I'm having trouble concentrating. The heat and humidity are killing my brain cells at an alarming rate. All of our windows are fogged over, so I can't even look outside for inspiration. And, every creature in this house is antsy. Pretty soon they are going to turn on each other. I can feel it.
As I posted on Facebook yesterday, there was a little drama when I tried to clean out Petey's habitat. Well, it's just a big aquarium but it has lots of cool stuff to keep him entertained. He was too large for one of those wimpy habitrails, so I got him a big aquarium. It has a screen on top to keep predators away.
I have never had any interference from the Peanut Gallery before while cleaning out the "cage." The other cats usually keep a safe distance and just watch. That was until Dash arrived. No sooner did I slide back the screen, when Mr. D flew through the air and landed on it. Then, in a flash, he was in the aquarium! As he dove for the unsuspecting hamster, I grabbed him with one hand and Petey with the other. Dash was valiantly trying to reach poor Petey and did manage to whack him on the head. Petey hid behind his wheel while I tried to figure out what to do with Dash who was poised for another round. I had no choice but to put him in the front bedroom while I finished cleaning out the aquarium. I'm thinking no birds or lizards are coming here to live any time soon.
The dynamics in the house are interesting. Jack assumes the role of Alpha when Andy is away. He is on high alert and tolerates no nonsense. He also keeps a close eye on me and sometimes stares at me, which creeps me out. I worry he's trying to decide if I'm dying or just assessing what he'll have to do if that happens. Rooney is depressed when he's gone and barely looks at me.
One would think the Pope is walking through the door when Andy finally arrives. It's like they're trying to tell him all the terrible things I did, or didn't do, while he was gone. Both want to be near or on him when he sits on the couch. Actually, Rooney wants him all to herself. She has figured out how to make Jack so miserable, by sitting on him or pushing him over, he eventually leaves.
But, last night, she did something uncharacteristic. She jumped on top of me and stuck her face in mine and just stared at me. Andy was as puzzled as I at her odd behavior. It finally dawned on me that it was way past suppertime. She was trying to let me know. The animals in this house don't need to speak - they communicate their needs quite effectively.
So, back to Jack. Once Andy gets home, it's like Jack can punch his time card. He visibly relaxes and goes into a deep sleep. I guess I must really be high maintenance. We live in a relatively quiet, suburban area with little crime. But Jack acts like we're in downtown Detroit! If we ever have to move to a more urban area, he will have a nervous breakdown. I'm gonna check to see if there's a Bach Flower Remedy for, "Has a heightened sense of responsibility and thinks the whole world will fall apart if he lets down his guard." If I find one, I will buy two bottles.
As I predicted when I sat down to write, the cats are at it. They are chasing each other around the house and making those cat sounds that mean, "Better run, cause I'm gonna kill you when I catch you!" As with kids, when it gets real quiet, you'd better investigate. It's quiet, so I need to check on my kids before somebody gets hurt.
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