Several months into her 19th year of life as our faithful companion she is entitled to her discriminating pickiness. She will deign to eat only what truly appeals to her. Which means that if we want to convince her to eat the high-quality kibble (with glucosamine) that we buy for her to ensure she gets all the vitamins and minerals she requires for optimum health, along with her balanced diet, we often have to 'sweeten' the offering for her.

She feels entitled to share 'treats' that we humans eat on occasion. She can easily distinguish from her well-functioning olfactory sense when we're having bacon or sausages, pancakes or French toast for breakfast. Holding out from eating her own meal until she's been given her 'share' of what we're having. Then, when she's had her treat, she goes progresses to eat her normal meal, entitlement satisfied and appetite stimulated.

We tolerate this kind of behaviour because she is old and we want to keep her with us as long as we possibly can. She is incredibly skinny, her bony structure almost protrudes under her flesh with its fast-growing, black-and-grey silky hair. She no longer has all her teeth, her hearing nor her eyesight. We are sacrificing no scruples in assenting to her foibles.

So, at breakfast time, we sprinkle Cheerios sparsely over her kibble, and pour in a little milk, to entice her to eat. And when on occasion that isn't convincing enough, we've discovered that she has a liking for cooked oatmeal, and that's the clincher to get her to daintily and taking her time, consume her meal satisfactorily.

At dinner time she gets a salad following her main course. The salad consists of a melange of vegetables of which red bell pepper is the favourite as well as corn and green peas. The main course consists of kibble, and over that bits of cooked broccoli or beans or cauliflower, along with steamed chicken bits and chicken soup to moisten everything for her delectation and ease of consumption. Occasionally we have to put her salad down to entice her to eat her main meal.

She is the grand dame of the house.