Farmer H has been lax in his flea-bag duties. Every morning, he feeds the dogs. It used to be on the back porch outside the laundry room. Since the squirrels took over the self-feeder Farmer H put there to lessen his flea-bag duties, he's been feeding Jack and Juno on the side porch. Their dry food is in the garage, in a little plastic trash can with a lid. I might have mentioned how much they liked the new dog food, which had assorted colored kibbles like the cat food they used to love.
I noticed last week that the level of dog food in the can was getting low. Every day when I leave, I give the dogs a tiny bit for a snack. Less than a fistful apiece. Copper Jack, too. I figured Farmer H would be getting more dog food soon. Yet no receipt for such was left folded tightly, in my glasses case. Sunday afternoon, Farmer H came through the kitchen door after Storage Unit Store-ing, saying:
"I'm moving the Acadia back into the garage, and going to get dog food."
"WHAT? It was out yesterday. They must be starving!"
"I cut up that old Oberle sausage this morning. I gave Juno 6 pieces, and Jack 4. She ate all hers and tried to get his!"
"Yeah. That's how she is."
"So they're not hungry. They're fine."
Farmer H returned before I left for town. He said he spilled the dog food while he was pouring it into the plastic trash can.
"They was eatin' on it. So they're not starved."
As I walked out to the garage, I saw a pile of brown dog food pellets. Juno followed me from her dog house, and stepped gingerly around the pile of pellets. Not even sniffing them. Looking hopeful.
"No. There's not any of the other stuff. This is what he got. I'm not bringing you any out of the garage. You'll get a pizza crust when I get back, for your treat."
I'm sure she heard: "WAH WAH WAH. Treat."
While in town, a storm hit. A downpour! I was soaked like a sewer rat. My pants legs soaked up half the water on Country Mart's parking lot. Like litmus paper, only they didn't change color. When I got back home, I called Farmer H to come out to the garage and carry groceries.
"Why did you get THAT dog food. They don't like that. They liked the colored pellets."
"I didn't go all the way to The Devil's Playground. Only to Family Center."
"They don't like it."
"They'll have to eat it, or go hungry."
He was already in the house as I went up the steps carrying only a bag with BBQ chips for ME, and Puff Corn (like Cheeto Puffs, only butter flavor, not cheese) for The Pony. Jack ran over to the dog food pellets and sniffed, turning up his nose. They had gotten wet in the blowing rain, but were not even soft like that old Gravy Train kind of dog food that was meant for adding water.
I hope Jack and Juno and Copper Jack are not hungry enough to eat a horse. I'm pretty sure the horse that ran through our yard feels the same...
It's a shame they haven't got the food they actually like, but when they get hungry enough they will eat what's available. My Lola went hungry for a few days when her favourite fish food in a variety of sauces was no longer available. She eventually ate the meat in sauce that I put out for her and has become used to it. I explained to her every time for the first few weeks, "This is all there is, the fish isn't available any more."
ReplyDeleteHer dry food is the same as always, so she eats that without any trouble.
River,
ReplyDeleteIt IS a shame! After they lost their cat kibble treat, at least they had this dog food that was similar. Now when I come out, they think I'm getting them some of that delicious stuff in the garage, but there's only the bland kind. Poor things. They're DOGS, not Einsteins! They don't understand. Just like Lola.
I need to tell Farmer H to feed them less. When I got home, there were two squirrels feasting on what was left in Juno's food bowl. Jack went after them as I let him out of the garage. He follows me in to greet me when I open the big door and drive T-Hoe inside. Then we both go out the people door. Those squirrels jumped up on the porch rail, and ran down the back post by the fake fish pond. Jack, my protector.
Poor Juno. I don't sympathize too much with Jack. I haven't met him in person, and I imagine he has the chance to find other tasty morrsels in his adventures with his canine neighbor-friend.
ReplyDeleteJuno deserves food she loves!
Sioux,
ReplyDeleteYou would surely recognize poor Juno right now. She's all scraggly and molting, with a bunch of green burs stuck in her dull coat. I'm pretty sure that's how she looked when you met her. A couple weeks, and she'll be back to her shiny sleek self.
Jack and Copper Jack found a Rally's bag somewhere, and have bits of it all over the driveway. Rally's is all the way over in Bill-Paying Town. I think they raided somebody's trash, or a dang fool tossed it out along our gravel road.