More feline psychodrama in the time of COVID-19
A friend of mine caught COVID-19, and while she was in hospital and then in post-hospital quarantine, I took in her two cats. One was 17 and on his last legs anyway, so unfortunately I had to have him mercy-killed, because he was very sick and very messy, and Housekeeper was seriously worried that he had COVID-19 (I don't think he did but he was definitely very sick). That left the other cat, who is a nice 6-year old tabby girl, very shy, a street rescue from Bangkok. I have her quarantined in the dining-room, since I will not be using it until guests become a possibility again which will be...a while. FOr the first week while he was here, the beastie boys stayed well clear; I suspect the sick-cat and disinfectant smells put them off. After he was sent off to his (I am reliably assured, merciful end), they stayed away for another week or so, and then the serious drama began.
Lap-cat has been and remains Seriously Upset. There has been protest-peeing, daily glaring sessions through the glass door, angry yowling whenever he wakes up and passes that way, hostile lurking about in front of the door and generally a lot of drama. It's a sliding double door, and we keep it barricaded, because Scaredy-Cat is big and strong enough to hook his claws in and pull them apart (which is impressive, it's a heavy glass door in a heavy teak wooden frame). Lap-cat is too small for such feats, thank goodness,or there would be no holding him back. He is a cat bloody, bold and resolute, despite his smaller size.
Scaredy-Cat and Bus-Stop Cat were interested, and wary, but after the first few days not particularly hostile, especially after they discovered the cardboard boxes in which we were keeping Guest-Cat's packs of kitty-biscuits, which they adore. There were a few days when we had to keep changing the cardboard boxes, because Bus-stop Cat would spend the whole night steadily ripping them to shreds (and sleeping it off all day). He appears to have given up for now, but the other night we heard clattering noises and found that he and Scaredy-Cat had managed to knock over the plastic biscuit-box into which the package is decanted when opened, and were trying to prise the lid off.
So poor Guest-Cat is not having a particularly nice time, unfortunately. She does have the room to herself, and a decent view out to the garden, so she has things to look at, and I suppose terror prevents her from being too bored. She gets a break in the afternoon when everyone has their nap, and then spends the rest of the time either under the cupboard, or, when Housekeeper is vacuuming, on top of one of the cupboards. Occasionally we see her steeplechasing round the room from display cabinet to display cabinet.
Friend is out of quarantine and back in her regular quarters, so will hopefully be able to come and pick her up sometime next week. Altogether rather an excess of domestic excitement.
Lap-cat has been and remains Seriously Upset. There has been protest-peeing, daily glaring sessions through the glass door, angry yowling whenever he wakes up and passes that way, hostile lurking about in front of the door and generally a lot of drama. It's a sliding double door, and we keep it barricaded, because Scaredy-Cat is big and strong enough to hook his claws in and pull them apart (which is impressive, it's a heavy glass door in a heavy teak wooden frame). Lap-cat is too small for such feats, thank goodness,or there would be no holding him back. He is a cat bloody, bold and resolute, despite his smaller size.
Scaredy-Cat and Bus-Stop Cat were interested, and wary, but after the first few days not particularly hostile, especially after they discovered the cardboard boxes in which we were keeping Guest-Cat's packs of kitty-biscuits, which they adore. There were a few days when we had to keep changing the cardboard boxes, because Bus-stop Cat would spend the whole night steadily ripping them to shreds (and sleeping it off all day). He appears to have given up for now, but the other night we heard clattering noises and found that he and Scaredy-Cat had managed to knock over the plastic biscuit-box into which the package is decanted when opened, and were trying to prise the lid off.
So poor Guest-Cat is not having a particularly nice time, unfortunately. She does have the room to herself, and a decent view out to the garden, so she has things to look at, and I suppose terror prevents her from being too bored. She gets a break in the afternoon when everyone has their nap, and then spends the rest of the time either under the cupboard, or, when Housekeeper is vacuuming, on top of one of the cupboards. Occasionally we see her steeplechasing round the room from display cabinet to display cabinet.
Friend is out of quarantine and back in her regular quarters, so will hopefully be able to come and pick her up sometime next week. Altogether rather an excess of domestic excitement.