Interesting but true, when my boys are gone, my cats and dogs interact with me more. They are more engaging and even more demanding. They want more from me, perhaps because they sense I have more to give. So in this scenario, the boys, Jarvie and Giles are the cat and my cats, Gracie and Tatiana, and dogs, Jake and Mae Mae, are the mice!
I have to say my animals have been that much more present and involved with me, since the boys have been away for the weekend. It fascinates me that they sense the void and easily fill it by simply coming hither. It’s that hierarchical thing that animals get implicitly. They grasp the shift and respond quickly to it. No one has to tell them or call them. They know and change accordingly.
I think the quiet in the house is part of it as well. They respond to that too, especially the cats. The cats feel safer in the quieter space. It is not just the boys and all the commotion they create either. It’s me too. I am different in the house alone. I have no one to direct or hurry up. I have no squabbles to resolve. I am not yelling directions from one floor to the next. So perhaps I become more approachable as I calm down and literally make less noise. Hmmm now that is some food for thought. Perhaps it would be better for all of us, human, canine and feline if the home were quieter. Maybe there is a hidden message here from the animals to me regarding how I need to position myself with my children. Boy oh boy am I ever going to give this some thought!