Day 33 - Howlin' Mad

Lunacy...

The animals are all weird at the moment.  They're each behaving a little strangely, in their own apparently random ways. 

Loz has taken to charging round the house at all hours, rushing up and down the stairs, and acting completely over-surprised whenever she sees anyone.   She'll screech to a halt, then dash off in the opposite direction. 

Then she might repeatedly scratch the stair carpet (or any other carpet) with her claws.

She won't eat properly either, begging for food constantly but utterly disinterested when you give her some. 

Jazz has been mostly much more lively over the last few days (for reasons I may go into in a later blog), which has been nice.

But this evening when we went out he just dawdled and dragged on the lead, and seemed almost unable to walk easily.  We turned for home, and the nearer we got, the more comfortable and interested he seemed. 

Last night, he went upstairs on his own (which he almost never does), and then stood at the top of the stairs panting at me.   I couldn't fathom what he seemed to want.
  
We've been for a climb this evening, and part of his greeting my return consisted of rolling about on his back like a lunatic and panting with exuberant excitement (see previous posts).

Last night, Maisie didn't appear when we came home, most unusual.    She has a bed upstairs that's like a little cave.   When I carefully put my hand in to see if she was there, and upon finding her, gently stroked her back, she hissed and bit me.  

She then got up and came out, and accepted a chin-rub, but wouldn't purr...really most unlike her.

Maisie also won't eat properly.  Both cats seem to be unpredictably reluctant to eat from particular bowls, or when the bowls are in particular places. 

Overall, for the last couple of days, Anna and I have both found ourselves frowning and scratching our chins and saying "what on Earth is up with this animal?!" about each of them. 

Coincidentally, as we went out for a pre-climb walk with Jazz, I was planning on trying to catch a photo of the full moon, which had looked spectacular on my drive home.  

Of course, it was nearer to the horizon then, and thus looked much larger (as it does).   By the time we were out with Jazz, it had risen a bit, and cloud had developed, so options were a little limited. 

I tried a few different settings, and to catch a gap in the clouds.  It wasn't brilliantly successful, but I was quite pleased with the picture above.

As we got back to the house and were discussing Jazz's odd behaviour, it suddenly clicked...full moon!  

It seems to me that it's at least possible that tonight's full moon is what has provoked all the oddness of the last few days.  

Jazz really was writhing on his back like a lunatic!

The science is a little mixed on this, I will concede...mostly (although not exclusively) the current theory is "little to no correlation" between animal behaviour and fullness of moon.

However, recent studies have found levels of injuries amongst cats and dogs around 25% higher around a full moon, and other studies have found behaviour changes apparently relating to the lunar cycle in several other species.   

The argument here is whether it's caused by the moon in some way, or is actually (and more simply - Occam would approve!) related to lighter nights or some such.

Personally, I remain open to the idea that the moon does indeed exert some sort of influence, to greater or lesser degree in some species or individuals. 

I generally feel that open mindedness is the most rational position to take on many things.

Anyway, you must excuse me, I'm suddenly feeling an inexplicable and inescapable urge to go outside and how-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh-oooooooooh-oohl...