I just watched a cat eat for a whole hour.

[kayakjohnny]

This tiger cat showed up behind my shop and I fed him some of my white albacore tuna last night. He was very skittish because he's a wild roaming cat. He looked real healthy a month ago, but last night he had that tubular shape with no belly, as though he'd fallen on hard times. Beautiful markings on his face like a Florida Panther.

So I knew he'd be back. Well a few hours ago he shows up again. I get out the tuna and he hammers it just like last night. So I give him more. Then he head-butts me in appreciation and meows his head off for even more food. So I empty my good tuna (usually for me... totally people food) and he macks the whole thing down. Now he's spinning and dancing on his hind legs for even more. Very animated. I was a little concerned he might bite me out of affection like so many cats do. But I kept talking to him and trying to reassure him that he wouldn't be hungry.

Well he wasn't done eating apparently. So I broke into my brand new untouched albacore tuna and he obliterated that as well. These are the 6 ounce packs. I keep spooning it out so as not to waste it, thinking he'll be done any moment now based on how much he'd put down.

He had no limit.

Went through the second pack and he still wanted more. I'm thinking this poor guy hasn't eaten in who knows how long. So I go up to the store and grab a big bag of dry food, hoping he wouldn't be spoiled on the tuna. He was not spoiled on the tuna. Threw down a good handful of the dry. Then a second. Then a third. Then a fourth.

He finally slows down a bit. In the meantime, I had given him a nice dash of coffee cream, which he brutalized. Now he seems more interested in bumping my hands and legs as a show of appreciation for feeding him. He seemed so grateful and relieved.

This just finished up after a solid hour. I've never seen a cat eat that much in my life. Not even close. In fact, I've never seen any living thing eat that much in proportion to it's body weight ever in all my days.

Well I know he'll be around now. And there will be the heartbreak when something finally happens to him. But for tonight I got to bond with a creature out of the blue and I know he will not be hungry tonight.

It was a nice thing to experience, that's for sure.

[NightWatcher]

1. so what have you named YOUR new cat?

he owns you now

[kayakjohnny]

2. Ha! A bit too early for those formalities. I'm just trying to get him healthy looking.

But I will be soliciting suggestions shortly. He's (or she's) a real character. I hope it can settle down some. Seems edgy at the moment.

But real talkative and very affectionate from what I can see.

[NightWatcher]

3. there's a cat that lives on our roof and we feed him when we feed our outdoor cats

He/she's come to be known as Roof Kitteh

[kayakjohnny]

4. This one seems as interested in the interaction with me as it does the food.

Although I think I'm a distance second.

But it sure seems overly happy at the moment.

I still can't believe the volume he just put down.

I'd be in the hospital if I tried that.

[avebury]

5. That is great that you are willing to help the little guy out. I would just be careful

about feeding him too much food in a short amount of time which could tax his system and cause him to throw the food back up. Are you putting out a dish of water for him?

[OriginalGeek]

6. I must be tired

I thought it took you an hour to eat a cat.



And I was like, damn they can't be that big....

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Cats, like most predators, are designed to go without eating

for awhile, and then devouring large amounts of meat at one sitting when they finally are able to catch some prey. So they are capable of putting away a lot more than you'd expect. I'll bet he bulges out at the sides now - he'll go sleep for awhile and digest his big meal. Thanks for feeding the little guy.

[Flaxbee]

8. Hopefully there will be no heartbreak; he'll trust you and become a

companion animal for you or someone you know and trust who will be kind to him.

He might like some Friskies or Fancy Feast

Thanks for feeding this guy. We have five cats of our own, and if I can catch the outdoor boy I've been feeding for a year, we'll have six.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. What a sweet story, my dear kayakjohnny...

I hope he sticks around and becomes yours...

He sounds beautiful too....both in looks and manner.

I'm happy for the both of you!

[emilyg]

10. Thank you for being a good person.

[bamademo]

11. Had a stray like that once...jumped birds on feeder. So I started putting out food for him...

to make him stop. One sleeting January evening, I heard him crying at the door. He came in, got in my lap and 5 years later, he has a name and sleeps with me every night. Feral no more.

His name is Tyler.

[HopeHoops]

12. He owns you now. Face it. Just leave out a LOT of fresh water. That's often forgotten.

[Denninmi]

13. Yeah, I read your title, and I thought, this would make a good "twist the words"

parody thread "I just ate a cat for an hour" sort of thing.

Then I read your moving post.

You're a good man to do that. I bet you have a pet now.

[bunnies]

14. awwwww.

Wish there were more people like you in the world.