1. I decided not go out to do the couple or three things I'd considered for today.
I stayed home with Copper.
I don't know if cat's think, but I know they show outward signs of feeling things, whether by the sounds they make or by the language of their bodies.
My absence stressed out Copper.
He expressed his anxiety with his voice and his body language and behavior.
In the way our life with Gibbs and Copper is, by necessity, physically arranged, Copper lives in two rooms. If he's going to have company in the bedroom, it will be with me. I no longer spend much time in the Vizio room because I am to steer pretty much clear of Copper's litter pan for health reasons related to the kidney transplant.
So, for me to spend five nights away from home left Copper pretty much isolated -- Debbie paid attention to him, but he was alone while Debbie was at work and alone all through the nights. And, with my full support, Debbie's attention goes primarily to Gibbs.
The last two nights, Tuesday and Wednesday, Copper has meowed loudly a couple of times during the night, clearly indicating that he wanted me to either pet, stroke, or make hand to torso contact with him.
So I did.
All day Wednesday, I spent a lot of time in the bedroom with Copper and if he wasn't on the bed with me purring contentedly, he was lying in a laundry basket or in my duffle bag sleeping peacefully while I unpacked and straightened up this and that, settling in after my trip.
Did I pretty much arrange most of Wednesday around helping Copper feel accompanied, helping him feel relaxed and happy, assuring him that he wasn't alone?
Yes.
Gladly.
And helping Copper regain his sense of equilibrium and happiness was a significant source of happiness for me.
2. Being home meant being reunited with the wok! I thawed two thick strips of tri-tips. I cut them into small chunks and stir fried them with circles of red onion and Thai wheat noodles. I pushed them up the side of the wok and then stir fried broccoli, red pepper, green beans, zucchini, and yellow squash. Before long I combined them all into a single stir fry and took an assortment of sauces out of the ice box for Debbie and me to put on our heaping bowls of beef, vegetables, and noodles.
3. My only trip out of the house today was mostly for Copper's sake. His supply of wet food, dry food, and kitty litter needed replenished and I took a trip to Tractor Supply and Yoke's to purchase these goods and now Copper is well supplied, no longer alone, and is growing, once again, more content by the hour.
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