That nearly hour long video shot from the bike was for me. I didn't post it anywhere else but this blog. And still, there are views and a couple likes on YouTube... I don't know why.
I think we can all agree that the internet exists so people can look at cat photos and videos. Here, I can combine my "public" (as Joan calls it) diary and cat stuff.
It has been three weeks and two days - little Stella is settling in nicely. There have been a couple "advancements" yesterday and today that we find significant: she and Murphy are coexisting well. She sometimes still hisses when he gets close, but it is clear that she is not afraid of him. And other than his imposing size, she has no reason to be.
Here is a shot of them taking turns and sharing a Churu treat...
They aren't snuggly, but there is peaceful coexistence. And on occasion, Stella will chase Murphy...
To be fair, Murphy isn't running from her. This morning, Stella came running up to Murphy, with a little hiss in his face. He didn't flinch or react. She quickly retreated. Good move.
This yellow stuffed toy is her favorite...
... and she carries it around. There are a lot of cat toys in this house, and she gets new ones (to her) out of the basket regularly. We need to train her to put them back when she's done playing with them. (Insert your favorite Fat Chance emoji here.)
Yesterday, she hopped up on the arm of my chair for the first time; she didn't stay long. This morning when she did that, she got some petting - it is the first time I have heard her purr. I don't know if people do "baby books" these days, since they can capture every first moment on video with their phone, but this blog is highlighting some of Stella's firsts.
She is just now starting to lay on the furniture. Yes, our kitties have always been allowed on the furniture. Until Murphy, none of the cats felt the need to be on the counters. Murphy hears "No!" frequently. He understand the word, but as a cat, chooses to ignore.
In contrast, Stella does not know her name or "no"... yet. We use her name all the time; haven't had to say "no" to her much until very recently... "No, Stella, do not eat Murphy's food."... "No, Stella, do not bite the Momma."... "No, Stella, do not put your face in my glass of water." Pretty sure she has not understood any of that, but she does respond to tone of voice.
Back to the furniture stuff...
Look at the cute little face. She is very alert and curious. And playful - she will run with toys, whack the racetracks with the enclosed balls, run back and forth through the tunnels (we're up to 3 tunnels now)... until she wears out. And that's what this looks like...
She is fitting into the family dynamics as we all learn about kitten behavior again. We are thinking that this afternoon will be her first time outdoors - yes, while IN some conveyance, whether that is the catio, a backpack, or the pet stroller.
Baby steps... 'cause she is still a baby.
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It's official - I made a small edit to my Facebook page...
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So, we tried putting a harness on Stella today. I would say it didn't go well, but that would a gross under-exaggeration. As soon as we got the harness off, she was fine. Really; petting and purring. We decided to put the outdoor excursion off for a day.
Joan got an Amazon food delivery today. Instead of folding up those heavy bags and putting them in recycle, I suggested she leave a couple of them on the floor; in case Stella wanted to play in them. All of our other cats like to play with paper bags.
She approached the bag. Slowly. Not sure if she could trust. She put her head inside it. I grabbed my phone to get a photo, and...
It crinkled. She shot backwards out of that bag like a missile. A missile in reverse. Tail sticking straight out (as you can see). So much for rebuilding trust. ;-)
2 comments:
The highest best use of the interweb.... cat videos. It is all going very well. We had a Siamese that was only half tame who would hiss and then purr at you, even after being with us for years. She somehow linked the two sounds into a phrase, I guess.
Duke was wild and crazy last night. We were peacefully asleep and he started climbing the screen door and yowling. I know it is not a full moon, but it was not clear what made him crazy. He has been very cuddly of late. I will probably watch your bike video tomorrow morning after reading the Sunday funnies online. They are always enjoyable and harken back to my riding days. Now off for some guitar picking....
Hi Earl. It is "ebb and flow" with the kitty detente; and it isn't all one-sided. Right now, it is prey and predator, back and forth.... "You chase me, then I'll chase you." The hissing, however, is one sided; that's all Stella.
Duke being cuddly is great! Stella will now jump up on my chair or on the couch, looking for petting, but she still "agressively purrs" (growls) when being held. This morning, while cuddling her in, she whacked me right in the eyeball with a claw out. Yep, that smarts.
Enjoy the guitar picking!
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