We put Buddy, our dog, on The Green Bean Diet. He was getting quite obese and we had to do something about it for his health. I don’t allow obesity in myself, I don’t allow it in our dog.
We had heard about The Green Bean Diet from someone else who put their dog on it, although they used French Style green beans. We started out using French Style green beans (we used the cheapest brand we could find–58¢ a can, which is cheaper than dog food) and Buddy slurped it right down, with a little dry-dog food crumblies on top. We soon learned that he liked regular green beans just as well. We really don’t have to sprinkle dry-dog food on top. If it’s people food, Buddy eats it.
We weighed him before starting The Green Bean Diet. I held Buddy and stood on Ginnie’s bathroom scales with and without him. 33 lbs. Which is a lot for a little dog. To date, he has lost two pounds — a significant percentage. He’s trimming down nicely, the blobs of fat on his belly are subsiding, and we can discern a waistline now. He’s looking buff.
What breed is Buddy? He’s a (we think) Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, and a rescue dog. I got him in Wayland, Iowa, 11 or so years ago. Holly, our Jack Russel Terrier, had died, I was going through a divorce, and needed a dog. Buddy filled the bill nicely. He has been with me through thick and thin, a new wife, Ginnie, and moving to the Empty Nest Farm. When a pet has been through all that with you, you want to take care of him. And I do.
We could have addressed Buddy’s weight problem by exercise — which is how I control my weight — an hour a day on the elliptical machine. But living in the country, on a gravel road, next to a busy highway, is not conducive to walks. I suppose we could have trained Buddy to walk on the treadmill, but that would have required time and effort. Time is something we don’t have a lot of now that Ginnie and I are “semi-retired.” Our lives are crazier than when we worked full-time, raised kids and lived paycheck-to-paycheck. No fooling. Don’t believe me? Try retiring and you’ll wish you could go back to work to rest up.
Buddy is looking so good I might stay with The Green Bean Diet indefinitely. We buy the green beans by the case. He eats about three cans a day. If he starts looking too thin, we can add more dry dog food. Because of the liquid in the green beans, Buddy urinates a lot, but that’s no biggie, and probably good for him.
And then there’s Stormy, our rescue cat. He showed up on our doorstep, on New Year’s Day, in a snow storm, as a kitten, a year-and-a-half ago — hence “Stormy.” He’s also bipolar. Stormy scratched the begeebies out of my hand catching him, but he’s been with us ever since. He now thinks he owns the house. We don’t let Stormy outside, because of the highway. We had another cat, Barney, disappear on us. We think a hawk snagged him.
Stormy is my cat, which irritates Ginnie. He won’t get on her lap, but smothers me. If I leave my clothes on the floor, Stormy curls up on them. So cute. He knows I’m the one who rescued him, and is grateful.
We don’t let Stormy in our bedroom at night because he prowls and pounces on Ginnie’s feet when she’s asleep. I’m a very early riser, getting up anywhere between midnight and 2:00 a.m. No fooling. It’s when I do my writing, reading and telecommunicating with God. When I exit the bedroom, Stormy is waiting for me. He curls up on my lap and is an inspiration. I call Stormy my muse cat.
A warm, purring, lap-cat is right up there with one of the finer comforts of life. I highly recommend pets for lowering blood pressure and raising God-consciousness.
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Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com or visit his website at www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com.
