Rufus Tale: Pack Dieting
19 October 2014
Rufus, skin and bones-boy a year ago when he found and adopted us, is fluffy chubby-boy now. He has ten pounds to lose. The vet said so. Sigh. I wish I only had ten pounds to lose. A year ago I was doing okay on my weight, but like Rufus, a year later, I’m fluffy. Again. I have 27 pounds to lose. Double-Sigh.
So The Prince Consort decided we would all diet. The whole pack. (Except NikkiCat who gave us that look that says, “You have to sleep sometime. Do you really want to make me angry?”
Here’s the thing. Just like TPC, who is barely fluffy and losing something like three pounds a week just by cutting the size of his dessert, the only thing Rufus has done is cut the ‘cookie-treats’ to half a cookie per reward instead of a whole cookie. REALLY? And he’s slimming down just like TPC. REALLY?
I’m counting every blasted calorie. Measuring every bite. Drooling on TPC’s baked chips. Volunteering to handle all the after dinner clean-up so that I don’t have to watch TPC have a small dessert while I stare into a cup of unsweetened Chai tea. (Which is truthfully quite good.)
Males!! It’s easy for them!!!
Now part of the tribe-de-fluffing is brisk walks each morning, out at the county park pond. This past week it rained almost every day, but rain or shine we got in the car and headed for The Walk. The day the wind was driving the rain sideways, Rufus backed away from the open van door and gave us the Look- “WHAT? GET OUT? IN THIS? NO!”.
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| Rufus a bit too close to WATER! |
TPC and I had to stand in the rain, then go back to the car to fetch him, before Rufus would get out. He sped to the covered picnic pavilion. Rufus was good with just standing under cover. Apparently he was willing to cross his legs until it was sunny. (Or pee and poop under the pavilion. Not an option.) Of course we went out and stood in the rain, until he decided to give it a try. Rufus loves snow, but he is NOT a water dog.
Two days later, raining again as we drove to the pond, Rufus, who usually sits up and watches everything, lay on the back seat. He was planning But his no-walk-in-the-rain plans fell apart when we pulled into the parking lot. The Whippet was politely waiting in the rain for her masters to catch up and open the car for the ride home.
Change of plans. Males are males. Rufus was not about to let the Whippet show him up. He wasn’t thrilled, but he hopped out in the rain, and we got our walk.
Did I lose pounds and pounds this past week from all the walking in inclement weather. NO.
Did TPC and Rufus. You guess. Unfair. ARGH!!!
Kath:
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| GO NOLES!!! |
