Tinkerbelle meows around my ankles, telling me it’s time to eat.

“Coffee first,” I say.

“Right meow!” says she, golden eyes blinking eagerly.

Tink is joined by Little, the two black females ganging up on me. Shy Big Red lurks around the perimeter, the male in waiting.

As coffee perks, I pull out the bowls: 2 berry, one vintage restaurantware, and one cereal bowl. In the berry bowls go Friskey’s pate. One I mix into soup with warm water, (Tink); one I chop into slices (Little). The large bowl is for Red’s special IBD food which he takes with a spoonful of pumpkin.

Tink has asthma, so before food, we have a session on the couch where I brush her long brown-black fur, the sleek back, the fluffy tail, the gray downy underbelly; then I give her 2 puffs of Flovent from a fancy cat inhaler. 10 breaths with the apparatus over her little nose. I kiss her head to distract her.

Red gets morning meds as well. I fill the applicator with the cloudy chicken-flavored emulsion. He’s supposed to like the flavor, but he doesn’t.

Closing Little and Tink in the kitchen with their fare, I take Red’s bowl and meds into the living room where he hovers on the couch, nervous and hungry. The bowl goes under the coffee table – I follow him around the room until he lets me give him the meds.

All done? Not quite.

“Uh,” you say – “Isn’t there is still one more bowl?”

Yes, there is. I also have a Foster cat. Depending on why the kitty is here, the foster’s morning regimen can be simple or complex. This sweet girl requires only feeding and cleaning of her space. I fill the remaining bowl with the Chicken Delite that came with her from the shelter and take it in for morning greetings. She is happy to see me after her night alone. I promise her I’ll be back to spend time with her soon.

In the kitchen once again. Little and Tink have eaten lightly, then snubbed their half-empty bowls. I spend a few more minutes of chasing them down to make sure they are finished and not just pouting. Yes, I know. I’m spoiling them. It’s what I do.

Now I’m finished…

Unless it’s Sunday, when Tinkerbelle gets suspension drops of Calcitriol, an activated form of vitamin D to help with her chronic kidney disease.

Or unless it’s one of the days when Big Red has an injection of Adequan for the arthritis in his hips and a shot of B12 for the IBD.

And let’s not forget the cleaning of the five cat boxes, though that can be done a little later.

With love and pets and quiet cats doing their after breakfast wash-up, I can relax at my computer or get a bath.

And yes, finally that coffee!!