Yesterday I woke up with a low-grade fever, a throbbing headache, and a hoarse voice. I guess you could say I was just not feeling well. I stayed in bed most of the day until I had to go in to work for part of an overnight shift. And for the duration of the time when I felt the yuckiest, Kitty was lying lifeless beside me.
I know I’ve heard of dogs being sensitive to their owner’s illnesses or being able to detect if there is something medically wrong. I’m just not so sure Kitty is one of those dogs. But I guess you never know…
She normally stays next to me until I get out of bed anyway, but this time was different. She was very still. She did not even look up in the same alert way when my mother was leaving to the store. Plus, it almost seemed like she was trying to snuggle up closer to my face, and a few times throughout the day she tried to lick my face and sniff around my ears. (And that’s what actually hurt instead of my throat. I didn’t have severe earaches, but I did feel sinus pressure in that area.)
In any case, it was comforting having her near me. It was almost like she was trying not to bother me so I could rest. I took a couple of Tylenol to break the fever, and late in the afternoon when I started feeling better, Kitty became more active and didn’t mind letting me know she wanted me to get up and play with her. Sometimes I feel like I can’t get her to understand certain things, and then others it feels like she knows and understands so much!
I have a pair of black slippers that I’ve had for years. I refuse to give them up. They’re nothing fancy, just a velvety pair of slippers. When Kitty was a baby, she used to crawl on top of them and fall asleep. Whether I had slipped them off while on my computer or watching TV, or if I was away at work, Kitty would wait for me on top of those slippers.
She hasn’t really done that in a really long time. These days she waits for me on top of my bed or right next to me wherever I am sitting. So, I had not given the slippers a second thought in a long time.
Then last night, as I was leaving for work, my mother happened to miss her step while walking outside. She stepped in a little groove in the ground and hurt her ankle. The shoes she was wearing happened to have a very small wedge-type heel to them. Later on, when she was going to take out the trash, she didn’t want to put the same shoes back on. So, she happened to find my slippers and slipped those on instead. And that’s when it happened…
According to my mom, Kitty went crazy!
She began pawing and nipping at my mom’s feet, running all around her. It was like she was trying to get my mom to take my slippers off. My mom tried talking to her (yes, we’re crazy that way) and telling her that she was only going to use the slippers to take out the trash. But Kitty did not seem to understand THAT. All she knew was that those slippers did not belong on my mom’s feet. When my mom came back inside and took off the slippers, Kitty would not stop sniffing them, as if she was trying to figure out what my mother had done to them. After that, Kitty retreated to my bed and would not come out of my room to play with my mom for the rest of the evening.
When I got home from work, I could almost feel her desperation to tell me something had happened... But I might be reading too much into things. She might've just been trying to tell me that she was hungry...
OMG your dog is awesome!!!! I love that story with your mom wearing your slippers! And I would not doubt that Kitty is in tune with you and knew that you were sick. . .what a sweetheart. Are you recovered now? It's such a pain to be sick!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the well wishes for when we were sick, too - and also the nice words about Logan being smart :-)
I grew up with a pool table in my basement and loved playing it as a kid, so when Joe got one for Christmas 2001 I was excited that we'd have one once we got married. . .however over the years we have played less and less and I actually hadn't played at all in the house we've been living since 2007 :( But Logan inspired me to play again! :-)
I also appreciated the nice comment about Cosmo. That is amazing that your mom didn't have any trouble getting you to eat vegetables! It does seem like, though, that there is always some hard area with kids and eating - whether it be picky (and not eating the rest of the food groups like you) or like Logan who just wants to eat 24/7. My doctor thinks I shouldn't allow him to eat all the time, but like you said since he's so active he's completely average weight-wise so then wouldn't he be underweight? SIGH, we'll see. . .