So Coco and Jackson are living together 24/7 and aside from some evening mouting attempts – which she still politely says NO THANKS to and moves out of the way, I would say they are at the tail end of the bonding.
We feed them from the same mat ( like a seagrass mat) and just heap the greens up on it. Coco will hop over almost always first ( since she is the one who knows the “Hey that sounds like the salad container” noises) and begin to eat. Jackson – who notices things AFTER Coco will hop over and begin to chow down.
Neither of them messes with the other while they are initially eating…but eventually Coco will just hop away allowing Jackson to polish off the salad. And Polish he does. He eats with an unholy fury I have never seen before. LOUD chewing and just a focused determintation to get through the WHOLE plate before he leaves.
Now Coco was a snacker before Jackson – she would munch – leave it – munch – leave it. Now I worry she isn’t getting enough food because her new dude, who seems to think he is in some kind of competative eating match, is snarfing it down as fast as he can.
Of course, they have unlimited hay – and they have both been eating more hay – which is fine. I like the nice dry hay poops! They both get their pellets at night – she still gets about 2 tbsps and he gets about 4 tbsps – he is a big boy compared to her petitie highness. And all pellets are gone in the morning.
Am I worrying about nothing? Is she eating what she needs and then just leaving it for him, or is Coco staving in silence as her not-so-brave knight is tucking in?
Because I don’t know Jacksons former life, I don’t know if this is a deprivation Eating – or just the way the boy eats. The vet also said he thought he was younger than the 10 months the shelter estimated – which may have to do with his serious appetite?