Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.
When the temperature and humidity rise in late spring, I notice a change in Olga’s routine and habits. Her increased shedding is a biological change that prepares her for summer, but she also acts differently than in winter. It’s not as deep as Dr.’s transformation. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and you won’t see the difference unless you live with him.
Olga is not a clingy cat, although she likes to be around when I’m working, resting, or cooking. In the winter, he is a part-time lap cat, but when it warms up, he becomes more antisocial. A warm lap is not attractive, and he prefers to nap on my feet.
A Change of Place
His napping spots also change. Instead of sleeping on the chair or bed in my office, he slept on the floor behind my chair, which was under the air conditioner vent. He sleeps more on the windowsill but not for very long. In the summer, more birds and squirrels are near the bird feeder, and the large population of Anoles and Skinks often causes him to bang on the windows in frustration.
Bird watching and Hunting
Although the mild winters in my area do not repel all animals, Olga is more entertained in the summer when rabbits, birds, and reptiles appear. He doesn’t seem to gain or lose weight in the summer, but he is more active. The garden, fruit trees, and evergreens attract more insects and arachnids, and unfortunately they invade my home from time to time.
I never let Olga hunt birds, reptiles, or rodents, but I couldn’t let her hunting instincts go to waste. His paw-to-eye coordination is exceptional; he can knock a fly to the ground immediately after seeing it and snarl a spider so I can trap it and throw it outside.
Olga’s Bird Dog Skills
One of his most useful hunting traits is his pointing. Like an English Setter alerting a bird hunter, he stood up and pointed his head toward an elusive insect. Once, when I was almost asleep, he jumped up, muttered, and pointed to a stink bug on the ceiling.
He also alerted me when a tree frog was resting on a curtain rod. I think “pointing” might be unusual for a cat, but my Siamese cat possesses the same gift. He continued to yell and point at the dryer when a colony of yellow jackets made a home in the exhaust.
Warm weather encourages more people and animals to spend time outside, and the sights and sounds of my area are more interesting to Olga. He probably prefers living in a foreign country with fewer ex-pats on the 4th of July because of his fear of pyrotechnics, but overall he seems to have a happier summer.
He was able to greet more visitors and friends and inspect their footwear. If you come to my house wearing hiking boots, he’ll be your best friend. I don’t know why, but he is fascinated by men and women in boots and will sleep on their feet if they let him. Olga is a weirdo all year round, but she’s even weirder when the temperature rises.
