Retreat to Pluto?

Oscar's behavior seems strange this morning.

First off, someone scratched his nose last night. We assume he deserved it, as the boys are not prone to stalking him unbidden. (They are more likely to power wash him!)

But Katherine thinks he acted normal after she saw the scratch.

The scratch did not stop him from pouncing on Billy on the bed in the middle of the night. I peeled him off multiple times, but didn't (I think) really chastise him.

(Side note ... the third time, he came up, and he started cleaning Billy, which he never does. I was considering intervening if it escalated when I was realized it was really Whitey, not Oscar. He curled up with his brother and they slept together nestled up to Katherine. Much better than prowling Oscars kicking Billy off the bed.)

This morning, the first we saw Oscar was that he crawled out from under the bed. He hasn't used that refuge in months.

He had to be coaxed into his suite for breakfast, which normally doesn't require more than a hint we're headed there around the proper time. And most of all, when he walked up the hall to his suite, it wasn't a happy gallop, but more a wary trot.

After breakfast, Oscar was capable of cuddled-lying-on-my-chest-purring mode, so hopefully he'll recover his general good cheer. (Hoping he'll lay off stalking the boys is wishful thinking.)

Update: Katherine came up with a good theory. We turned on the furnace last night, which mostly just runs after 6 AM in this weather, and he doesn't like it. This would be similar to how he was nervous about ceiling fans when he first moved in to the kitten farm.

Further update: Yep, it's the furnace. And even within 24 hours, he is noticeably less upset by it. He'll be fine.