Ever since Gabby died I have not had my morning escort when it is time to feed the animals, until recently.  

Most of my mornings these days, I am greeted by a sleepy cat when I walk onto the back porch. Nugget will lazily stretch, slowly get up from her bed, and then wait for me as I ready myself for the cold air that will blast me in the face as I head out the door. 

Nugget has picked up where Gabby left off by staying close to my side while I feed the animals. She follows me out in the snow, will often roll around in it, and check up on me to make sure all is going well. Once I head back to the house she knows that it is time for her to eat and she waits patiently for me to feed the dogs and she will then follow me onto the porch. 

Nugget did not always do this and she never did this when the weather was actually warm out; we noticed this sometime at the beginning of January during the freezing weather and snow. Whether she knows it or not, she is doing her best to fill in the void that was left in my heart when Gabby died. Now if only she would start obeying basic commands!

Nugget has had a rough past few months.  First she has kittens, then she has surgery so she will not have more kittens, and constantly she has had to deal with Dublin stealing her food.  

Yes, not only does Dublin harass poor Gus, but he also does everything he can to eat Nugget's bowl of food before she gets a bite.  

I swear, the moment I walk off the porch his big paws are up on the counter and he is sniffing for her bowl.  This had to stop and in all my attempts to move Nugget's bowl or try to block Dublin from getting to her bowl, Dublin would always manage to make out with a snack.  

The other day I decided to put up a shelf just wide enough for two bowls and a small cat.  It is about 5 and a half feet off the floor and requires Nugget to do some jumping (but cats are good at that) and so far has prevented Dublin from finagling a bite of Nugget's meals. 

I promise that Dublin is fed and that he is fed well, but I do know he has some stiff competition when it comes to who eats the most.  Ellie has always been the first to the food trough and now that Gabby is around (and giving Ellie a run for her money) Dublin has two competitors in the arena.  

Hopefully, my shelf solved Nugget's problem, now I will just have to figure out how to make Dublin more protective of his dinner plate.