Simply Simon

The King of the House!

Always an animal lover, there came the day that I found myself without a house-pet. All of my pets had succumbed to "natural" causes, whether old age or an incurable disease. One little dog died after a lengthy battle with cancer and that just about broke my heart. However, the "natural" causes that took the lives of my last three cats are called "coyotes".  Living where I do, one has to accept the fact that not all wild critters see kitties as cute, cuddly and companionable. Coyotes especially see cats as a major source of food, as unpleasant and barbarian as that might sound to you and me.

In my neighborhood, the coyotes don't migrate according to the availability of prey, as they would ordinarily do. There are folks who enjoy observing wild animals in their native habitat and encourage them to stay around by providing regular incentives like chicken parts, beef bones, etc.  Consequently, there's no reason for the animals to forage further for sustenance and they pretty much live year 'round in a large gully in front of my house.  You might think that I'd have taken precautions to see that coyotes and cats never met, but stuff happens. Doors get opened and cats slip out to answer the "call of the wild."

"GRANDMA, HE'S THE PURRRFECT CAT FOR YOU!"

I had decided that I would not let my heart be broken again by providing a meal for another rangy coyote, until  the day I received the call from my granddaughter. 14-year-old Amanda got a job at a local pet store and was  having the time of her life! The store owners "rescued" an unwanted old neutered male cat who absolutely did not have a home to go to. Now Amanda was telling me, "He's the perfect cat for you!"

The story was that "Simon" had originally been found as a stray in a park around San Diego and lived with a family who eventually moved into my area. His rescuers decided to move onto a house boat and there was just no place for Simon!  He is definitely a house cat, hates terra-firma, loves a litter box and, even more, loves dry cat food. And, Amanda persuaded, "He won't sneak out of the house, EVER. Once he fell off the deck and cried like a baby to get back into the house. He won't give the coyotes a chance to catch him!" But the hooker was, "Grandma, he's old. If you don't take him, he'll have to be put to sleep." What could I do?

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OKAY, I'M A SOFT TOUCH

Simon has now been a permanent resident in my house for over a year. Amanda was right. He's a great companion! He yowls for fresh water, a clean litter box, and dry cat foot ; he will NOT eat liver, sliced turkey, fish, "wet" canned food, milk or anything else.  He's very easy to care for, loves being on the deck during hot summer days and watching the little brown bunnies and deer that wander freely to and fro. Sometimes his tail twitches but he makes no effort at all to get closer. Oh, he also loves to watch the birds in the feeders and the little Douglas squirrels that help themselves to the bird seed. Life is good for Simon!

GREEN IS GOOD FOR SIMON, TOO!

About the only down side for Simon is the lack of fresh green food in his diet. Cats need roughage and fiber in their diets to help process and rid their intestines of that infernal hair they keep licking clean! Even though commercial cat food contains fiber and ingredients designed to keep their systems healthy and prevent buildup of hairballs, it just doesn't seem to do the job. It's annoying to find evidence of an "up-chucked"  hairball and partially digested food on the floor. Usually, this happens during the night and you step in it with bare feet.

Animals instinctively know they need roughage and fiber and make every attempt to find it for themselves. It's easy when they have outside access and can chomp on fresh grass whenever they please, but for house-bound pets, it's a challenge. They look for whatever is available and that's usually one of your prized houseplants! Tell-tale signs are cuts and tears on the leaves or, if it's a plant that is slightly toxic, you may even find leaves regurgitated in a nasty little puddle.

To keep Simon from munching on houseplants, I tried taking him down onto the lawn hoping he'd get whiff of fresh green grass that would be irresistible.  He fell over his own feet running to get back into the house as fast as he could. It was obvious that Simon wasn't the least bit interested in grazing on the lush green grass growing so abundantly under his nose.

IF SIMON WON'T GO TO THE GRASS, THE GRASS MUST COME TO SIMON!

The answer was unbelievably simple - which kind of personifies Simon, doesn't it? If Simon would not go to the grass, the grass must come to Simon. I grabbed a clay flower pot, filled it with garden soil AND a worm, then skimmed off a layer of lawn grass, about 4 inches across. I pressed it into the dirt in the pot, then sprinkled fresh grass seed around the edges and lightly into the turf.  Then I watered it well, allowing the water to fill and run out, making sure that the clay pot absorbed as much moisture as possible so the water would be evenly distributed throughout the whole thing. After it had drained, I brought it into the house and set it in a saucer next to the sliding door that goes out onto the deck. It didn't take long. On his first pass by the door, Simon spotted the pot of grass and immediately began to enjoy a fresh green salad!

It's become a regular part of his diet. I replaced the grass once in nine months but, by making sure it is watered regularly and sprinkling fresh grass seed every couple of months, Simon is assured a fresh, healthy supply of sweet green grass.  He no longer munches on my house plants and I don't find hairballs as often. Actually, by the looks of the litter box, his digestive process has stabilized too! 

Check the the Photo Album for more pictures of Simon and his green salad!