I have just moved to a new flat in London, which is very quiet for the capital city by the way. Charlie and I both like some quiet. I deliberately made sure the bed clothes were not washed for about 10 days. I don’t know what the routines of people are in respect of bed clothes but 10 days is quite a long time. It ensures that your bed smells very strongly of you and your cat if he regularly sleeps on your bed.
This is exactly what a cat needs when he moves to a strange place. A cat becomes nervous. He wants reassurances. He gets reassurances from the scent on objects with which he is familiar. It feels like home. Humans are very visually orientated. We get used to the way a place looks. Cats get used to the way a place smells. For cats, scent outweighs vision sometimes.
If he smells unwashed bed clothes he is immediately right at home. He should feel calmer more quickly. It certainly applies to my cat. Despite being very anxious, he settled down on the bed and felt comfortable. The bed, incidentally, is on the floor because I am too exhausted to construct a very complicated storage bed this evening. This suits Charlie very well as he has difficulty getting off beds because he has three legs.
He feels at home on the bed and it is great for me too because he can keep me company while I type this page and settle in myself. It is a joy to have a cat companion when you are suddenly alone. It increases the intensity. You need each other more than usual.
A bed that has your scent and the scent of your cat is an ideal object to settle in a cat because moving home is a day long event. Everything is in a mess and you have to make a bed at the very least. It is probably the first thing you do. That is good for your cat too.
It is great being liquored up when you’ve been stressed for a while. To be honest I work through it 😉 True. In fact, Dee, there is a moment during having a beer when I think more clearly and have insights and good ideas… Great excuse isn’t it 😉
Joy comes to mind. I just happened to choose the right box. You know what it is like, chaos. When I saw the beers I thought – thank God, I can chill out now for a bit. I slept badly though 😉
I hate upheaval too but this has been a good one (if it ever can be good). Yep, the deer and parakeets are still there. I go walking in the park and feel at home. I feel at home in nature. It is a beautiful place and very good for the mind, soul and physical wellbeing.
LOL!!!
I wish we could all see you “liquored up!”