the time, I thought he was a girl, but that’s another story. Anyway, his name is Jupiter and I let him sleep in my bed while she was away and today, he is the first cat I’ve come to really appreciate and love. If you’re ever lucky enough to take care of him - here’s how it goes…

Food - this is straightforward with his automatic feeder. As long as food is in the feeder, it will dispense the right amount at intervals throughout the day until it runs out of food. It’s somewhat important that he not be allowed to overeat, since he tends to eat grass from the neighborhood and will very frequently vomit due to the combination of too much food and the grass. But he means well. As a special treat, Jupiter also likes the dog’s canned food. He looks forward to a small scoop of this plopped on a saucer and flattened out a little with his dinner.

Water - Jupiter tends to drink from various places around the house. Favorite locations include the dog’s water bowl, the dog’s water holder inside his crate, or glasses of water on bedroom nightstands.

Asthma - (it’s not just for Sufjan Stevens’ record label) Jupiter suffers from asthma. Around the time we officially adopted him, I remember taking him to the vet because he had developed a bad scar on his back (probably from rubbing up against a hot pipe or something - this is where the bald spot on his back came from) and was also having great difficulty breathing. I was terrified and decided we needed to take him to the vet and so called the Cat Clinic of Seattle. The vet investigated him and wasn’t sure what to diagnose but prepared us for the worst indicating that he could have some sort of terminal problem. It was then that I realized how I could love a cat and how devastating it could be to bring a newly adopted pet in for a checkup and be told “he might die.” But he lived and was diagnosed with asthma, so now we give him one puff with an inhaler every morning and night. The procedure is outlined in a photo slideshow on my flickr.

Affection - is the one thing Jupiter needs most. He came from the neighborhood and is well loved by all our neighbors and passers by frequently tell us how he has worked into their hearts. At home, he especially likes to play with various toys which we have dangling over the doorways in our home and he is also very fond of laser pointers. He is very fond of playing with any of these toys on carpet, especially the stairs leading to the second floor. He is also very happy to have a lap, preferably adorned with denim/jeans, to sit on. Jupiter enjoys having his head, cheeks, and rear end scratched and also enjoys having his ears gently rubbed between an index and middle finger knuckle.

Commands - Jupiter understands more than he lets on, but he definitely knows his name and responds to a three toned - “high-low-high” - whistle.

Personal matters - Jupiter only uses nature’s toilets - there is no indoor litter to change.