telophase: (Cat - :3)
telophase ([personal profile] telophase) wrote2012-07-19 10:55 am

Cats are weird

Nefer likes olive oil! Last night Toby and I were cooking, and we had our mise en place* sitting out on the kitchen island, which included a small open metal condiment container** with a tablespoon of olive oil on it. Nefer jumped up on the island and started sniffing the stuff intently. We watched intently*** to see if she'd try to eat anything, assuming that the kielbasa was her target since she likes pork (and never gets it, as it makes her throw up).

Instead, when she got to the olive oil container, she sniffed very intently and started licking it! We laughed loudly, scaring her off the counter, tossed that oil and got more, then I went and googled for "cats and olive oil" to make sure she wasn't going to die. According to the internets, cats are OK with small amounts of olive oil, which may even help hairballs go through their system (SHE NEEDS THIS), as long as they don't get too much which, shall we say, greases things up a little too much.

I may give her a drop or two every so often now, if she likes it and if it'll keep her from tossing her cookies quite so much.





* "Mise en place" instead of "all our ingredients ready and waiting" because we're foodie snobs.

** Which I'd stolen from some chain restaurant a year or so back because I was annoyed that the server brought a large styrofoam takeout box but not the small takeout container for dipping sauce that I'd also asked for. Fine, be that way, I'll just take the damn metal one from the plate.

*** Instead of knocking her off, which would horrify my mom who has fought a losing battle against cats on countertops for years.
ashenmote: Animated: Ally Sheedy, chainsmoking and rolling eyes. (D!Cat Blue Feather)

[personal profile] ashenmote 2012-07-21 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I have the impression that People!cat's rather dull fur gets shinier when she eats some Olive Oil. Maybe just from washing herself with an oily tongue or though. And yeah, should really help with hairballs too.
ashenmote: Animated: Ally Sheedy, chainsmoking and rolling eyes. (Ally nervous)

[personal profile] ashenmote 2012-07-21 01:33 pm (UTC)(link)
or though = or so. Wasn't awake.

[identity profile] xebra42.livejournal.com 2012-07-19 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
My mother used to drizzle olive oil on her Rhodesian Ridgeback's food to help with his skin! He *LOVED* it. Maybe her fur will get extra shiny :-)

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2012-07-19 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't care how shiny her fur is if it means we can stop cleaning up after her! (She throws up less now than ever, but it's STILL too much!)

[identity profile] ebony14.livejournal.com 2012-07-19 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
His Lordship has an addiction to dairy products, in particular yogurt. Whenever I eat yogurt, ice cream, or cereal with milk, he will stand, attentively, waiting for his chance to lick the spoon.

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2012-07-19 09:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Nefer likes dairy products, too. Alas: barf time. Even my lactose-free stuff. Sora, on the other thand, sniffs it and jerks his head back as if he's offended that we dare offer him such a thing.

[identity profile] kintail.livejournal.com 2012-07-19 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
When I need to accurately measure olive oil for a recipe, I tend to either underfill it or else I spill a bit, so I like to measure it into the measuring spoon over a pet bowl, so they get the overflow and I get the exact amount of oil called for. :)

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2012-07-19 09:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee!

[identity profile] selenite.livejournal.com 2012-07-19 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Instead of knocking her off

But how do you know they land on their feet if you don't check occasionally?
ext_6977: (Cat Collar)

[identity profile] viridian5.livejournal.com 2012-07-20 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
One of our cats loved the fluid chick peas are canned in. Wouldn't eat the chick peas, just lick to them to death.

[identity profile] pzb.livejournal.com 2012-07-21 02:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Pippin used to come up and check out what we were eating. He once passed over carne asada for tortillas...

Meanwhile, the temporary addition to the clan, Mack, will eat anything. He's even eaten cereal from my bowl when I wasn't looking.