Claire Communicates

Thump, thump, thump. Claire’s aggravation was clear, and she was taking it out on me, her favorite human.

For the past week, we had been on a family beach vacation.  Mom had generously stopped by our house every day to water the plants, and feed the dogs, the chickens, and of course, Claire.

Because of a rampant coyote problem, I had decided to leave Claire in the house, rather than putting her outside with the other critters. I would go on vacation and not worry about her being eaten by a pack of wild animals. I’m sure if I had asked her, she would have agreed to this arrangement.

Claire received her daily visits, and I’m sure that Mom gave her some loving attention during her visits.

But there’s 24 hours in a day and for the rest of the time, Claire was alone.

In retrospect, I wonder what she thought of it. Cats are used to being part of a group, part of the pack, part of the family, or as I just looked up, part of a clowder (Yep, I just learned that a group of cats is called a clowder).  Did she wonder what had happened to us? Did she walk around the house and meow? Did she even look for my husband, who likes to tease her? Did she mourn for us?

When we returned from vacation and had mostly unpacked, my husband sat down in his recliner to relax after the long drive. Claire promptly settled in beside him, much to his surprise. “Look who’s sitting with me!” he told me. I was still walking around, putting stuff away, so I assumed that Claire had picked the first human available to make contact with. But now, I wonder.

Once I made it to my own chair and had pulled up a book to read, Claire ventured over.  She did not sit beside me as she usually does (she will sit beside but never on a lap – she’s too independent for that). She jumped to the back of the chair and lay down. Soon, a very heavy tail thwapped me on the head. Strange, I thought, but soon returned to the book in front of me. Thump. Thump. Thump. It took a few times, but finally, I got it. Claire was mad. And she was letting me know it.

I made nice with her. Everyone petted her. A few hours later, we went to bed. Claire claimed her usual spot at the end of the bed near my feet. She had proven her point. As I gave her a final stroke before laying down, I told her that I understood. No one likes to be alone.

I am happy that all is now forgiven. Until the next vacation.