As the Wind Blows

I lay in bed last night, listening to the wind blowing outside my window and wondering what tomorrow would bring. It’s a big, bad world out there. It’s a restless world.

I know I’m not alone in my tossing and turning as Mother Nature sighs and moans around me – I’m only one of millions across the world who are either too anxious to sleep or too tired to stay awake.

Those of us with pets, whether they be dogs, horses or bearded dragons (lizards 🦎) know the true comfort our furry, feathered or scaled companions bring us even in the best of times.

In this time of anxiety and fear, their presence is a God-send, but also comes with its own unique set of concerns.

If you have a large, extended family living nearby, wondering what would happen to your pets *might* not be a big deal – you may have clear plans already in place. Good for you.

Or you may not … I guess it depends on your pets – and your family. If you have just one, maybe two well-mannered pets, you may have a friend already tagged as designated “pet sitter” until you, God willing, return from the hospital.

But what if you have a LOT of pets? What if you have a beloved, but behaviorally challenged pet? What if, like me, you have both?

Old Abby, the dachshunds and even our old gray tabby cat, Damascus, are charming enough and capable of being good house guests, even if it meant farming them out piece-meal. 😢 I think they’d be OK, although it would be a group effort. But then there is our other cat …

Qiviut is one of my night-time tossing and turning topics. Having started life as the offspring of a feral barn cat, he came indoors only reluctantly (by way of a live-trap), terrified, untrusting and well-armed. Very well-armed! Check out the size of those 9-week-old paws! Ouch.

Five years later, Q is very much a beloved house cat, getting along fine with our dogs and other cat – but a quirkier cat would be hard to find. He adores ME and is an extraordinarily lovable lap cat. But …

Q is terrified of strangers. Heck, he has only recently, in the last year, decided he can trust my husband (sort of). If something happened to Jerry and I, Qiviut would have to be live-trapped to get him out of the house. What would happen to him? It’s a worry.

So I stay isolated and pray to stay well. I check in regularly with family and friends, hoping they are safe and well.

I pray for our healthcare workers, from doctors down to orderlies, grocery store clerks and stockers, restaurant and post office workers … ALL the “essential” workers who are at work because the rest of us must stay home.

I worry and pray for those who have lost jobs and aren’t sure how they’ll feed their families, much less their pets. I pray this devastating virus passes sooner rather than later, allowing us all to return to living our lives together rather than separately … whatever that new life brings.

Today; I pet my dogs, snuggle my cats and hope for the best.