Nothing Is More Constant Than Change

So I took a trip up north this week, and I got all weirdly nostalgic about change. Bear with me because I went from 80 degrees to 45 in one day. These kinds of changes we humans deal with all the time. We can adjust to the weather by getting appropriate clothes for our destination or just annoying our friends and family by complaining about said weather (the latter can be extremely entertaining, but I wouldn’t recommend it; people get very crabby.)

Looking at 2020 in particular, we humans have been through some major changes. Even if your family has not been directly affected by COVID, it is likely that your routines have changed drastically, and in some areas of the country, there is no end in sight as yet. Kitty’s world has been turned upside down with the humans at home – not necessarily a bad thing, extra attention, new jobs as administrative assistants to those of us working from home, and more time for the humans to obsess over Kitty. Not all of that is bad, but I know when things first started out, with the changes going on around my fur babies, I became more hyper vigilant about their health. I see them all the time now, so I notice every little change in look, behavior, diet and appetite, water intake, blood sugars, and anything else that looks “off”. I will say that 99% of the time I was looking at something, it resolved quickly or was not a problem that ended up harming or affecting Kitty in any way. When we aren’t home, Kitty rules the roost, and THEY have had a huge wrench thrown into their routine. Yes, by this point, Kitty should be used to your being around more, and is probably used to your poking and prodding. Really, we need a healthy dose of chill pills (relaxation - not actual drugs here), so our fur babies can get some peace and quiet at times. My big boy has resorted to sleeping under the bed where he can hide under the dust ruffle so that he doesn’t have to deal with the other pets (and me) until he chooses to do so. They have found new hiding spots, and I have discovered that they rotate around now as well. Kitties seem to need their own time and their own space when the humans are hanging around a bit more than usual.

Even the doggies have changed up their behavior some, and while they are usually super attached, I have noticed that my one terrier takes his afternoon nap wherever I am not. I suppose I could be insulted or at least somewhat regretful, except I have always had kitties, and I am used to being rudely rejected on a daily basis for one reason or no reason at all.

So, to combat some of this boredom for the fur babies and the hyper vigilance I have felt, we moved some stuff around. We have our son coming home from college, so we rearranged his room, and moved some junk out. The cats are now using his new setup as their own personal playroom until it is occupied by yet another annoying human. What we discovered, however, was when we moved mattresses and stored them upright in another room, they turned into a cat-gathering tower for sleep, play, and exploration to the point where I have no idea when we will actually be able to move or get rid of the extra mattresses. I am talking three out of four cats on those mattresses at any given time! Plus they have unlimited access to the window with squirrels and geckos to watch and cry at, so this is the new cool area for them. Another change I have made is reorganizing my yarn boxes. I have changed the order, how they are stacked, and moved some of my boxes to different areas for neatness sake, but this as provided a new area to climb and inspect. One of my kittens is extremely adept at getting in those boxes headfirst – though she has no interest in the yarn. I think she likes to pop out like a jack-in-the-box when another cat or I walk by. (She is seriously the most non-aggressive kitty ever, but this one thing is fun for her).

When we were moving things around and doing the general holiday cleaning, we were just doing what needed to be done before the holidays. It worked out being a boon to the fur babies because we made enough interesting changes to their environment to make them curious and, therefore, more active. All of the little things I was seeing such as less energy, more eating, less playing, and in general just laying around seems to have been nothing but just being a bit bored. So when we make changes to the house, especially rearranging to make room for the dining room table, a Christmas tree, or a college student, this may also end up being a very positive change for Kitty. We discovered, completely be accident that rotating our own things around as well as Kitty’s stuff, adds stimulation, activity, and interest. The lower energy levels disappeared, and they all seem happy, healthy, and much more active.

I think it will be my new strategy that when moving things around or cleaning out, we will make sure the kitties get a little extra unfamiliar area (even if temporary) to play and explore. It helps my hyper worry, and it keeps the fur babies active and content. The moral of my accidental experiment is that, even though the sugar babies do need a good routine for glucose testing and regulation, it is just as important to give them something “new” here and there even if that consists of a mattress and a few boxes of yarn.

As always, Feline Diabetes Support Group on FB is always available for support for questions, venting, and all things sugar Kitty with details and help for the concerned fur parent.

#Feline Diabetes #Blood Glucose #Change #Holiday Cleanout #Hyper vigilance #Mental Stimulation #Routine Adjustments #Change Is Good