Double-bonding
So we have three cats. Max is my cat, Jack is Adam's, and Victoria is Elayna's. They're very closely bonded to us. If we're on the couch watching a movie, say, Max is perched beside me, Jack is draped over Adam's arm so he can't type, and Tor-tor is on Elayna's lap or just generally stalking around her.
However.
Each of our cats has a backup human.
I have no idea if this is normal. I don't know if they worked it out amongst themselves, and how. I've never lived in a situation before that had a 1:1 ratio of humans:cats.
If Adam is unavailable, Jack sits on me, curls up on my chest when I nap.
If Elayna is unavailable, Tor-tor follows Adam around the house, chirping at him til he picks her up and snuggles her. (Tor does not meow, she chirrups and squeaks. It is ludicrously adorable.)
If I'm unavailable... well,that's the thing. Til this weekend, Max did not have a backup human. It was me or nobody. He likes everyone just fine - it's just that he tends to keep to himself when I'm not around to love on.
This weekend, Max selected a backup human. He apparently curled up in bed with Elayna every night - trying to snuggle with her as he does with me, at the head of the bed. Elayna cannot sleep with a faceful of cat, so she kept moving him to the foot of the bed - and he kept coming back.
So Max has a backup human, and Elayna is a backup human, and there is balance.
However.
Each of our cats has a backup human.
I have no idea if this is normal. I don't know if they worked it out amongst themselves, and how. I've never lived in a situation before that had a 1:1 ratio of humans:cats.
If Adam is unavailable, Jack sits on me, curls up on my chest when I nap.
If Elayna is unavailable, Tor-tor follows Adam around the house, chirping at him til he picks her up and snuggles her. (Tor does not meow, she chirrups and squeaks. It is ludicrously adorable.)
If I'm unavailable... well,that's the thing. Til this weekend, Max did not have a backup human. It was me or nobody. He likes everyone just fine - it's just that he tends to keep to himself when I'm not around to love on.
This weekend, Max selected a backup human. He apparently curled up in bed with Elayna every night - trying to snuggle with her as he does with me, at the head of the bed. Elayna cannot sleep with a faceful of cat, so she kept moving him to the foot of the bed - and he kept coming back.
So Max has a backup human, and Elayna is a backup human, and there is balance.