Nocturnal Habits!

Ray’s nocturnal habits have changed just recently.

A typical night in the past has been Ray settling down in the armchair (where he fits really well*). Sometime during the night he will move to either his bed in the kitchen area (it overlooks the back garden), or to the floor outside Carol’s bedroom door, or to his bed in the dining area which is midway between Carol’s room and mine**

About a week ago now, I was woken up around 1:00am by a set of canine feet landing on the end of my bed. They walked up the bed a few steps; stumbled as one paw landed on my right leg, and then turned and jumped off the bed. I heard his footsteps getting fainter as he wandered off somewhere, presumably to find another place to sleep? It was an odd and new occurrence which posed the question “What was he trying to do?” He must have known that I was in bed, so it’s not as if he was checking to see if it was available. Historically he has occasionally settled down with me, as he certainly likes the softness of the bed and pillows, which simply generates more interest in his goal that night!

It was an isolated event and treated as “just one of those things” and forgotten …until a few days ago. I am usually awake (or partially awake) around 1:30am anyway and, at this time, I heard Ray walking around (the joys of hardwood floors) and the sound dictated that he was coming in my direction! I just laid still and listened, and it sounded as if he came right into my bedroom and stopped at the foot of the bed.

I was waiting for the jump and subsequently landing, but then there were some distinctive “four feet turning around” sounds and then he went back out and wandered off somewhere. Like before, we just put it down to Ray being a little “quirky”!

A couple of days later, he repeated that same maneuver exactly. He came in; paused for a few moments; turned around and left! Of course, all questions are academic as he is not going to provide any verbal answers, but it is certainly very intriguing.

Was he checking to see if I was there? Unlikely given his sensing ability.

Was he checking to see if I was okay? Again, I would think unlikely with his senses.

Did he want me for something? Presumably not, because  he is quite capable of demanding attention as necessary.

Was he checking to see if I was asleep? That is my current guess. Perhaps he wanted to checkout my coat pockets (hanging just around the corner near our front door) for treats and wanted to see if I was likely to interfere!

*See Posts

https://meandray.com/2015/04/05/let-sleeping-dogs-part-ii/

https://meandray.com/2015/04/03/let-sleeping-dogs-part-i/

**To satisfy the inquisitive minds. We have separate beds because I am a very “mobile” sleeper and, as the bedrooms here are a little over 10ft square (cottage built in 1920), you cannot get two beds and some basic furniture in the same room! 🙂

26 thoughts on “Nocturnal Habits!”

  4. Kate Crimmins's avatar

    When my cat wakes up at 1 a.m. she is usually looking for a couple of pets. If I don’t respond she will purr loudly and nudge her head in my arm. Since he didn’t try to wake you, It doesn’t seem like he wanted something from you. Perhaps he was bored and ready for morning.

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  7. pensitivity101's avatar

    Know what you mean about cottage bedrooms. Ours was an old school, and all bedrooms were off the lounge when it was converted to a private residence in the 1950s. The smallest bedroom was 7 feet 6 by 12 feet, the guest room 12 feet into the recess by 8 feet 9, and the master bedroom 13 feet by 8 feet 9. Due to the doorway and radiator positions, we were very limited as to how to have furniture.
    As for Ray checking on you, that could well be the case. Maggie used to too, and in trying not to disturb us, she would tiptoe! We had quarry type flooring everywhere except in the bedrooms, so she tapped pretty well!

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