Virgie Bell's View

The one thing I am more grateful for than anything this coming year is Tony Thomas, the cutest and smartest cat to ever adopt a family in the USA, and now I find that Tony is also thrifty. He has this little condominium house and on the very back wall he has a little pile of pecans started. Lisa said she tried to feed him the other day when we were at the doctor’s office in Lubbock. When she got there, she found Tony with a pecan in his mouth. She said she tried to get it out, but he would not give it up.

Jerry tried to get in all the hours at work he could before 2007 rang in. I think the oil companies also try to get that last load before saying adios to year 2006. So actually, I just killed time watching Tony and being edgy until Jerry came in that front door. That’s another thing I've noticed about Tony .Those little ears go up when he hears Jerry come in after work. He knows before Jerry hits the front door. Tony goes to pacing back and forth until Daddy goes out there and acknowledges him with a few words and a few strokes to finish up the day.

Lisa called Jerry the other night about the new cat food she was worried about that we were feeding Tony. It’s Science Diet Lite for young adult cats. She was worried we were already putting Tony on a diet. Jerry’s words were, “I can’t spend $50.00 on that damn cat everyday,” but I see we had a new sack of cat food the very next day.

The thing is, dog and cat food are regulated by the government and was once recommended as food to put in a bomb shelter after the Cuban Missile Crises. Yes, I am serious. Food for humans is not regulated unless you get MREs in the military. I really think that for any change to be made in pet food as far as light food goes, is that the only change that is allowed is in calories. The nutrition has to stay the same regardless of the calorie content. At any rate, Tony has his own little stash of pecans horded away in case anyone gets any ideas about fooling around with his diet. Lisa thinks all cats should be as fat as her stuck-up cat or De’on’s hateful cat. Tony knows those cousins of his are fat and lazy, whereas he is sleek and energetic. And besides, they are females and he is male or oooppps, nearly male. His daddy glared at me when we did that little medical thing to Tony. Jerry said, “Now all he can do is sleep and eat."

“Men are such pigs,” said I then, to Tony’s daddy.

Jerry grinned...but seriously, he did not like that Tony got his wings clipped, or whatever. But we did it to keep that little man at home, safe, sound, and well. Just sleeping and eating. He reminds me of Mandy, a much earlier momma dog of Lisa’s. Mandy always had that little rock in her mouth. I am so grateful we have Tony, and I SUPPORT THE TROOPS!