This cat simply Will. Not. Eat.

I bought a tube of Nutri-Cal. I put it on her paw. She tucked her paw underneath her, ignoring the sticky stuff all over it. I washed it off, then went for the bigger guns. I opened the can of salmon Fancy Feast. She was still interested in the smell, but did not eat. She started making those retching motions and licking her lips, which the vet said means she’s still nauseous, so I let her be. I called some friends, who urged me to try the Nutri-Cal again. I put a little bit on my finger and rubbed it inside her mouth, which forced her to eat it. She made the retching moves, but she also ate it. And kept it down. So I started giving her a small bit every half hour or so. Then I brought out the next big gun: The tuna Fancy Feast. She seemed REALLY interested in that, I held it up to her, and she actuallly licked it once or twice. But didn’t eat. More Nutri-Cal. Then final big gun: Real tunafish. Tig went nuts. She came over while I was opening the can. But she wouldn’t eat it. I put some in her mouth. She ate that, but then walked away offended. So. One last glob of Nutri-Cal, and now I’m going to bed, because they had me up at five a.m. and I never did get back to sleep.

Tig’s still hissing at her, but he isn’t trying to attack her. And she’s walking away. She goes up and down the stairs with impunity. I never found her hiding place, but I shut the door to the guest room so she can’t hide in there again. She was on the sofa when I got home. She jumps up and down with no apparent problems. In fact, I just followed her upstairs and found her trying to hide in my closet again. So I got her to jump on my bed again, and we stopped for a petting and purring break.

So here’s the problem: It’s as if Gracie has utterly forgotten how to eat. How do I get her to remember? And please believe me when I tell you she will NOT eat any of the foods your cats eat. She is one of the world’s pickiest cats. She likes dry food of almost any brand, some wet foods, tunafish, and that is it. She doesn’t eat table scraps. If I give her chicken broth, it’s going to be with a syringe and squirted down her throat. I tried pouring tuna water on her dry food. No luck.

The good news is she’s drinking on her own, and I see her use the litterbox regularly (only to pee, of course, not having eaten anything in nearly two weeks). She’s lost about half a pound. But she’s not at death’s door yet, and I don’t think that -osis thing that’s supposed to affect her liver has set in. (Like I’m going to remember medical terms. All I know is that all the vets are scaring me to death with visions of Gracie’s liver suddenly going “Chug… chug… kaff… kaff… kek.”)

Anyway. For now, putting Nutri-Cal glop down her throat is the way I’m going, and I’m thinking chicken broth via syringe tomorrow if I can’t get her to eat anything else. Any other ideas? Anyone else have the pickiest cat eater in the world?

The UN, NGOs, and even meddling members of the State Department repeatedly screamed for Karni Crossing to be reopened for “humanitarian reasons.”

Here’s what happens when humanitarian gestures are offered to the Palestinians:

The Shin Bet foiled an attempt early this week by Palestinian militants to smuggle six kilograms of explosive materials from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, it was revealed Wednesday.

Shin Bet forces found six kilograms of TNT hidden in a cage, after the smugglers managed to get them through the heavily guarded Karni crossing. The explosives were headed for the West Bank town of Tul Karm.

Forces arrested three Israeli Arabs who were allegedly meant to receive the package on the Israeli side of the border and transport it to the West Bank.

Perhaps those screaming for Karni to be reopened ought to be put in a room with those explosives?

No need to set them off… just let them get a good look at them. Let them see what results their blind calls for humanitarian gestures without considerations for security generate.

The Dorktator’s wetting his pants: Syria says the IDF is making them nervous.

According to one source, Syria expressed concern over the “the unusual military maneuvers” conducted by the IDF in the Golan Heights.

The Qatar-based Al-Watan newspaper, which reported this, also quoted Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Tourkmani, who called on the Syrian military to increase preparedness in order to resist anti-Syrian aggression.

According to the report, a Syrian source added that Israel’s military activity is increasing tensions in the region. He mentioned Chief of Staff Dan Halutz’s Monday to a Golan Heights division exercise as contributing to the heightened tensions.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They’re folding up paper airplanes in a frenzy, I’m sure.

IDF kills terrorists, world screams “massacre”: Here we go again. Please note the words in bold.

BEIT HANOUN, Gaza (CNN) — Israeli forces killed a senior Palestinian militant commander and six others Monday in northern Gaza, Palestinian security sources said.

The raid happened in Beit Hanoun, the sources said.

The Israeli military confirmed its forces exchanged fire with militants around Beit Lahiya, a Palestinian village near Beit Hanoun, and hit 10 of them. The military did not give the conditions of those shot.

Palestinian witnesses said a small unit of Israeli special forces entered Beit Hanoun in search of Ata Shanbari, senior commander of the Nasr Salah Al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.

Shanbari was visiting his father’s home at the time, Palestinian sources said.

Gunbattles ensued when residents discovered the Israeli special forces unit, the sources said. Israeli tanks entered the area shortly afterward and shelled the house of Shanbari’s father, killing the senior commander and two of his brothers, the sources said.

So, let me get this straight. IDF Special Forces come to Beit Hanoun, are discovered by terrorists, who then fire upon them. A battle ensues, in which some of those firing on the IDF are killed, and possibly civilians whom they are hiding behind. And this is a massacre?

No. This is a massacre.

She’s currently hiding somewhere upstairs, probably thinking I’m going to bring her to the vet again. I really need to find her to separate her from Tig while I’m gone, but that may not be possible.

The good news is she came upstairs and drank some water. Didn’t eat, but I’m thinking we’re close.

Gotta go. Work calls.

And no, I’m still not getting much sleep. Up around (sigh) five this morning.

Helen Boaden, director of BBC news, addresses or, rather, tries to address the accusations of bias. It is significant that, instead of using the big guns at her disposal - an editorial or an article on the main site, she chooses instead the low profile Editors blog. Hardly the caliber matching the artillery used against BBC, but so be it.

So what are the points of contention Ms. Boaden found necessary to counterattack?

1. There was no “official” admission of bias of BBC by BBC, she claims - the quotes of Andrew Marr and Jeff Randal are no more than their personal opinion. The answer is a poor attempt to wiggle out: after all, aren’t Andrew Marr and Jeff Randal loyal enough to BBC and part of the establishment? Why disown them so suddenly?
2. The mere use of the poll on BBC truthfulness is a feint, poor at that. An experienced newsperson, Ms. Boaden cannot ignore the fact that the other side of the coin was not questioned: whether BBC is telling the whole truth? In any case, being truthful (partially or not) does not equal being unbiased, and I am more than sure that Ms. Boaden is fully aware of this. Falling back on the poll re truthfulness is another unsuccessful maneuver.
3. “The situations aren’t real; the discussions aren’t binding and they certainly don’t define BBC policy.” Another feint: the people present who, when discussing a hypothetical situation with Ali G. throwing some cult objects into a dustbin, agreed they could all be thrown into the bin, except the Koran for fear of offending Muslims - these same people will prevent it from happening in any BBC production. It is so painfully clear to all, so why even try?
4. “The seminar was part of a bigger project kicked off by Michael Grade earlier this year to re-examine the underlying principles of impartiality in the digital age when boundaries between conventional broadcasting and the new platforms will increasingly disappear.” I have tried to give my best to this quote. No matter how much good will I poured on it, it stubbornly remained in my eyes what it, most probably, is: a dose of meaningless tranquilizer. What the heck does impartiality have to do with the nature of the media used? Is digital bias significantly different from the analog one?

But all the points above pale into insignificance compared with the main question: why this lighthouse of impartiality (according to Ms. Boaden) fights so fiercely (and expensively) against the publication of the report? Isn’t the free uninhibited flow of information one of the principles of free and impartial press? For some obscure reason Ms. Boaden does not mention this confusing fact.

All in all - poor show, Ms. Boaden.

Cross-posted on SimplyJews