I figured Hobie would be pretty hungry today after I walked him in the afternoon. His previous meal was in the morning, and we just came back from about 45 minutes of walking and sniffing.
Well, he might have been hungry, but hunger is no match for his new toy. It's a little ball that squeaks. I guess it's our mistake, really. We managed to say "squeak squeak" before he ate. I got him to sit down, and I
told him he could eat (he's not allowed to eat before he gets permission). He had a few bites, and looked back up at me.
And then he started pacing around the apartment, sniffing for his toy. He had no interest in his food whatsoever. Gladys had put away his toy before we came back from the walk too, but he was on a mission.
How did we solve this problem? Well, we could have decided to just leave his food, or take it away if he didn't eat after a few minutes. But the sight of a can of whipped cream in the fridge seemed to cry out for a
friendlier option; put a little bit of whipped cream on top of it.
The food disappeared in a few gulps.
What's the meaning of "it's nor even a close call" in this passage?