You and Perrine seem to be getting along very well! She sounds like a wonderfully delightful kitty! I'm so happy that you've found each other! I think she's just what you needed!
In my experience, a feeding / eating ritual is pretty typical kitty behavior. Our current cat, Mocha, clearly expects company in the kitchen, where we keep her food bowl, in the morning. She will get us out of bed for this. You don't even have to pretend to give her food -- only your presence is required.
Of course, she also has this habit of making a run for the kitchen any time you're headed vaguely in that direction, just in case you might happen to feed her... but that's another story.
(And then there's the whole watering issue, which you can read about in my March 14 journal entry)
Our previous cat, Zoey, expected to be "fed" every morning, too. She wanted one of us to put a hand into her bowl. If the bowl was already fairly full, either dropping in a few pellets (she refused to eat wet food except in the most minute quantities), or just mixing the food around would satisfy her. The actual addition of food wasn't necessary. You just had to touch the food.
Maybe it's all about making sure that the human is paying appropriate homage to the cat. &;)
"In my experience, a feeding / eating ritual is pretty typical kitty behavior."
Yah, but the specifics vary so much from cat to cat ... I knew a cat that had to be stroked constantly or she'd stop eating, and many who Don't Want To Be Touched while at their food dish. And similar variation about unfamiliar humans being in the room. Of course the training works both ways -- I know at least two humans (who spring immediately to mind) who've trained their cats to perform certain rituals at mealtime, so it's not just the cats convincing us to do certain things.
I remember that post about the water dish issues; I found it interesting.
(no subject)
In my experience, a feeding / eating ritual is pretty typical kitty behavior. Our current cat, Mocha, clearly expects company in the kitchen, where we keep her food bowl, in the morning. She will get us out of bed for this. You don't even have to pretend to give her food -- only your presence is required.
Of course, she also has this habit of making a run for the kitchen any time you're headed vaguely in that direction, just in case you might happen to feed her... but that's another story.
(And then there's the whole watering issue, which you can read about in my March 14 journal entry)
Our previous cat, Zoey, expected to be "fed" every morning, too. She wanted one of us to put a hand into her bowl. If the bowl was already fairly full, either dropping in a few pellets (she refused to eat wet food except in the most minute quantities), or just mixing the food around would satisfy her. The actual addition of food wasn't necessary. You just had to touch the food.
Maybe it's all about making sure that the human is paying appropriate homage to the cat. &;)
(no subject)
Yah, but the specifics vary so much from cat to cat ... I knew a cat that had to be stroked constantly or she'd stop eating, and many who Don't Want To Be Touched while at their food dish. And similar variation about unfamiliar humans being in the room. Of course the training works both ways -- I know at least two humans (who spring immediately to mind) who've trained their cats to perform certain rituals at mealtime, so it's not just the cats convincing us to do certain things.
I remember that post about the water dish issues; I found it interesting.