The repercussions of change are many! Rita can sense when we are getting ready to leave the house on a trip that is different from a Walmart or grocery store run. If we’re trying to get ready to go to Louisiana or Missouri, she’s in a panic and we can hardly get out the door because she’s right on our heels. If we’re getting dressed to go Walmart, she gets in her little bed, curls up and goes to sleep. Speck was always the same way. I guess, without even realizing it, we do thing differently, depending on what we’re doing. My getting dressed routine must be totally different, depending on my plans for the day, because before I even step out of the bathroom, Rita seems to sense what we’re planning.
When we left to go to Abilene Thursday, we were definitely moving at a quicker pace and Rita was starting to panic. We left here about 9 a.m. and once Vince realized they were keeping me overnight and I was not in any real danger, he came home so he was home by 4 p.m. That wasn’t too bad for Rita. Friday morning, Vince left the house about noon but we didn’t get home til almost 10 p.m. and she was not feeling very secure when we got home.
She kept running into things . . she had kinda lost her bearings. She wouldn’t eat. She wouldn’t even eat her treat when we took her outside. I felt really bad for her. She’s better this morning . . back to eating and back to knowing her way around the house without running into things.
It’s funny, but a bit sad, that our little dogs get so attached to us that when something is wrong, even though they have no idea what is wrong, they panic too.
I didn’t notice Boots or Cat being too concerned about me! 🙂 Cat was sitting out in the driveway when we got hoe about 10 and he reminded me a bit of an angry parent waiting for a kid to get home who had missed curfew. As soon as we drove in, got our stuff out of the car and went back inside, Cat was up on the car to sleep. It was like he couldn’t go to bed because his be wasn’t home. The audacity of those folks . . screwing up his evening!
Dottie says
We used to foster/adopt retired greyhounds and a couple of the boys had separation anxiety SO bad. And, like Rita, they seemed to sense when we were going to be gone a LONG time vs. a short time. I got to the point that I’d take things out to the car the night before (just so they didn’t see/hear the purse, keys, etc.) but, it didn’t make any difference. Somehow or other animals seem to have a 6th sense about different things we do that we aren’t aware of what we’re doing. It’s almost as if they can read our minds!! Glad Rita is better today, and hope you’re doing better, too.
That’s funny that Cat seemed to be annoyed about your being away, LOL.
vivoaks says
Aren’t animals a wonder??!!
Susan says
I love the stories of your animals. I suppose the chickens didn’t care one way or the other. =)
danielle s nabozny says
It is amazing how the animals learn our routines. My dogs have a rough life. They sleep all night – and then when I am working – they sleep all day with me. But some days I do not sleep all day – I call those nap days. And these dogs seem to understand the difference between sleep days and nap days!