Welcome back to the bar. While I understand that the world is consumed by bad news on many fronts, I hope you accept that No Facilities is not a source for news, and usually not a source for opinion around current events. It’s Saturday, and I hope you will join us for some lighthearted and hopefully entertaining banter. David and I are trying to escape the news cycle, enjoy a beverage and attempt to deal with Linda G Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, which just happens to be:
“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘way to go.’ Use it as a phrase or use it in its literal sense. Enjoy!”
“Cheryl, where’s Dan?”
“What’s that old joke? It’s not my day to watch him.”
“He’s usually on time, I don’t get it.”
“If I recall, it’s your day to pay; no harm starting without him.”
“I guess you’re right. I’ll have a John Howell’s Special.”
“You know, you only need to call it that for Skippy. I know what bourbon you drink as well as the curious way you have it packaged.”
“I prefer unique to curious.”
“A snifter of seltzer and a separate glass of ice and a few cherries qualifies for either. Since you’re paying, I’ll go with unique.”
“I hope nothing happened to Dan. He doesn’t have a long way to go to get here.”
“Well, Faith is here.”
“Now that’s a pleasant surprise. Hi Faith. What brings you here today?”
“I’m meeting my dad, have you seen him?”
“No, and he’s long overdue.”
“Um…it’s only five after three.”
“I know, but he’s always here by three.”
“He said he was going to stop at Target to pick up a box of Milkbones.”
“Milkbones?”
“Dog biscuits, David. Hi Faith.”
“Hi Cheryl.”
“So, we’re waiting because he decided to wander around Target.”
“Pffft, my dad? No chance. He goes into Target with a list, gets the stuff on the list and leaves. I’ll text him.”
“In the meantime, can I get you something to drink?”
“The last time I was here, Cheryl, you made me a wonderful espresso martini. Can I get one of those?”
“The secret is in the coffee liqueur – coming right up.”
“Thanks. Oh, Dad’s on his way.”
“There he is. You wandered into the candy aisle to see if they had Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, didn’t you?”
“No, David. I stood in line for twenty-five minutes to buy two boxes of dog biscuits.”
“Why didn’t’ you use the self-checkout, Dad.”
“Here you go, Dan, corona and a nice wedge of lime.”
“Thanks Cheryl. And to answer your question, Faith, the self-checkouts were not working.”
“Not working? None of them?”
“No self-checkouts and only one human checkout was operational. Apparently, their security system malfunctioned, and no one could log in.”
“That’s funny. Forty-two years developing software for a living, and you get stranded in line a Target because of a computer glitch. Way to go, Dan.”
“I’m glad you think that’s funny, David.”
“I do. But what I don’t understand is why you didn’t just leave the dog biscuits. I mean it’s not like you were picking up a prescription.”
“I bought large and medium biscuits. They had plenty of large, but I bought the last box of medium biscuits.”
“So, you meet us for a beer, and buy the biscuits somewhere else on your way home.”
“Unlikely. All the stores around here are out of Milkbones – supply chain issues.”
“I’m getting tired of hearing about supply chain issues. Cheryl, how many bottles of John Howell’s Bourbon do you guys have in stock?”
“We have a case downstairs, David. Don’t worry. And Dan, we have plenty of Corona. Limes, on the other hand, are getting to be a problem.”
“Limes? What’s the problem with limes?”
“Heavy rains and disease in Mexico have caused a lime shortage. Still, in the grand scheme of things.”
“Good point, Cheryl.”
“You guys ready for another round?”
“I think we are, Cheryl. Dan, are you sticking with Corona?”
“I am.”
“Faith, another martini?”
“No, David. I think I’m going to switch to the Back East Porter.”
“I’ll get those drinks. You want to order any food?”
“I am hungry, David, would you care to split a calzone?”
“That works for us, Dan. What about you, Faith.”
“I heard they’ve improved the fish and chips, I’d like to try that.”
“Here you go, bourbon, Corona, and a nice Porter. And Faith, the fish and chips is much better now.”
“Thanks Cheryl. Cheers, Faith, Dan, and Dan, next week, run your errands on your own time.”
No Facilities 
Terrific shots. The ice photos look coooold. Did Uber eats arrive? It’s scary when needed items are harder and harder to find
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I filled the role of the Uber Eats driver. I delivered her snack. It has been cold all week. We’ve been walking mostly in the 20s, but warmer days are coming.
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A man with many hats. I hope your warm days come soon.
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Photos are so much talkative. They impress a lot infact.
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Thanks. I’m glad you like them.
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Amazing photography.
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Thank you.
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Fish and Chips and Porter, a heady combo, sounds like my kind of bar.
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She seemed to enjoy it.
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That’s a great Maddie shadow on that snow, but it’s also freezing me. On the other hand, there’s MuMu, the wise one, warm and growing roots. I hope you impressed upon Maddie what an ordeal you went through at Target. She owes you. (Thanks for sticking “Yes, We Have No Bananas” in my head!)
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Sorry about the song getting wedged in there, Maureen. It’s been crazy how the random shortages persist. Things that we used to count on always being available are now often in short supply. Standing in one long line with two boxes of dog bones does make you wonder about your roles in life.
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I’ve been having trouble finding Lord Dudley’s favorite flavors of Fancy Feast, and he’s a picky eater so things are getting tense. But a lime shortage! Say it isn’t so… 😩
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We have been struggling to keep – the only cat food the girls eat – in stock since mid 2020. We’ve never run out, but feeding your cat shouldn’t be stressful.
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I had a hard time finding the savory centers which is his favorite, so when it came back around I bought 4 boxes. Now, I can’t find the regular pate. Is there a run on cat food I don’t know about?
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Yes, there is. Hence the empty shelves at Target. Pet food has been plagued by shortages since mid-2020. We recently saw a shortage (again) of the kind of cat litter our girls prefer. Worker shortages, ingredient shortages, truck shortages – so many factors.
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And yet unemployment is only 3.8. I don’t understand it..
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We’ve tracked this. It goes in waves. They can’t get meat – they can’t get cans – they don’t have workers – they don’t have trucks – the drivers can’t drive (hours limits). Most pet food is made in just a few factories so all brands can be affected buy a single shortage.
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Drivers have always had limits, and run two or three log books to get around that. I know, the husband did it for a year when he left the Corps.
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That expresso martini sounds like something I could use about now (but the time isn’t socially acceptable).
Stores down here are getting sparse again too and we have the snowbirds here too!
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Can you keep the snowbirds? Sorry. It’s easier to find a seat at the bar when they’re gone. At least hang onto them until it’s warm enough for patio seating up here. In my fictional bar, it’s always 3:00pm – martini time, GP.
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Set ’em up!
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PS. No, I’m sending the snowbirds back as soon as possible!!!!!
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GP, like the song says, “ It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!” Lol!
Ginger
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Exactly!
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Thanks, Ginger – I needed that!
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That trapped leaf looks like a person it’s just given up! It’s supposed to be 15°C (59°F) up here tomorrow. Mother nature is teasing us!
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It does look trapped. We will be warm tomorrow as well. I hope it’s a trend.
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I haven’t had good fish and chips in eons. Just the mention of them started the craving cycle. It was good to see Faith today. That trapped leaf is in need of recovery. Maybe a Go Fund Me account ought to be set up. I think we have just begun to see shortages. Doesn’t look good down the road. Super photos, Dan. It was great to get away from the news for a while. 😁 Thanks for the link too.
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We’ve had these shortages off and on for almost two years, John. Just when I think it’s getting better, some aisle of the store is empty. The place I go on Saturdays was known for some of the most uninteresting fish & chips around here. The manager said the owner finally got the message and let the chef have his way. The new recipe is quite good, and they give you.a healthy serving. I still prefer the diner down the road. It’s a lighter batter and their coleslaw is better.
Anytime I have a guest at the bar, I pick up a few new people. I have to make sure they know where John Howell’s Bourbon comes from – quite a thing you started 😉
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Ha ha ha. Nice to be famous for something.
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Maddie and her shadow is such a pretty photo. And the Uber eats cutie….so adorable! I get our cat food at Petco and between all the different diet foods and bag sizes and accidentally bought Adult instead of Indoor Adult. Lemme just say the litter box let me know to pay attention next time. HI Faith! Oh, an espresso martini…I’ve not had one in quite a while….they are so good! You two have a great weekend.
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Thanks Lois. I understand the signal that you bought the wrong food. We struggle to keep it all in stock because you can’t change brands quickly with these guys. Maddie loves walking on top of the frozen snow. I’m not a fan. Some of it is too hard for me to sink into – not good.
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Your post made me decide to head out and stock up on kitty food. Good thing, too, because I had to go to two different stores to get the correct kind of food. I had better hear some purrs tonight! 😹
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Count on that. Cats, the appreciative species.
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Fish and Chips are always my go to pub food and those look great! Our struggle was with finding Saltines, but they have returned to the shelves in smalll quantities. We still struggle finding our low fat cream cheese and cream. That squirrel photo needs to be entered in a contest, Dan. What a great capture!
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Thanks Maggie. We have had random shortages of the oddest things, including the Cheese Puffs I like – I know, snack food I’d be better off without, but I drove up into Massachusetts before finding a store that had some in stock. I’m glad you like these photos. The new fish & chips recipe is a winner. I hope you have a great weekend.
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Thanks, Dan. Same to you.
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Dan, Faith looks prettier and younger every time I see her! Unfortunately that can’t be said about me! Lol!
Really super shot of Old Glory today. Nice to see MuMu chilling out while staying warm.
Maddie and her shadow. What a great pair. In your wildest dreams did you ever think you’d be an Uber driver delivering eats to a squirrel who lives in a woodpile? YOUR woodpile! 🤗
We’ve been noticing more and more empty market shelves lately. Not a happy sight.
Frozen snow lingers here too, but a little less of it. If the meteorologists aren’t playing an early April Fool’s Joke, tomorrow may get rid of most of what’s left. 🤞
Have a great weekend. Warmer temperatures are coming our way! 👏👏👏
Ginger
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Thanks Ginger. Faith was in the area on business and asked if I wanted to meet her at the bar. Silly girl. The sun and the frozen snow have made for interesting flag photos and lots of crisp shadows. 61 degrees tomorrow, that should help. As long as it doesn’t all refreeze overnight, we’ll be good.
These squirrels are playing the cute card way too often. I think it’s getting close to the time when those log racks are the maternity ward.
Have a great weekend!
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It is heart warming to see that computers can still be a single point of failure and effectively shut down the whole operation. And they call it security. I am just glad they don’t have a computer generated satisfaction survey to see if we enjoyed twiddling our thumbs while we wait to check out. Will you recommend this frustration to your freinds ? I don’t suppose we could Alexa on our smart phones wake up check out security at Target. Happy Saturday Dan.
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They had to keep explaining why three clerks could not be helping to check people out. The funny part was the guy who kept trying to use the self-checkout. He should have been two people in front of me, but I was on my way out while he was still trying to get the machine to take his credit card.
I remember a few years ago when Starbucks had to shut all their stores because the computer that runs their centralized order and checkout system failed. It’s an “open the pod door” moment.
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They seem to have plenty of Temptations cat treats. I’ve had trouble getting cans of Fancy Feast and finally ordered a box from Chewy. Guess I better see if I can buy some Milkbones. The ice and snow shots have a nice brilliance to them. Spring is on the way!
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Thanls JoAnna. I was surprised to find the stores out of Milkbones. If we don’t have those for Maddie (at the required times) we are in deep trouble. The brilliance on the snow is the ice crystals. I can walk, rather slide across the top of that, and I clock in at 195.
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:) Sounds exciting!
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HI Dan, a lovely picture of Faith. There is always something causing a problem, supply chain issues, technological issues, etc. Still, at least you don’t have to wait for the supplies to come by wagon.
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It’s true, Robbie, we aren’t suffering by any means.
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Fun story and great photos, Dan. Faith is beautiful and she clearly loves her dad. 💗 I hope you all have a terrific weekend.
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Thanks Gwen. I hope you have a great weekend, too.
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The Uber eats kid is hilariously cute 😀
Sent from my iPhone
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We’re ready to strangle the little girl, but she is cute.
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Thanks to Mary’s inventory control system (finish one, buy two), we’re pretty well stocked up on all the basics and have been since Covid hit. Limes would be an issue, though…
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That inventory control sounds like my wife’s method 😂
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Don’t knock it. It works. Remember the huge run on toilet paper (where people bought out the toilet paper, thinking they’d sell it at inflated prices on eBay and get rich, rich, rich)? Mary would go to Target and if they were having a sale on the 24-roll packs of ScotTissue (buy 2, get a $5 gift card), she’d buy a couple. Ditto for paper towels, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes — stuff we used all the time. Her dad was the same way. The joys of marrying a Polack (they’re Lithuanian, but her last name is Polish). My youngest brother’s wife is the same way….
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We buy those things at Costco. We were never in any danger of running out, but I don’t think we were hoarding. It’s normal for us.
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Same here. We were always ahead on things like that. Hoarding is going into the store and taking everything they have. Mary sees the sale and buys two.
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Dan those empty shelf photos are truly frightening. I don’t blame you for waiting for the Milk Bones, but you know the issues I’ve had getting Crystal’s prescription cat food…
There is so much to enjoy here! I’m going to have to Google a recipe for an espresso martini. I’m most intrigued. But that calzone… all I can say is thank God it’s lunchtime. That has me drooling. Fabulous idea. That’s a lovely photo of Faith. I’m glad you two got to visit. Hugs on the wing.
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Thanks so much, Teagan. We struggle to keep cat food in stock. Sometimes it’s easy to find and then, bam, no one has it.
The calzones are so good. I have to be careful about getting then too often. Take care. You’ve had a busy week. I hope you can relax.
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Hello Faith! You have great taste in beer, but I am curious about the espresso martini. How awake are you after just one? ;-)
Dan, your Target issue is why I continue to order curbside from the store at the mall. Either they have the item or not online and I don’t take the chance of spending an eternity in a busy store. I love it!
Hope you’re having a good Saturday!
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I’ll have to ask Faith about the martini. I stay away from them.
I had actually gone to Target for something else. I saw the empty shelves in the pet food section and the one remaining box of milkbones. It’s normally a very easy in and out. I use the self-checkout and I rarely have to wait.
61° here tomorrow 🙂 I hope your enjoying the weekend.
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I tend to stay away from martinis too. I am curious, though, about the espresso drink. A local bar makes great chocolate martinis, but just one makes me want to take a nap on top of the bar. I’m a lightweight!
Enjoy the warm temps. We’re in the 40’s here, but raining.
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That’s what we have coming
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Great photos, Faith looks really nice 💜💜💜
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Thanks Willow !
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🙂🙂
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Low on Milkbones! In our area it was canned cat food for awhile!
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We’ve seen that, too. It’s crazy.
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These days it’s difficult to know what might be in short supply. For instance, Trader Joe’s had no Pound Plus chocolate bars for many weeks and then didn’t have blue corn tortilla chips for awhile either. Serious problems, especially when I wanted to make things with chocolate for Christmas!! Life can be so difficult, can’t it, with these first world problems.
Happy weekend, Dan.
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That’s the thing to keep in mind, Janet. We’ll get through this, but every little bit of normal that goes missing hurts.
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Yay! It’s so great to see Faith at the bar. And we have very similar tastes in alcohol. I’m tired of hearing about those ‘supply issues’ myself. 😏Mostly because I know it all goes back to some upper level executive or owner saving a buck in most cases. Speaking of fish, did you know Popeye’s has a Flounder sandwich now? 😱
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I’m glad you liked this. Cheryl. I did not know they have that sandwich. We have a Popeye’s in town. I do like their chicken. I will have to try the fish.
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waves to Faith and clinks Porter glasses with her
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She appreciates that 🍺
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I think we are only just beginning to see the effects of the shortages. And we are spoiled. We are used to getting what we want when we want it. Time to shift that way of thinking. Great post and love the photos!
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Thanks Jan. I do think it would be good for us to step away from the edge of panic over things like dog biscuits.
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Cheers to Faith joining, her smile is a wonderful site to see! I’m sure Maddie appreciated your shopping efforts. Our snow and ice look much the same. Spring will get here soon, I hope. Enjoy your visit with Faith!
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What a nice picture of Faith! And, please pass those yummy fish and chips. The supply chain is a problem. The guy who fertilizes our yard tells us there’s a problem, as most of it comes from Russia. I didn’t know that! Today I woke up to see all the snow has melted. Spring can’t be too far behind.
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Good luck with your lawn, Jennie. I do think spring is near.
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🙂
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I asked Big Baby Boy if he’s having trouble finding Battle Cat’s favorite food, but he hasn’t replied yet. Battle Cat is super finicky. If they have trouble finding his shrimpy shrimp treats they’re in trouble. I hope you’re able to stock up on your treats for Maddie and kitties.
It was good to see Faith at the bar.
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From what I read, the shortage at the moment might be the meat ingredients or the cans. There is a general shortage of canned goods. I hope they can feed the finicky little guy.
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Me too! Battle Cat isn’t little though. He’s a Maine Coon and pretty big and fluffy. 🤣
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Yeah finding cat food is hard right now. We have 4 cats.
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Are they finicky eaters?
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yes and no. Three of the cats don’t like pate and they don’t like salmon pate. Lily and Susie will eat anything. Buster can’t have anything with rabbit.
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