The Cottage Smallholder


stumbling self sufficiency in a small space

inca on a missionLast night I gardened until I couldn’t see the weeds.

When I drifted inside, the dogs looked hopeful. So I grabbed the bag of complete dog food and prepared their meal. A bit late but humans hadn’t eaten yet.

Great Aunt Daisy Beatyl observed me from her igloo. Usually on a late supper night she is doing her Whirling Dervish dance and yelping vociferously. Something was wrong.

Suspecting that her teeth were giving her gip, I soaked her biscuit for longer than usual.

When I laid down the bowls in order of seniority, Daisy Beatyl kept us all waiting. She eventually ate the beef mince topping and returned to her igloo. The rest of the pack polished of their bowls as I tried to hand feed DB the softened biscuit. Diasy B turned her head away.

The other three scoffed her supper. I found a luscious topping of pork and vegetables in the fridge and fed a couple of large handfuls to Daisy Beatyl, who was politely enthusiastic.

She was observed closely by the usual suspects who were clearly enraged that they were not offered the same.

DB ate but something was definitely off the mark. Usually she hoovers up the food, now she was actually chewing.

With a heavy heart I mounted the stairs to the Rat Room.
“Daisy Beatyl must be ill. She wouldn’t eat her supper, except the topping. She’s eaten a bit of the pork and vegetables. It took ages.”

“But I fed them an hour and a half ago.”
Dogs. As canny as a jar of pre prepared mustard.
I flew down the stairs and gave D Beatyl a big cuddle, and covered each somnolent, overfed beast with a blanket.

They’d won, fair and square.


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6 Comments

  1. Fiona Nevile

    Hi Pat

    When my mum was given DB I promised the owners that I would look after her if my mum couldn’t look after her anymore. So I feel super responsible for her now and have grown very fond of her.

    It’s good to have a range of ages although now she is gradually begining to fade. She sleeps a lot and her two highlights of the day are breakfast and supper.

    Hi Magic Cochin

    Your cats are clever and talented as well as being good looking.

    Like Cliff, I reckon that I would fall for the rouse every time!

    Hello Amanda

    Even I was surprised that the Min Pins could act that well!

    Hi Jan

    Ah your dogs are like DB she was silent in her igloo. The Min Pins, on the other hand were displaying “We haven’t been fed and have given up asking.” Eyes revolving to bowls.

    Hello Gillie

    I think our dogs dream about a climbing frame house and children that don’t eat crusts!

  2. gillie

    I can hear the crunching from here canine chow is out … ah ha we have moved on to nosing the bowl around the floor in the off chance there is something that has been missed. The clanking has stopped, no doubt time to move out to the meadow to see if the girls have dropped anything from the pudding place (aka the climbing frame house).

  3. Yours are cannier than mine! When I get back in the evening I can always tell from the degree of hyperactivity in the greeting whether or not someone’s fed them. They’d never stand up to interrogation!

  4. Amanda

    Excellent – as canny as only a canine can be.

  5. magic cochin

    I was so worried you were going to say DB had been poisoned or was seriously ill – what a relief (the little monkeys!)
    Our cats are have the same trick up their furry sleeves – if Cliff’s late home from work I will feed them. Then they wait patiently by the back door with ‘she’s so cruel, we haven’t been fed yet’ faces – an Oscar winnning performance which Cliff falls for every time!!!

    Celia

  6. Oh Fiona, You had me worried there. But it sounds just like our house with the cats. I always worry if the boys go off their food. Yesterday they were a bit off, but I think it was the heat.

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