Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want that plate back?

Hercules shredding the leftover cat food plate

Hercules is a little jealous whenever anyone – human, dog, cat, fish, chicken, you name — it gets something to eat and he doesn’t.

Most of the time, I ignore him. But once in a while (okay, more often that not) he’s so adorable that I give in and let him have some of whatever the others are eating.

So far I’ve discovered he will eat koi (fish) food, but not chicken scratch. Salad is ok if it’s pasta or potato and not lettuce. And any kind of lunch meat or cheese is good.

But what really gets Hercules doing his happy dance is wet cat food. Any flavor is good, but ocean fish and tuna is da bomb.

Yesterday the cats were getting their breakfast, and it just so happened it was ocean fish and tuna day. They get their meals up on a counter out of the reach of the dogs, so the moment they saw me reach for the cupboard where the cans of food are stored, both cats jumped up on the counter and started pacing back and forth and meowing like cats do when they know food is coming.

The dogs long ago figured out the cat behavior is a clue that food is coming, so they run to the kitchen and pace around below the counter on the off chance they might get something as well.

The cats are brothers and tend to fight like brothers do if they have to share, so I split the food so the boys have their own plates.

I had just finished loading the dishwasher and didn’t feel like getting two more plates dirty, so I pulled out a couple of cheap foam plates and put the boy’s food on that. They happily chowed down on their breakfast fish on the counter while the dogs — Hercules, Hank, and Suna – circled below like furry sharks.

Christian the cat finished his plate first, hopped off the counter, and headed to the back of the couch for a little post-breakfast grooming. His brother, Kane, was a little more leisurely with his meal and took his time. When he finished, he sat back, licked his chops, and looked down on the dogs anxiously circling below.

Then Kane, jerk that he is, pushed his plate off the counter and down onto the dogs.

Chaos ensued below with all three dogs shoving and trying to lap up the remnants of wet cat food now splattered on the floor. Hercules, spying the upside-down foam plate, lying off to the side, grabbed it and ran off while the other two dogs gave the floor a good tongue bath.

Hercules enjoyed cleaning Kane’s used cat food plate over on his dog bed. Then, just for good measure, shredded the plate.

When I returned to the room, I found both cats sitting on the back of the couch staring down at Hercules while he tossed itty bitty pieces of foam plate everywhere.

And so, for the next 15 minutes or so, I got to clean up plate bits and mop a tongue-smeared kitchen floor.

Isn’t pet life grand?