We’ve been in the apartment now for almost two weeks. Things are coming along. We’re slowly unpacking and getting things in order. It’s been hard, because they are still not finished with the actual building, which has been contentious. We feel we’re paying a lot of money to live here. The elevator still isn’t working (we’re on the fifth floor), there is still a great deal of construction going on around us (a problem whenever Em is napping), we’re still waiting on lights, and we still have no idea how to get our mail.
But we’re making due. And don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about it, and those great things far outnumber the problems. (I don’t want anyone out there to think I’m ungrateful.) We’re slowly getting to know, understand and love our new home.
There is one person in our family, however, who is having a great deal of trouble warming up to the place.
Murray hides from 8 AM until 5 PM, Monday through Friday. It’s almost like he has a full time job. Between those hours, Murray is out of sight. He doesn’t visit the litterbox, he doesn’t come out for scritches, he doesn’t even eat. (I know! A SHOCKER!)
But that doesn’t mean we don’t know exactly where he is, quite the contrary. Between 8 AM and 5 PM, you know exactly where to find Murray—in a little mound underneath our bedspread.
He knows when the construction workers enter the building long before we do. He knows they’re here before we hear the first hammer hit its first nail, before we feel the first boot slap the hallway floors, and before they fire up their buzz saws, drills, or whatever.
Sometimes we see him take cover. Suddenly, his legs will deflate, he’ll lower his belly to the ground and run commando style into our bedroom.
I am hoping that this is only a phase and that it ends soon because I miss his daily antics.
Yep, my cat does the same duvet-hiding whenever we move to a new place (which is about every year!) and it lasts for a couple of weeks. Also not very fond of strangers so she’ll find the darkest spot she can find to go and hide. She also does the lowering to the ground which I call stealth-mode.
That is the saddest, most forlorn little kitty face! I think he just pulled my heart strings right out of my chest!
I’m with Milissa – I want to give Murray a hug.
i love cat lumps, but poor murray
Poor Murray!
One of our cats – Steve – went through a similar thing this summer. Our neighbors were building a deck and they had people in every day from around 9-3 for a few weeks and the minute they arrived, Steve was under the bed for the day. Poor dears – I hate seeing them feel so out of place.
When I moved, the kitties sat at the front door and cried for a whole day. I’m convinced that they thought our old house was just on the other side of the door and they wanted to go back there!
Then they realized that there were birds (AKA potential dinners!) out on the deck and they promptly forgot about the front door. Heh.
Poor No Happy Murray. Polly Jean is the same about noise and strangers, esp anyone with a high voice, tools or a uniform. Or anyone under 25.
I hope they finish their work soon so Murray will feel more relaxed during the day. I love Murray!
they’re giving you guys a huge rent discount for all of this, right?