By Cynthia Gellis
I realize that having to stay home all the time is a big change for most of us, but for Anabel and Sally (my two indoor cats), it is standard operating procedure. They would be much more bothered by actually having to get in the car and go anywhere. Even when Anabel sits by the back door watching Mr. Man puttering around in the driveway, she is not inclined to step out when I open the door for a trek to the laundry room.
Full disclosure: my sister sent me these tips in a meme, but Sally and Anabel, who are professional at stay-at-home-quarantine protocols, did endorse the recommendations.
Nap Early, Nap Often
As I write this Anabel and Sally are very busily taking their afternoon nap. They never let a nap interruption prevent them from resuming napping as soon as it is appropriate. I think this attitude can apply to all sorts of stay-at-home activities. You just have to go with the flow and know that you will get back to whatever it was that you were trying to get done, as soon as it is feasible.
Seek Out Sunbeams
I would argue that seeking sunbeams is probably the single most useful tip you can adopt from cats in quarantine. A little sunlight does a world of good for me, although I usually grant myself the extravagance of taking my sunlight outside of the house (go for a walk; it’ll be ok, I promise).
Eat on a Regular Schedule
Sure, it’s easier to just have food out and snack all day long, but at some point, you are going to have to put your real pants on again--just sayin’.
A bonus tip here: why not use the fancy dishes?
Keep yourself Clean
You don’t need to adopt a cat’s multiple times a day cleaning routine but do take a shower, even if you don’t “need” one. Afterward, put on a clean pair of sweatpants (even though the ones you were wearing yesterday are your favorite and they are practically clean, after all).
It’s ok to run around the house screaming when it all gets to be too much.
Or in Sally and Anabel’s case, to have a little knockdown, blow out brawl just to clear the air. I mean these cats will go at it. Someone chases the other one from room to room. One of them pounces on the other one. There is some hissing and growling. And then they are done. And you will probably find them cuddling an hour later. Sometimes you just have to get it out of your system. But once you have, you need to drop it--no holding a grudge.
