Corn On The Cob

The internet has become a great tool in researching.  I thoroughly enjoy sitting behind the screen looking up information in the comfort of my own home.  Who would have ever thought growing up in the sixties that such technology would be available?  The education I got those years back does not compare to what I am learning on my own by researching.  I can’t say whether everyone benefits from this knowledge at their fingertips.  But I do.

In writing these articles about cats, I do research.  I had pets all my life.  There are still things I don’t know.  For instance:  A male cat is called a Tom.  Wait!  I did know that!  But I never knew what a female cat was called.  She’s merely a She, Queen, but more commonly, a Molly.  A male cat neutered is a gib.  An inside cat is a Housecat by name. Yea, I had heard that somewhere.  Wild cats in a group are a colony.  The knowledge even on cats can be endless.  But what puzzled me the most is what a cat can and can’t eat. 

It was all those years in the sixties growing up on a farm, we had cats.  Since we grew most of our own food and my parents ran a country grocery store, we went seldom to that big food chain store.  We already had the basic needs. 

I never once saw either parent buy that bag of cat food for personal use or to sell in the store.

I remember Mother saying, “You can feed the cats just about anything.  But don’t give them chicken or fish.  They can catch bone pieces in their throat.”

It was the only restriction.  And so; chicken and fish were disposed of properly.  We fed our cats table scraps.  The cat seemed to love that bowl of fresh milk from our own cows.  No one ever said we were feeding our cats wrong.  It was a time of not knowing different or questioning. The cats on a farm seemed to have a long life unless some unforeseen tragedy took them.

But today the list seems endless to what not to give them.  There’s chocolate, grapes, raisins, sugary items, milk, onions, and garlic.  And the list goes on and on.  We do feed strays and indoor cats, the dry cat food, canned food, and treats.  Our indoor cats are spoiled and will not eat any scraps from the table.  The outdoor cats will eat scraps.  It states in the list that one can feed table scraps, but not to exceed 10% of the diet.  Table scraps to an outside cat is like a delicacy.

We became amused when we first saw the stray cat named Skillet eat corn on the cob.  I don’t know what or how we first started this.  If one ear is put out, one cat may eat and others wait in line for their turn.  It is seen as an item to protect and not given up easily to others.

Whenever corn on the cob is on our menu, it's also on the stray cat menu.