Since the move last week, Raphaela has become extremely attached to our nine year old cat, Harry. Convinced that Harry has not eaten enough, she follows him around the house, carrying his food bowl, saying (in Hebrew), "Come Harry, eat this!" At night, she will not go to sleep until Harry has joined her in bed, or has at least come into the room and made some noise, to show that he will remain in the house with her. Unfortunately, when Harry wakes up at his usual four am, his little sister and new best friend Raphaela wakes up with him.
The cat has also become an effective motivator, if I need Raphaela to cooperate with me, I only need to say, "Let's find Harry and he can help us."
Raphaela has never been afraid of animals, any shape and size, and I believe that this confidence comes from growing up with Harry, since she came home from the hospital as a three-day old baby. Having a pet in the house also encourages her nurturing side, and should I never have another child, Harry fills in nicely as a sibling.
The cat's behaviour regarding our move is most unexpected, to say the least. An animal companion who usually gets depressed if he is forced to stay inside the house for more than five minutes, he has chosen to be in the new apartment 24/7. When I 'accidentally' leave the door open so he can 'escape' into the garden, the same Jerusalem garden and neighborhood he has lived in all his life, Harry starts to cry and hides under my bed. Personally, I am getting tired of cleaning out the litter box and keeping Raphaela away from what we now call the "special sand."
On the plus side, one week after the move and all the boxes have been opened, most items in the house have a place of their own, and now I can take my one day vacation reward in Sweden ie IKEA.
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