Signs of Life

It's hard to believe, but two weeks have passed since I lost my Mookie. Although I'm sad, I am enjoying watching a new relationship bloom between Nanuq and Tug.

The morning after Mookie died, I couldn't get Nanuq to come downstairs. He plopped half-way down the steps, and looked up, then down. Up, then down. This went on for about 15 minutes before I realized he was looking for Mookie. I went up the stairs, gave him a kiss on the head, and then patted his behind to signal he should come down.

Tug seemed more blue. He crawled on top of me and wouldn't leave. He ran across the room or in circles, looking sadly behind him. I walked up to him and said out loud, "I'm sorry, honey. Our Mookie isn't coming back."

I let both cats sleep with me. We went to bed early. I read them (OK, myself) the book Cat Heaven. We were a sorry lot.

A few days later, I saw signs of life. Tug started chasing Nanuq, and I noticed them snuggling, which I'd never seen before. Later I saw Nanuq grooming Tug's fur. They started chasing toys together, and even ganged up on me by jumping on the kitchen counter simultaneously. When I tried to give Tug a treat, Nanuq nosed his way in. A few days later, I captured this image when I woke up on the sofa at 4:00 am.