Best and Worst of 2009... So far.
The Worst Day (so far) of 2009 was easily yesterday. Coke hadn’t been home in 3 days (which is 3 days more than usual), I found a mangled carcass freshly killed in the road, Jack’s behaviour was undeniably strange, and everything pointed to the death of my little Schmoker :( I kept replaying his death in my head, hoping it was quick and painless, but ultimately not knowing for sure what had happened to him. Like when Sunka disappeared last year - missing for 3 days - he was finally found... in a ditch... whimpering :( by the time we got him to the all-night vet it was too late. I spent a few precious moments with him in the back of the van as we rushed there, giving him water. For that short time, he was Sunka again. I know he knew me. I can only hope he felt solace in that he was found and didn’t die alone and in a strange place. Like that situation, not knowing for sure what Coke’s fate was, was killing me.
I even did some Googling last night on ‘do cats cry’, trying to understand Jack’s behaviour. I ended up reading about feline grief and the waiting a the window/door stuff is textbook separation behaviour - waiting for a companion to come home. If they don’t see/smell the body, they most likely don’t quite grasp that the other one is indefinitely gone. Kind of how children don’t get the permanence of death.
The Best Day (so far) of 2009 is easily today, when I was never so happy in my life to be WRONG. That cheeky lil bastard showed up at the window this morning at 6:30am. Scrawny, starving, and soaked. He greeted me quickly then ate. Several times. Where the hell had he been? And for three days??? Whereever it may be, words cannot express how happy I am to know that he is HOME and ALIVE. Jack was even quite affectionate with him which NEVER happens. I think everyone in the house had written him off and now we all feel a little bad for underestimating the little guy. He’s the one who figured out how to open latch handles by hanging on them when one arm, batting the latch with the other, and swinging his back legs into the door, kicking it open. I definitely didn’t give him enough credit.
Welcome home Coke :)
I even did some Googling last night on ‘do cats cry’, trying to understand Jack’s behaviour. I ended up reading about feline grief and the waiting a the window/door stuff is textbook separation behaviour - waiting for a companion to come home. If they don’t see/smell the body, they most likely don’t quite grasp that the other one is indefinitely gone. Kind of how children don’t get the permanence of death.
The Best Day (so far) of 2009 is easily today, when I was never so happy in my life to be WRONG. That cheeky lil bastard showed up at the window this morning at 6:30am. Scrawny, starving, and soaked. He greeted me quickly then ate. Several times. Where the hell had he been? And for three days??? Whereever it may be, words cannot express how happy I am to know that he is HOME and ALIVE. Jack was even quite affectionate with him which NEVER happens. I think everyone in the house had written him off and now we all feel a little bad for underestimating the little guy. He’s the one who figured out how to open latch handles by hanging on them when one arm, batting the latch with the other, and swinging his back legs into the door, kicking it open. I definitely didn’t give him enough credit.
Welcome home Coke :)