Sunday, July 3, 2016

Miss Standfast



Friday was our national holiday and, as is usual on Canada Day, fireworks were set off by the city authorities. This results in a good time for most people – but animals have a different opinion on the activity.

In the old house, I could see the fireworks explode from my front window. I lived only a short distance from Henderson Park, where they are let off. Naturally, this scared the cats. I was interested in how they would react this year, as our apartment is much farther from the site.

A factor in this year’s response, however, would be the acoustics in the new home. For some reason, some sounds are perceived as quite near, when they are in fact far away. When celebrations are taking place and music is performed in Galt Gardens, the town’s central park (almost ten blocks away), I hear the music as though it were being played just across the alley. But if I left my building and stood in the parking lot, not fifteen feet away, I can hear little. So what the fireworks would bring this July 1st, I couldn’t predict.

As it turned out, the cats were not terrified. They seemed to be able to differentiate fireworks from thunder, which they dislike. Cammie will hide under the bed at the first hint of a storm. But even as the fireworks were exploding, she came into the bedroom, somewhat nervous, but not taking refuge in a secret spot. The boys were nervous, as well, but maintained a mancatly reputation.

Who surprised me was Josie. She was in a cat-tree in the bedroom when the sound effects began. They were deep and booming. My Chubs ventured to look out the window but, even were our new home facing the right direction, we would have seen no shower of lights. The noise was more of a curiosity for the Great White than a fear and, before it was over, she had settled herself down for the rest of her interrupted nap.

Josie is now thirteen, pretty much as active as she has always been and in good health. Mentally and emotionally, I guess, she has decided that being scared of fireworks is for kittens. She still doesn’t think them a good time – but they aren’t bad, either.


11 comments:

  1. Hi John - this is the first year any of my cats were affected by the *pop pop popping* which ended in big *bangs* and it was Audrey that showed the most fear. She would run up to the closed windows and growl. Annie just stared at the windows with saucer eyes.

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    1. It doesn't surprise me that Audrey would be as annoyed at the sounds as she would be scared.

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  2. Just like Josie, my Jessica stopped worrying about fireworks as she got older (she stopped hiding under the bed.) I was curious as to how Holly would respond to the booms and bangs. We have fireworks on Victoria Day and Canada Day, and you have pointed out, sound travels in odd ways; I can hear the big fireworks displays all the way up in my neighbourhood- a very long way from the harbour front area - as though they were being detonated a block away. Holly was at first startled and went to the bed - her place of safety - but seemed to take the noises calmly. No more booms and bangs for the year - I hope.

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    1. Holly probably knew she was safe on the bed. I recall you writing that she liked being there during her first days with you.

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  3. We've been having almost daily thunderstorms. At first Sasha hid in the basement every time but last night he just stayed on the bed. We did have some neighbourhood fireworks (too far away to hear the ones in the park) but none of the cats seemed to be bothered by them.

    Have a great week!

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  4. We had a few firecrackers going off last night in the neighborhood and the cats didn't seem to mind. The major fireworks display will be tonight, and since this will be Cassi's first exposure to fireworks, I wonder how she will tolerate it.

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  5. So glad there was less of a reaction to the boomers! Relaxed kitties is always a nice thing!

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  6. That's great, that no one was too troubled by the fireworks. I was asleep by the time any went off here, so can't say if they bothered the boys. Thunder storms usually don't, storms bother ME more than them. :-)

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  7. Wise and mature kitties. I don;t like boomies fro the sky or firecrackers.

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  8. The past two nights there have been boom boom booms going off in my neighborhood. Unfortunately we live in a state where fireworks are legal. The cats I was thankful seems totally nonplussed by the sounds!

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