Hi, I’m Amanda! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Blue, my Himalayan-Persian fire point cat.
So my family watched The Secret Lives of Pets 2 recently, and it got me thinking about what happens when we leave our pets at home. Thinking of Blue in some kind of loud rock is fun, but his solo time probably has more to do with his quiet nature. Our home does not have a wired server or cameras to monitor his activities. I’m also here all day, every day, so this would put me in the Truman Show tailpin, I’m going through a hard time.
Knowing Blue and using my best judgment, this is how I see him spending his time in an empty house, with anything and everything he has. Spoiler alert, it’s pretty good (not).
Personal Time
He is not the type to see us from outside, so his awareness that we are not there and it is not just outside is slowly becoming more and more aware. He kept moving slowly looking from room to room, checking if anyone was sleeping or watching something he didn’t like at all. Each area gets a tick on the mental checklist. Empty bedrooms – tick. Toilets are empty – tick. The living room is empty – tag and all. At every door, there will be a longing sound and a standing response. Once the results are in and the house is certified safe, I would imagine you will check the front and back doors. Are the main doors closed, or just screen doors? Ahhh, it’s just me, myself and me.
Next, maybe look for a sunny spot on the ground to see if it’s still there, still dozing off like an old friend. If so, he will stretch out on it, let the sunlight embrace him like no one else is, and settle down to sleep. After waking up, he could look at his empty bowl. How rude to leave without putting anything in his bowl for the known journey and the undisclosed amount of solo time ahead.
Blue likes to chew her nails from time to time, although I often interrupt her to trim them before she separates them again. He was clearly going to take this opportunity to gobble up anything or everything he wanted. I have a ringing in my ears right now. Naturally, this will turn into a complete repair session. Once her fluffy coat is in a clean state, she will lie in the middle of the living room, winded and looking at one of her cat toys lying beyond her reach. Each of them is staring down at the other as if to say, “Are you looking at me?” in a mobster’s voice. Blue would quickly remove it from his vision so the staring contest would be over and he wouldn’t have to admit defeat.
The funny thing about cats is that the above can take a whole day, or it can all happen in one hour. Regardless, I’m pretty sure the above process, at least in my house, is wash-rinse-repeat. Blue is predictable and luckily, he’s not interested in dropping anything on the floor, tearing up our things, or reaching for his lunch bag for a few extra meals. The worst he did the day he was gone was sneak a few chicks into our crawl space. Thankfully, that behavior is a thing of the past.
When he hears the garage door, Blue will come through the door to greet us: our welcoming committee.
This article is part of Amanda and Blue’s series.