If Sammie could talk, she'd say 'Feed Me!'

Yes, Sammie the Cat has made an appearance in this space once previously.

Maybe twice.

But that was about a year ago, and I’m writing about her today because you readers with pets need to hear a story.

Sammie went through a health scare last summer, when an abscess ruptured and caused an infection that required three different vets to battle it for two solid weeks.

Happily, she recovered completely and went about her daily routine of eating, sleeping and making my life so much better by cuddling against my side (or my head) at bedtime every night.

When Sammie came home after that horrible abscess thing, she hadn’t lost her appetite. Nor any of her 14 pounds.

Maybe the docs were feeding her intravenously.

Anyway, life went on as usual; in other words, wonderfully.

I moved to a condo at Twin Lakes Village and Sammie seemed happier than ever — staring out at the birds, squirrels and other wildlife.

Then about three months ago, another worrying saga began.

Sammie started to lose weight.

It seemed unstoppable, despite the fact she was taking in what I THOUGHT was her regular diet.

Her ribs began to show, and when I’d pet along her back, what I felt was mostly a bony spine and very little cat.

Eventually I got frightened enough to take her to the Rathdrum Animal Clinic, where she weighed in at a ridiculous 9.3 pounds.

Sammie was given an exam and they did a blood panel — which seemed to indicate that she had a very minor problem with kidney function and possible digestive issues.

The clinic gave me some special food to treat those symptoms, but in subsequent visits, her weight dropped to 9.15 and then, horribly, to 8.9.

She’s an older cat and I began to anticipate the terrible moment when I’d know she couldn’t survive.

I racked my brain to think if there was any other explanation — something going on at home — that was causing the weight loss.

MEANWHILE, Sammie seemed happy and pleased with life as ever. She certainly never acted like a sick kitty.

So here comes the message I need to share with folks who hopelessly love their dogs, cats, ferrets, or boa constrictors.

Sometimes we humans, who eat pretty much when and what we want, forget that our pets need a more regular regimen.

In a nutshell, Sammie’s problem was me.

For a long time, I had fed her dry food and kept her bowl supplied all day and night — because cats generally don’t eat more than they need.

She has a nervous digestive system, though, and too often she’d cough up the dry food.

So I changed to cans of Friskies and Fancy Feast, which she loved. No more mess on the carpet, either.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeding her nearly enough.

The good news is that my stupidity was discovered. Sammie’s now eating like a horse and her weight is heading back north.

I’m thrilled, but guilty.

If I had just looked at a chart matching the amount of food or calories to the weight of my cat, all this terror could have been avoided.

It was all right there, so easy to find that I’m embarrassed. (My pal Hailey will soon turn up with a serious scolding.)

Please learn from my mistake. If you switch out your pet’s food for any reason, make sure the new amounts match the specific animal.

You’ll be glad.

Oops, gotta run ...

Sammie’s crouched by her bowl, licking her lips.

Again.

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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com.

Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA