Cats are great. They are independent, self sufficient, and, occasionally, they let you pet them. You don’t have to walk them, bag their poop, or look into brown, sad eyes when they want a treat.
Cats love routine- and my three (really four) know mine. They know when I would be there to feed them in the am and pm. They know when I will be working at the house.
So throwing in a week long vacation AWAY from them really threw them for a loop.
Mom went over twice a day and fed them but not on my usual schedule. For some reason she didn’t want to get up at 4 am to walk over and feed them. The food arrived late each morning and sometimes late each evening.
When I got home, Momma (aka Baby Girl) had been a no-show at food times for a few days, Ash was also MIA, and Old Man was chasing Stumpy. Well, that part wasn’t new. Stumpy has a healthy dose of fear when it comes to dear old dad.
Later that day, to show how much he missed me, Ash decided to get into the attic (again)- but this time it was closed off with layers of insulation mom and I put up when the AC quit. I had to get a ladder and to make a hole over the bathroom ceiling to pull him through. He drank a little and headed outside for the bathroom.
Stumpy was his usual love muffin form- flopping on one side as his usual “pet me!” sign. Which I did. And I picked him up for cuddles.
Momma, meanwhile, was still MIA. The food was gone, so I knew she was coming in. Two days later she showed up for breakfast. She still voiced her dissatisfaction with my abandonment by not showing up for another two days. Now she is back to being a regular morning greeter.
Old Man was there every single time, ready for his meal. If he doesn’t get it I have a possum that will happily eat it.
They are also used to me working on the house each evening after the pm feeding. Mom and I are working to get her other house. We have company coming and we need to be able to sleep over there- which means turning up the AC to where I’m at least comfortable.
- Install a smaller window for cross ventilation- in case you are wondering, NOTHING likes to cut through 3 layers of plywood
- Insulate the outside wall in that area
- Get the hole in the subfloor patched and the layer above that.
We did it but it’s been a busy week and weekend and the kids are feeling neglected. I’m glad I get to work there this afternoon. They need some lov’n.
How do your fur kids react to you being gone?