Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Our Creature of the Night

Sunday night, I decided that Hector could move on to the next stage of his integration, which would consist of leaving the library open at night. Its door had been open during the day, but giving him access to the apartment while I was asleep was the appropriate sequel. He had spent most of the day in the library, in spite of being allowed to roam. I thought he would do the same at night. I was wrong.


I got into bed and turned out the last light. Within a minute, I could hear my new guest in the bedroom. He was here, he was there, he was everywhere. He climbed cat-trees in the bedroom and in the sitting room, he was on the counters in the kitchen and on the ledge under the window. He was in the bathroom and in the storeroom.


I know this because Hector makes long, wailing, siren-like sounds, as if facing off against another cat. I, fearing a feline confrontation, jumped out of bed to put a stop to events. I found the perma-cats lying, a little puzzled, in their usual places - a couple were on the bed with me - wondering why the new boy was making weird noises. Hector also growls, probably at smells. He banged at cupboard doors. At one point, he was seemingly trapped at the top of the tall cat-tree in the sitting room, Portia at the bottom, watching him. After I returned to bed, I could hear Hector in the bedroom; Po was evidently no deterrent to his movement.



After two hours of sleeplessness - mine and Hector’s - I put the furry black one back in the library and shut the door. He fell silent and, probably, asleep.


Last night was better. Hector still wandered, but didn’t make as much noise. I still felt constrained to return him to the library after an hour and a half. Part of the improvement was due, I think, to the heating pad I placed on the library couch. Unlike Portia, when she was in the library, Hec took to the warmth right away, and spent much of the evening on the towel covering the pad. The days and nights are still balmy enough to leave windows open a little for fresh air, but the rooms can be a bit cool after dark, so extra warmth is, I think, welcome.


Hector is doing well adjusting to his new world. He purred for me last night and has no qualms about exposing his belly or otherwise showing his trust. He has also started playing. Life will be quite different for him from now on but, I hope, better than his old one.


16 comments:

  1. HaHa! Your film reviews are great John..!
    But! This is even better..Get in touch
    with Disney..and get the cameras over!

    I seem to remember a film called 'Creature
    Of The Night'..A rock star unsuccessfully
    tries to hide the fact that he's a werewolf..!
    HeHe! I think..! :O(

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  2. I liked the pingpong remark made by Timmy Tom Cat in the last post, as it seems like Hector was pinging around quite a bit and vocal too. It was fun to see him on the heating pad taking a break for breaking out.

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  3. Poor Hector and poor, sleepless you! I think you're right - Hector's vocalizations are probably due to the fact that he wants to sleep on the heating pad that you've put in the library for him to use. I wonder if he would still be so noisy if the heating pad were moved to another room. But if he is happy staying in the library, I'd let "sleeping dogs (err cats)
    lie."

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    Replies
    1. Right now, the library is Hector’s safe room; he hurries back there if he thinks he’s in trouble with the other beasts. It was the same with Portia (though, in her case, it would have been if she were tired of the others, rather than them giving her problems). Fortunately, I chanced to judge her right, and she didn’t need the library in particular any more. But I want Hector to have it for a while yet. He’s not dominant, so he’ll probably need it longer than Po did. But he knows there is more to his new world than one room, so I suspect he’ll be spending time outside the library soon enough.

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  4. Brian makes so loud noises too if he thinks he is home alone. Once we tell him we're here he settles right down.

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    Replies
    1. That’s funny: he’s like a kid playing the stereo loud while his parents are out.

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  5. Well, that was a fun 2 hours for you both, and possibly for any neighbours. Ha. I'm glad he enjoys the heating pad and is content to stay in the library for most of the night, at least for now.

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  6. It seems that Hector is quite interested in exploring his new and enlarged world and letting the world know about it as he does. Hopefully he settles down soon, so you can get some well deserved rest.

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  7. Maybe the weird noises were just Hector's way of supplying a running commentary on his new digs. "Hey, look at that!" "Well, this seems interesting, I'd better check it out." "Why is that pretty calico lady giving me such strange looks?"

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  8. Hector seems to be enjoying his exploring, but also knowing he can go back to his safe place.

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  9. Hector is increasing his bubble of comfort; it widens with every new day!

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  10. Maybe he was bewailing the fact that he had to explore the whole place in the darkness, though kitties see way better than us peeps in the dark.
    Or maybe he was signalling to his co-residents that 'Hello, I am here, but don't pay me no heed'...sort of like a warning not to worry about him checking things out.

    Hope it gets quieter for you. LOL!

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  11. What a noise he must have made! Sometimes I wish they could talk. I really want to know what is going on in their head.
    Glad Hector is enjoying the heating pad. I brought out my cats pad yesterday. Getting nippy here at night. Chloe, my new one, took it over right away!

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  12. I have to laugh because Annabelle loves to bang the cabinets at night to get my attention. I used to leave the bedroom door open at night but I found quickly that was the fastest way to get no sleep. So, therefore I now shut the door when I go to bed. There are some nights Annabelle wants more attention hence the door banging. She is indiscriminate between laundry room cabinets and kitchen cabinets and she's learning how to open the doors on the hutch now. :-)

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  13. Hector is getting used to things in his own way and that he makes sounds is interesting. Our Rumpy did that once he was allowed out of segregation meowing at everything in the house. Miss Fitz is our night stalker but does drag on or the other along now and again.

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