Cats on Duty

Cat's work shifts - who knew...?

Recently I was rather floored by a sneaky and rather unpleasant 'double dip' cold. Initially it was a dreadful cough but over the weekend I didn't feel quite so deathly. Unfortunately, over the next couple of days, despite me insisting I was getting better to my colleagues, I was finally beaten by it. I got up for work and realised post-shower I'd used up all my energy and couldn't keep up with my runny nose.   

After making the dreaded 'I can't come to work call', I stumbled to the sofa to medicate myself, increase the profits for Kleenex Balsam and sleep in between coughing myself awake. The cats predictably came to comfort me/use me as a life sized hot water bottle.

Over the days I was unwell and not moving much I noticed a really odd pattern. Initially both cats tried be find a space on the sofa to be with me but, given that Magic refuses to see Red in her road, this was not working out well. So, one cat would sit with/on me and the other one would wander off and sleep in the dining room. However, at 10pm each night the 'off duty' cat would come and relieve the other one and that cat would stay with me until 10pm the next night. After the first couple of days of this I watched the pattern and, sure enough at 10pm, it was shift change time.

I've noticed at weekends or holidays one cat with be around more than the other, then the next day the other cat will be more conspicuous, but this was really marked and time specific. To be fair they were both excellent and very conscientious carers but I wonder what would have happened if I had been unwell for longer...would they have wanted some days off, would they have wanted overtime or worse, would they have got one of the local cats in to do a locum shift to let them get some rest...??? Luckily, I got better and went back to work, so we will never know.