Apparently, being my 'bedside' companions is exhausting work

[Siwsan]

I still have a raised temperature but also still have my sense of taste and smell. I will admit to being a little congested and fatigued but nothing alarming. Since this is day five since my encounter with the masked but none the less ill check out clerk, I'll wait a couple more days before I declare an all clear or a 'YIKES' situation.

Meanwhile, the boys are staying close by my side, occasionally snuggling on my lap but spending most of the time cuddled up behind me on the recliner. Madoc's behavior wasn't quite what I needed, last night, but he's now being a real sweetie. Well, to me. I heard the first loud MEOW out of Gryff, today, when Madoc had him by the throat and appeared to be enthusiastically reenacting a scene from a Dracula film. Not sure what triggered that.

[Budi]

1. LoL. Kids!

"I heard the first loud MEOW out of Gryff, today, when Madoc had him by the throat and appeared to be enthusiastically reenacting a scene from a Dracula film. Not sure what triggered that."

[SheltieLover]

2. Sense of taste & smell are typically not lost with omicron. Just FYI

Glad you are still feeling relatively well.



Madoc reenacting Dracula?

Be well, my friend!

[Siwsan]

5. Well, that's a relief because I have some REALLY good leftover Goulash.

The fever is the worrisome thing. My temperature is normally in the high 96/low 97 range so when it went well over 98, I knew something was wrong. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be rising. Just not going back to my normal range, yet.

[SheltieLover]

6. Glad to hear you have an appetite!

[SheltieLover]

3. The look on Gryff's handsome face does not bode well for world peace

"After I convinced the hooman to remove the collar..."

[ShazzieB]

9. He does look like he's plotting something underhanded (underpawed?).

[SheltieLover]

10. I can see the kitty gears turning in his head...

[demigoddess]

4. apparently cats know when you are not feeling well. My cat has been

cuddling up to me a lot lately and all of last night.

[wnylib]

7. RE: Madoc turning into dracula

He is at the right kitten age to start practicing hunting moves and techniques.

When Ember was just 3 months old, I gave her a stuffed cat that was slightly larger than her to keep her company since I am only allowed one 4 footed pet in my apartment building. She dragged "Fluffy" everywhere with her, and took naps with Fluffy.

Around 6 months old, Ember started attacking Fluffy. She was imaginative and calculating about it in ways that surprised me. She would place Fluffy behind a foot stool, then go around to the other side and crouch up to the stool. After a butt wiggle to prepare for a pounce, Ember ambushed Fluffy. She grabbed Fluffy by the throat and did a snapping motion to "kill" her prey.

I mentioned to the vet that I was surprised at the planning that went into this new predator game of Ember's but the vet said that planning and calculation are what make cats such good hunters.

Fluffy had gone from companion to prey when Ember reached the age to practice her hunting skills. After a month or so, she lost interest in Fluffy altogether. She developed a maternal attitude toward her windup toy chicken (Chickie).

Unlike Fluffy, Gryff can fight back. He is slightly older and larger than Madoc, isn't he? In kittens who are friendly housemates, this behavioral stage can be a rough and tumble time of wrestling, but I doubt that Madoc will actually hurt Gryff, who will defend himself in a wrestling match.

[wnylib]

8. PS. Cats can get covid. It is usually

a milder illness in them than it is in people, but vets recommend caution about snuggling with pets if you test positive for the virus.

[SheltieLover]

11. Fascinating!

Ty for sharing! I'm going to look on Chewie for wind up chicken & add to my next autoship. I have a kitty ~12-13 who gets quite offended with any toys. I get the "don't infantalize me. This won't bleed" looks.

[wnylib]

12. Ember is the most "unique" cat

that I have ever had. She has a lot of idiosyncrasies so I don't know if what works for her would work with other cats.

I got Chickie (all her toys have names) for her when she was around 7 months old because she liked movable toys then. Chickie is just a fuzzy little windup chicken that stores sell around Easter time. She liked watching it "walk" across the floor. She walked around with Chickie in her mouth all the time. I was not retired then and sometimes came home from work to find Chickie in Ember's water dish. Was she trying to give Chickie a drink, clean her up, or drown her? I never figured it out.

Eventually, Chickie got broken feet and was pretty dirty from being dragged everywhere. Ember started grooming her. Then Chickie became a comfort object. Ember grabbed it and howled when I was in the shower. She took it out of her pile of toys to carry around whenever I left the apartment and then dropped it when I came back home. So I bought a new one, rubbed it against Ember's face to get her scent on it, and put it next to the old one. When Ember was out of sight, I put the old one in the trash. She adopted the new one.

Ember is 6 years old now and on her 4th Chickie. It is still a comfort toy for her when I go out. Sometimes Ember brings Chickie into bed to sleep between Ember and me.

As for the hunting attack on a stuffed toy, Leo, the cat I had before Ember, did that too. I kept a box of stuffed animals for my friend's daughter. One day around 7 months old, Leo started stalking the box. He grabbed a stuffed animal and shook the hell out of it. He sneaked up on them to pounce on their necks. After a month or two of practicing hunting techniques, he lost interest in stuffed animals.

[SheltieLover]

13. Awwwww what a sweet kitty!

Worried about you in shower...

Haha - water dish. Who knows what cats are thinking?

Thx for sharing!