Update. We now have a chonk on our hands.
He is no longer 8.6#. He had a primordial pouch and he is getting muffin tops or what ever cats get. But he still moves. He is slowly losing the battle to become a house cat. He thinks he is so tough until you cuddle his cheek. But he keeps me in line.
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(His shirt says, “I love big mutts”.)
This makes me happy and sad at the same time.
Livin’ the life of luxury, it appears!
A cat loaf and a pillow loaf, with the paws and edges all tucked in.
https://www.instagram.com/bklibancats/p/C7wndy2uOrV/
If this link doesn’t work, Google B. Kliban cat meatloaf.
Thanks, but we knew when we took him in that it was only for the short term. We didn’t expect to fall in love with him as hard as we did. We knew they were the right family pretty quickly, though, because a couple of weeks later, they sent us a picture of their youngest son and Neko, both sprawled out on the floor, having worn each other out.
I used to think of one of our cats as a boule, as in a loaf of bread.
When we asks the dog if she wants to “go get rice,” she shoots to the door and waits to go to the car to pick up Sichuan takeout with us. Goes bonkers for the chile aroma. Adores the plain rice, which of course is the only bit she should eat.
We have to be careful about saying the word rice when she can hear us. 
My cats all associate the word “chicken” with food, and more importantly, with cat treats (which are actually salmon). I’ve had to spell things i front of them to avoid mayhem and/or disappointment.
My DD1 had to do the same with her first Boston Terrier. Spelling things out.
My cat knows steak, treat, ice cream, and dinner. As well as mouse, outside, and a few other words. When we talk about her she always magically appears. It’s pretty funny. Animals are pretty amazing, and are far more savvy than we give them credit for IMO. Oh, and she rings a bell when she wants to go outside, but I’ve had to remove bell due to keeping her in now due to bird flu.
Same! We had to start keeping a list of words we can’t say when the dog might hear us.
That’s adorable! And so random!
My BFF had a beautiful German Shep who needed ‘P A R K’ and
‘W A L K’ spelled around her. Otherwise, one would be mowed down…she was huge.
Owen, the 15+# black cat only knows ‘here kittykittykittykitty’ may mean something, but is otherwise pretty much nonchalant.
On the other hand, when the grandcat visits, just the jingle of the laserlight chain or a similar sound will have her instantly show up in pounce position and ready to attack. It works great to get her to come out from a secret hiding place.
Our childhood dog, “Cookie” only knew “vacuum” (because she feared it tremendously) and “vet” because, well…
If Cookie as much as saw one of us going into the closet where the vacuum was stored, she’d quickly hide.
My first cat, strangely enough, loved the vacuum. She’d battle it - run up, swipe it, and run back to rev up for another full-throttle charge.
