Just Platform Stress

My cats deal with stress in very different ways. Case in point right now, actually, because we’ve got workmen right outside the window and the moment she saw the mobile aluminium scaffolding go up, Jemima was inside her basket and quaking like a leaf. Her preferred solution is to hide until the problem goes away. Meanwhile, Zano is just sitting at the window, watching the whole thing, talking to the workmen and trying to hi-five them through the window. His preferred method is ‘not giving a darn.’

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. I do wonder how other cats in other apartments are coping with all the work. Some cats just like normalcy, you see, and all of the planks and trestles appearing outside the window can cause a lot of panic. Judy says she used to live in England with her Persian, Timber. Of course they have fireworks night over there, and once a year just isn’t enough for a cat to get used to anything, let alone the sky filling with explosions and bright lights. Timber spent the whole night in his basket, extremely unhappy. In fact no matter what Judy did, Timber was always the exact same every year.

And now we have Jemima, practically the same and scared witless at the sight of all these workmen. Thing is, I know the work needs to be done, so all these ladder platforms are jolly well staying up until the work is done. I’ve chatted to a few other people and they’ve all said the same thing: do your best to keep her happy until it all blows over. Honestly, I think Zano being so cool about the whole thing is helping, since Jemima looks up to her brother. So maybe it won’t be so bad in the end!

Still, I’m considering submitting a request to the governing council: if you roll in the mobile aluminium scaffolding, at least give us a few days of warning! Jemima really is a bundle of nerves around new and exciting things.

-Kathleen