It’s been a week without Daisy now, and I’m finally to the point where I don’t look for her when I come into my home office. Her favorite spot used to be on my office chair or in the window near the desk.
I’ve been wondering how Franklin would take to Daisy not being around anymore. I’ve been very careful not to project my own “something’s missing” feelings on him, but I have to say, after leaving him alone for the weekend – I think he’s definitely acting differently.
Both he and Daisy were always very excited when I’d come home from time away, whether it was a day in the office or a weekend (or longer) away. But last night when I came home from 3 days away, he took it to a whole new level. Skye came over to look in on him on Saturday but that was the only contact he’d had for three days. It showed! He tailed me around the apartment as I unpacked and got things ready for the morning, so close at times that he risked being stepped on. He has hopped up on my lap multiple times this morning (not his usual M.O. at all … he’s always liked sitting close but hasn’t really been a lap kitty … probably in part because Daisy was usually first to the lap).
The most surprising thing is his voice, though. He’s never been a meower – for the first year or so, he didn’t make a peep (unless he was in pain … found that out when I accidentally shut his tail in a door once). Gradually he started doing what I call his “meep” – a sort of pathetic attempt at meowing. It’s funny to see such a big bruiser of a cat with such a tiny voice.
Contrast that with Daisy, who was a teeny tiny thing with a HUGE voice. She made her presence known vocally. Franklin makes his presence known physically, by flopping his long body down in front of you.
So last night it was a shock to pick him up and give him a good squeeze and hear something resembling a meow come out. I ducked back out of the apartment for a minute to go get my mail downstairs, and when I came back I could hear him circling by the door, plaintively meeping … and almost meowing.
It’s curious. It could just be coincidental, but maybe not … now that he’s the only voice in the house, he’s letting it be heard.
People have asked if I’ll get another cat; I think a lot of that depends on how Franklin settles into being an only cat. Right now I don’t have the time or patience to socialize a new cat, but that may change at some point, and he may prove himself to really need companionship more than I thought. If I do bring a new cat into the house it’ll probably be another young adult cat, one who can hold his/her own with Franklin, and who may not be as adoptable as a cute cuddly kitten. But that’s a decision for another day.