Are We There Yet?

A long time

It's been a long time now since our humans changed their behavior to reduce coronavirus transmission. Their persistent staying at home has allowed me to observe a large range of new behaviors, the latest of which was a conference. The conference was interesting, but unfortunately it involved a lot of computer time for my human at unusual hours, so my access to this blog has been limited lately.

Meanwhile, I hear reports that things are returning to normal for some of us. Some of our humans have gone back to work, allowing us to settle back into our old routines. Others are still sitting in our favorite chairs, staring at screens, "working." And some have developed very confusing, frequently changing schedules. In other words, human routines are all over the place just now. If you know what to expect from one day to the next, consider yourself lucky. For now.

Stress-reducing behavior

Those of you who have settled into a routine with your humans may be wondering if the pandemic is over. No. It is not over. It is still important to tolerate any excessive staying at home they may be indulging in. This keeps them safe. It is also still important to exhibit stress-reducing behavior. Although the pandemic is old news to your humans by now, overall stress--be it from financial concerns or rising case rates--is liable to spike at any time.

And, of course, it is important not to get the virus yourself! Even though covid-19 only weakly infects us cats, no one can maintain proper feline dignity with a cough.