It’s been over two months since I lost my old cat Jake. Adjustments had to be made. For me it was less work and a lot less worry with a sense of loss. Not sure what the impact on the cats was. (How can you tell?)
One thing I know is that after he was gone, they still treated “his spots” as…well…his spots.
One spot was his bed near the heat register. Old cats like warm. Here he is in his favorite (but not only) bed.
Jake surrounded by his fan club. (Sorry about the fuzzy. Black cats are hard to photograph. Any cats are hard to photograph!
After two months, Morgan finally climbed in to enjoy it.
Morgan making it her home.
Another passage.
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
Kate this post makes me go Awe! My cats would not have waited a second, its every moggy for himself at our place.
LikeLike
I’m sure your cats must miss Jake. But I also wonder if Morgan was afraid to take Jake’s bed and waited just to be sure the coast was clear. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe. She’s the one that got bonked the most from Jake. She’s also was the most pesty to the old guy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad Morgan climbed in Jake’s bed… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am too. Hope to see her do it more. Last night she was on the mantel. Not a good place for her. Last time she was up there (over a year ago) she broke something.
LikeLike
I’m betting the other cats missed Jake also. It takes time to adjust. Good for Morgan, recognizing a comfy spot when she saw one. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I still have a nice cat bed that my deceased cat Magic used. She’s been gone since 2003. In fact only Jake knew her but none of the current cats use it. Cats are very finicky. They prefer new furniture to old cat beds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think animals mourn much as we do. In fact, I know this in my heart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cats aren’t as expressive as dogs but they get it. Because of the commotion when I took out the carriers for annual checkups, I knew they saw a correlation to seeing him off in a carrier and never seeing him again. I don’t know if I should have let them smell his dead body (we buried him at home) for closure.
LikeLike
Genie = their
LikeLike
I see you have the same affliction that I do. When I write a comment a totally strange word appears. I blame it on spellcheck but most times I can’t figure out how it got there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true!… or should that be deride …
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like that. Things find genie own balance again.
LikeLike
Yes if you are patient and give it time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Somehow, I thought, Morgan, was going to be the one to make that move. ;o)
LikeLike
She was most likely since she isn’t shy. I don’t know what took her so long. Maybe the remnants of the slobber.
LikeLike
LOL…perhaps.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to see Jake’s bed is not going to waste,
LikeLike
There are 2 others currently going unused. He had a bed on every floor.
LikeLike
I think cats mourn in their way. I know when Henry died Dolly missed him. She didn’t especially like him but when he was gone she seemed a bit sad. I wonder if Jake’s bed will be Morgan’s domain now not to be touched by other paws?
LikeLike
I don’t know. Morgan doesn’t use it often so Hazel may eventually climb in there. It’s soft and near the heat vent and that’s prime real estate in the winter.
LikeLike
I suppose even cats mourn in their own timeframe. Enjoy your weekend, Kate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think they do too but they are more pragmatic and adjust.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad that Morgan has agreed to sub-let the space from Jake.
LikeLike
Yes and she is sending rent payments on time too!
LikeLike
So sweet … I’m glad Morgan made it her own spot. It sounds like Jake was the alpha cat and maybe the others were hesitant to move in because of that. And I’m sure they’ve missed him … I’ve always believed cats have emotions too.
LikeLike
Actually Mollie is the alpha cat. She would clear Jake off the bed if she wanted to but as he aged and had health issues they all gave him a wide berth. Even Mollie would let him nap on the bed. I also believe that cats have emotions and understand when one of their own is not well. Only Morgan would occasionally pester him to play but she was young.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So the new alpha is already in place … things should work perfectly from now on, I’m sure 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s nothing like a woman in charge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Waiting an appropriate amount of time before moving in…very thoughtful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I wonder what they are up to…..
LikeLike
When my GSD died, the rough collie mourned. He stood at the end of the garden where we’d buried her, and stood to attention with his front paws on the mound. After about 15 minutes, he came in, but didn’t want to eat and snuggled down into her blanket where he had always slept and didn’t move for what seemed like hours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think dogs mourn more publicly than cats do. I know the cats missed having him around because he always reminded me of dinnertime. Hazel has taken that job now. Like I could forget! He was old and had little interaction with the rest so I’m not sure what they thought. He went in the carrier and didn’t come back (that they saw). Hazel went bonkers when I pulled out the carrier a couple weeks later. I wonder if she thought someone else was getting moved out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The colder it gets, the faster practicality outweighs sentiment.
They must’ve really loved (or feared) Jake to even wait that long. Cats are the ultimate opportunists.
But bittersweet nonetheless.
LikeLike
I think it was a combination of things — yes, he was feared because he would bop their head if they did something he didn’t like but it’s getting colder and even though I washed all the slobber off, perhaps any residual odor has faded. They are indeed the opportunists as we find out if we get off a chair to go to the kitchen. By the time we come back (a minute or two) there is a cat fully stretched out and sleeping.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving yesterday. May the year ahead be filled with more wonderful memories that you can share with your readers!
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLike