I am a certifibly crazy pet parent, especially around feeding time: 6 animals – 7 different foods
The Food
Food 1 and 2: Louise, with her autoimmune issues, gets Hill’s prescription Z/D (wet and dry). She has been doing really well on it and sadly, I can not find any cheaper alternatives. I feed her in a ‘slow bowl,’ which really works too. (Thanks for the slow bowl idea, Eko.)
Food 3 and 4: Sofie, eats Natural Balance Venison and Sweet Potato (wet and dry). I used to feed it to both dogs before I found that Louise could not tolerate most foods. The dogs also get unsalted veggies with each meal, or pumpkin, depending on what I have in the pantry.
Food 5: Noel eats Friskies wet food. All the cats used to be on this but Nine and Stella started to dislike it (as well as most dry foods), so now only Noel is on it. Wet is my choice and I add a good amount of water. (Dr. L says they would normally eat 4 mice a day, which would be meat and water mostly, so that is what I try for.)
Food 6: Nine and Stella don’t like any wet anymore (no matter how hard I try), so they are on Solid Gold – Indigo dry.
Food 7: The baby, Mini Cooper (who is not a kitten anymore), is on Blue Healthy Gourmet pate (wet only). She does not like Friskies. I haven’t moved Noel to the Blue because it is very expensive and if I can save a few bucks…
The Process
I have feeding down to a science. I open all dog food cans. I make Louise’s food first because I want the fork to be free from contamination of other food. (Yes fork vs spoon, because Lulu’s food is very solid and it helps break it up more.) I mix the wet, dry, and veggies with water. She then licks the fork.
Then it is whinny Sofie’s turn. I mix her dry, wet, and veggies with water and then she licks the fork. Sometimes I make them sit and give them an extra veggie or 2.
I take their food to the dog mat, they say their prayers (really they do) and chow down.
Now that they are busy I move to the counter to feed the cats. I open the cat cans. Mini first because she is a huge pest if I don’t. Then Nine on the other side of the counter, followed by Noel, the patient, in her herb window. The cats have to eat ‘up’ to keep food away from dogs.
The dogs are still busy when I go down the hall to Stella’s room and feed her (she is behind closed doors all the time so she is easy).
Back to the kitchen to make sure Sofie does not cat bowl surf the counter (which she does) and that Mini and Noel don’t gang up on Nine, who is a slower eater, because they do. They sit there and stare him down if I don’t watch.
This routine may explain why it is really hard to get anyone else in the family to help at feeding time. I actually accomplish all this in a matter of minutes, but I have a plan (you have to have a plan at 5 am).
I don’t mind the different foods, it is just the cost that is killing me, and the need to shop at multiple pet stores because the foods are special and only sold at specific places (Z/D at a PetSmart with a Banfield Vet or at a Vet) and Natural Balance at Petco or a specialty store. But I got smart this month, I went on the internet and ordered things direct. Maybe that will make life a little less crazy around pet food.
Feeding time at the Zoo! Oh yeah, I repeat this again around 4:30 in the afternoon. No wonder I am always tired.
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Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo 
DogDaz Zoo 