Concerns for Miss Sadie

Miss Sadie with Sheryl

At a little over six months of age, Miss Sadie weighed in today at 2 pounds, 3 ounces. This alarmed us, because when we first got her more than a month ago, she weighed 2 lbs., 6 0zs. I guess this would be comparable to me losing 30 or 40 pounds in a month. A good thing, but done a bit too quickly. And Sadie didn't need to lose any weight! She has grown visibly, being maybe an inch taller and an inch longer than when we first got her. And she eats two meals per day. But still she had lost weight.

The lady who seems to be our vet now sent Sheryl home today with a bag of expensive food which Sadie is supposed to eat 4 times per day! Mico is not to be given any of it, because he's a middle-aged adult, already prone to carry too much weight, rather like his owners, and would inevitably balloon up to frightening proportions, says the vet, on this diet.

Sadie, on the other hand, seems to have the metabolism of a hummingbird. She must eat the new stuff four times each day and be kept still for a half hour after each meal so she doesn't run too much of the food off. This part made sense to me. She does like to run around a lot. What a contrast to when we first brought her home!

She would stand still exactly where she was put down, looking warily around at everything and everybody, seemingly afraid to make a move or a sound. Now she tries to body-slam Mico, the 9 pound Maltese whom she dethroned as the chief citizen of the house. He resents her intrusion, but for the life of him, he can't help playing the older and wiser protector for her.

Hannah was here for a while early this evening. Her Siamese was let out of its little cage and placed on the kitchen floor. Mico was curious about her but politely wary. Sadie, however, growled at her and began to advance on her with all the confidence in the world. We were grateful that the cat retreated under the table. It weighs 6 pounds!

Only the grass still seems to hold any terror for our "Sadie, Sadie, Puppy Lady." This is apparently because some of it is taller than she is.