Cats In Strange Places

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I’m not really much of a cat post kind of blogger but half my country is on fire and something lighthearted is needed.

Our cat Leonardo (more commonly referred to as Leo) appears to be undergoing a personality change. We think he may be developing dementia (he’s 12).

He’s never been a very chatty cat but lately he’s been positively loquacious. My favourite is when he wanders down the corridor in the wee hours of the morning miaowing in such a way that it sounds exactly like he’s saying, “Hello? Hello?” It’s hard not to call out “Hello!” in response.

While always enjoying sitting near people, he’s not really been a lap cat but the other night he went to sleep on the Husband’s lap and stayed there for half an hour.

When he asks for food, we put it in his bowl and then we have to stand there until he starts eating because if you walk away immediately he comes after you and asks to be fed. “I just did. It’s in your bowl,” we say. “What?” he says with his face. We sigh, walk back into the laundry and point to the food in the bowl. Once he starts eating it’s safe to leave. Although, a couple of times I’ve done that and he’s appeared back by my side again a few moments later asking for food. He has to be redirected back to the bowl where he goes “Oh, look at that. I have food!”

My latest project (and what prompted this post) is taking photos of the weird places he’s been going to sleep. It all started when I opened the blinds one early morning and saw him curled up asleep in the garden bed. It wasn’t even a warm morning. I was scared he was dead. He wasn’t. He just decided to sleep in the dirt and weeds (yeah, a Beautiful Gardens family we are not). And it went on from there. Enjoy Leo’s Sleeping Places.

Sleeping on the back of the couch is pretty normal
Is he still breathing??
At the back door
Because nothing is more comfy than concrete?
Sleeping on the table is his new favourite
How is this comfortable??
Okay, now you’re just being ridiculous

 

You have to sing the title of this post to “Nights in White Satin” by the Moody Blues. Because I always do, that’s why.

 

47 thoughts on “Cats In Strange Places”

  1. The shots are far more amazing when all seen together, H !
    If he were to be developing dementia, I wonder if he can just kind of continue on without its affecting him much ..?
    I do hope so: I have such a soft spot for Leo, in amongst the squillions of soft spots comprising me.
    [grin]

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  2. Cats are liquid/solid hybrid like oobleck….. a non Newtonian fluid with variable gravity….plus if they can, they will… another friend has an rescue cat in her possibly early teens (the cat), who has a tendency to climb the open screen door and sit on top of it, forgetting entirely that she can’t get down….her people also think she might be going a little senile….although as she only came to live with them in the last year or so it is harder to know if she’s senile or just herself….

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  4. I’ve lived with cats long enough to recognize each of Leo’s foibles. The howling comes with old age, I am told by the vet. And both my old boy Joey and now my old-ish boy Oscar need “dish lovies” at feeding time. Food in bowl is not sufficient. One must redirect them to the bowl and then one must rub their tummies while they nosh. Sort of a priming of the pump, if you will.

    The news featured a map of Australia ringed with the location of each blaze. It looks exactly like the entire country is on fire. Be safe.

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    • Oh, thank you for that confirmation that this is an ageing thing. I had noticed that he seemed to be looking for some smooching before he would eat.

      So far the fires have burned more than 6 million hectares (16 million acres). That’s more than the California and Amazon fires combined. What’s incredible is that there hasn’t been a bigger death toll (currently at 25 – still too many) but I think some important lessons were learned after the catastrophic Black Saturday fires in 2009 and at least that’s something.

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  5. My dogs, being social animals, will not eat unless I stand there until every bite is gone. But the cats are like yours is now – I have to stand there until they start eating or they will follow me out of the room. Even after they start, they may chase me down and bring me back. They don’t want to eat alone! And Albert does what your cat does – he calls and calls until we answer and then will come to us. he knows exactly where we are, but needs to hear us answer! They are all indoor kitties, but I’ve seen neighborhood cats in very strange places! Anyway, nice photos – as in another comment, but work best as a collection.

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  6. Since WP won’t let me *like* anything, I have to content myself with simply nodding my head at the various comments. Further to Maggie’s comment, it’s good to get some confirmation that this may be old-age since I’m seeing similar weird behaviour in Theo. On the other hand, as you said, cats are just normally weird to begin with.

    Theo has decided he only wants to eat outdoors. But it’s winter. There’s been snow, and freezing rain, and blustery winds … but dumb-ass wants his food dish outside. Then he prompts wants back in the house. I’ve given up trying to understand him. It’s easier to simply give him what he wants and move on. I’m hoping that when cats take over the world, he will remember my devotion to him and reciprocate in kind 😉

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  7. Cats are weird…agreed. Having been a servant to cats most of my adult life, I do not find Leo’s sleeping habits at all strange. Not even sleeping on concrete. The critters have the most innate ability to find an uncomfortable space or position and be fine with it. I give my two plenty of squishy soft places to sleep and that’s where prefer to go these days. However, at my former apartment, Gibbs would get on top of the refrigerator, open the cupboard door and lay in the hole between recipe books. Go figure. I think I have a photo somewhere.

    As for the eating thing, that is interesting. I’ve never had a cat not find their food dish or follow me out of the room once I put kibble down. Gibbs and Ziva know exactly where there bowls are and when there’s something in them. Routine, probably. Anyhow, I hope Leo’s behavior is only a sign of the changes in aging and not one of dementia. Give him a face rub from me and tell him he’s a good boy.

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  8. One of our cats was silent as stone for almost 10 years and then began screaming at us, for food and for playtime. Her sister has screamed at us from the moment she arrived – brush me, feed me, scratch me, I have to poop! They are weird, but that adds to the magic they bring into our lives. I hope you are and can stay safe from the fires. They look horrific from what we’ve seen of them.

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  9. He is just adorable. I hope he stays cheerful and healthy for many more long years. Our cats on the whole lived much longer than his age now, and some got a little demented or just dopey or slower but did okay. Our cats now are ‘used’, gotten from the shelter, and they all have odd quirks (possibly due to unkindness in the past), even though they are not elderly. We love them anyhow. Cats are great.

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  11. I would try and get him used to cross word puzzles but be diplomatic. Don’t force him but just casually leave it sitting on the sofa (without a pencil) After a while you might do one with him sitting near you. ( introduce the pencil this time) Try and be casual and pick an easy puzzle. If not successful with the puzzle get one of those books where you join dots.
    Hope this works.

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  12. You do make me laugh! I think we definitely had a cat with dementia, mindst you she always was erratic even when a kitten. I moved away from the house where she had lived since a kitten (she was 17) and into a house with a flat roof. She started to climb a fence to get onto the roof, but couldn’t manage to find her way down again. She’d leap up to the bedroom windowsill, to scratch at the window to be let in, constantly falling off . Many times I had to get a ladder to rescue her from the roof, and yet she just kept on repeating the habit. Cats can be pretty bonkers!

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  13. Our kitties cry in the night and they are 11 & 12. They cry as they carry around lovies, and I reckon it started around 8. If they can’t find a proper cat toy in their time of need, they will use any small thing — an errant sock, a used washcloth, a hair tie. Sometimes they take them to the food bowl.
    Growing up, our cat Trouble lived to old old age, and he had to have someone with him while he ate. The vet said it’s reassuring them the environment is safe.
    They’re quirky beasts, but then, that’s why we love them.

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    • Ha! The moment I thought of the post title that was the song that popped into my head. I am a shocker when it comes to earworms. (Also movie quotes. Had a crossword clue the other day that was “pecans” and instantly in my head (possibly even out loud) I went “pecan pieeeee” a la Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally. 😁)

      I don’t understand how he can be comfortable in some of those places. Once again, I say cats are weird.

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  16. Non cat related – we hear so much about your forest fires here in Canada. I started looking for websites with data about the fires – found this interesting site that shows data and a map. Really helps to visualize what is happening in your country!
    https://myfirewatch.landgate.wa.gov.au/
    It must be frustrating for your fire officials to have to deal with so many fires, knowing that many of them have been started by arsonists or carelessness by people.

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