Saturday 2 April 2016

Going to the gym

is not something I associate with the Senior Cat. "Exercise" means gardening or, on rare occasions, a walk to the letter box. On even more rare occasions it means walking somewhere else. 
He would, given the opportunity, still go "swimming" - mild exercise in a pool these days although he would prefer to "swim" in the sea. So when the hospital suggested he go to six weeks of twice weekly exercise class which includes getting in the pool he mentally jumped at it. 
He has been three times now - and he comes home exhausted. Middle Cat is monitoring him to make sure it isn't too much but it is still more exercise than he normally does. He is, after all, 93 and not that steady on his rear paws. The idea is that they will work on his balance so that he at least maintains what agility he has.
The Senior Cat is, to put it kindly, skinny. Nothing I do makes him put on weight. (It just makes me put on weight!) He has come home each time saying, "I don't know. Everyone is fatter than I am. Some of them are very fact."
I am sure they are. I have been in and out of that hospital far too many times in the past couple of years - visiting other people. I have seen the overweight, the obese and the morbidly obese patients. Some of them would weigh three times what they Senior Cat weighs. It must be uncomfortable.
But the Senior Cat remains thin, almost too thin. He doesn't like cake. He isn't keen on biscuits or scones. He doesn't eat a lot of bread. He does like vegetables and fruit. He prefers fish and chicken to meat. He will however eat almost anything and what he really detests (such as aubergines) doesn't matter.
And then there is the small matter of ice cream. He likes ice cream. "But I shouldn't eat too much of it."
I cut up some fruit for dessert yesterday. There is no point in making puddings. We don't enjoy them, especially in summer. Fruit is the standard "dessert". 
And I took the ice cream from the freezer compartment. I looked at him and he looked at me. He opened his mouth to tell me "I had some yesterday". I got in first.
      "You exercised the last lot off  going to the gym."
 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A very good argument under the current circumstances!