As our family begins adjusting to our new home, I think one of the most interesting aspects of the entirety of this process is how my cats have been coping with the changes. I used to like cats quite a bit when I was younger. Now that I'm older, I see taking care of them as more of a nuisance than joy. But when I opened their carriers the night we moved and saw them reluctant to crawl out, paralyzed with a fear that seemed to freeze their joints, I began to soften.
I have two cats. One of them will be 20 years old this fall and the only time she moved was 20 years ago at the age of 8 weeks old. I consider her a very intelligent creature, as she always finds ways to outsmart humans regarding her bathroom habits. The younger cat is 10 years old and he's always been less agile both physically and mentally. He was already 6 months old when we first brought him home from the breeder, so his major move was just 9.5 years ago. It was interesting to see how quickly they were able to adjust to the new place, which is both roomier and has a more complex layout.
The first night, they slept in my parents' bedroom in their carriers, grasping to the last strand of the life they once had. The first morning was difficult too. We had to lock them in the bathroom as the movers finished up unloading the furniture. None of them felt comfortable walking through the house without a human companion, even our intelligent 20-year-old lady. It was interesting to see how they surveyed every room, wandering in and out of every closet, smelling every corner of every room.
I believe two things confused both of them. Firstly, the staircase. Our old house has a straight staircase that went straight up from one floor to the next. This house has a curved staircase and I unexpectedly witnessed my younger cat slip on the turning stair. Secondly, there are two ways to enter the kitchen, through the dining room and through a hallway parallel to the dining room. Both cats were very confused by this layout, especially since there's a swinging door that separates the entrance from the dining room. One of the funniest moments was when I saw my younger cat (the not so bright one :)) staring at me in the dining room through the door to the kitchen. He seemed to think that entering the kitchen was a one-way rotary where you entered through the hallway and exited through the dining room. And he wouldn't budge when I tried to direct him the other way! It took him a couple days to adjust to this layout.
We've been in this house for four days now and our 20-year-old cat is living her best life. It's evident that she's completely comfortable in the new space. She eats without fear and has no problem coming down the stairs and navigating the house. We even took her outside onto the porch last night and she didn't appear threatened by the new space at all. But the other guy is living a different tale. He barely eats and always sits on the side of the jacuzzi, squeezed between the tub itself and the wall.
What a spectacle it is to watch these two cats. I think the higher level of intelligence displayed by my older cat has served her well in adjusting. She's needed less time and knows that as long as her owners are here, everything is safe. My younger cat, on the other hand, still believes something will poach him as he eats, which is causing him to turn his head around in fright after every single bite. It's been a joy to supervise these two over the last couple of days. And perhaps there is some joy in having pets, particularly when you realize that they really do trust you as their owner :) Happy 4th of July Weekend.
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| Staying on a carpet they recognize Day 1 |
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