arwen_lune

I love having housemates who actively like the cats. After 4 people who dealt with them in varying degrees of tolerance (to outright intolerance in the most dramatic case), I now have two housemates who really like having a Ceiling Cat and a Basement Kitty around, and the cats like them back, spend time in their rooms and are generally affectionate. Tijg has made himself popular by imperiously deciding that chairs and beds are for him to curl up on and keep people company while studying (and also he offers tricks to beg for food sometimes, which has been proudly shown off to friends) and Spook amuses everybody with her batshitcrazy episodes.

It's really wonderful to not have to worry about if they are bothering anybody, and I just plain enjoy sharing the kitteh love. Point in fact: L just came to say that Tijg is asnooze on her bed, and she's keeping him for the night :-)

...plays fetch! She is definitely deliberately bringing me her toy now, and when I don't throw or flick it fast enough (it's a milk cap) she chirps at me. 
Will try to film, but she's very interested in the camera so when I set it up she just sits and stares at it.

...is recovering. She was staaaarving last night then thundered around the house until 2am with Tijg until I shut Tijg out and her into my room. Then she tromped around on the bed. Cute but annoying.
This morning we went for a long drive. I adopted her from a shelter about 50km away and they have an arrangement with a local vet that the desex surgery is included in the adoption fee, so I had to take her all the way there. Despite freezing fog the drive wasn't too bad. They'd told me it could be until 2pm until I could get her back, and I sat around reading for a bit and then went to the shelter to return the big cage. Spent some time petting shelter kitties when the vet practice they called that Spook was done and I could come get her - barely 90 mins after I'd handed her over. Nice! They started on her because I was waiting and the other animals would be collected after owner's work.
She was very very woozy, which I always find a heartbreaking sight. I dropped by a shop to buy a smaller wire cage for her, since the letting her loose at night thing isn't something I intend to repeat. She was in there for a while, seemed to be less desoriented and got to walk around for a bit, snoozed on the bed for a while.. Tijg wanted to wash her but she told him to bog off. Then she started looking for places to hide and I put her back into the cage, which has a nest of towels and I've built a cover around one side to make it feel less open. She says her tongue feels weird (I think they put a clamp on it to keep her from swallowing it) and she looks all scruffy and sad, but I think she'll be okay soon enough.

..discovered that on top of my pc, underneath my desk is a nice dark nook to hang out.

Then I discovered that the on/off switch of the pc is on the top corner and that she can indeed step on it.

And that I just lost a really long post I'd made in notepad because it started as a small scribble.

Bah. Evil.

Spookie is teething. I'd forgotten all about that! Poor thing keeps licking and pawing at her mouth.

This morning we had a couple of friendly nose-to-nose moments, and when it all seemed rather curious rather than stressed I first let BK explore the room and the kitchen and hallway, and then let Tijgje join her. They were a bit cautious about eachother, but there's been no hissing (except one time when she startled him) and they have even done some playful chasing and almost-pouncing. They haven't quite figured out playing together yet, but it looks really hopeful!
I tried to make a quick photo of the peace between Ceiling Cat and Basement Kitten, but it came out too dark. Hopefully I'll have some good light to photograph her tomorrow. It's not easy - she doesn't sit still much!

Not a bad night. She wakes up when I move around or turn, but she settles back down again nicely.

This morning (day 2) Tijg seems more at ease. He comes into my room and walks around. Most of the time, unless he's in about a metres' radius of the cage, he can have eye contact with her without hissing. He also played hockey in the hallway, stopped to look at her through the open doorway, and continued. (she reeaaally wanted to join in)

Update 5.30 pm - he just came in for scritchies and laid down to have his belly rubbed - clearly getting more comfortable around BK and the cage now. He's also been up on the windowledge behind the cage for a while, sitting there to look down on her without much problem. He still hisses when he suddenly comes face to face with her, but he doesn't 'lock on' as strongly as before.

10pm: he just had a brief but friendly almost nose-to-nose encounter with her. Then she turned around in search of the red dot, then back to him rather fast, and he startled and hissed. The bench is great, I wouldn't have managed without - Tijg very much needs things to happen at his own pace, and it's all his choice like this. BK seems very eager to meet him and join in with his games. Feeling quite hopeful right now.

Katja is here, in a borrowed bench that could house a Saint Bernard. So far she's been remarkably chilled out - she meowed a bit in the car, but didn't seem upset. She immediately started exploring the bench and playing with the toys. She ate a few biscuits and did some very messy drinking. She hasn't used the catbox yet (and I use a substrate that she's unfamiliar with) but I hope that in this small space she'll pick it as the best option when she needs to go. She has a purr like a bandsaw that comes up as soon as you look at her, but she's a bit shy about being touched - she wants to headbutt my hand, but big open handed strokes and a more enclosed feeling is a bit scary. I think she might come around within days though, she's really eager for my attention.

Tijg is a bit upset. He stared through the (locked) catflap but since I've opened the door he just stays in the door opening and pacing the hallway. If she looks back at him he'll hiss and growl. If she's playing or distracted he just stares, and seems very concerned by it all. I'm trying to keep her playing or distracted while he's looking to help him feel at ease. I hope he doesn't take my ceiling cat/basement cat jokes serious and will grow more comfortable with her soon. Right now I feel a little sad about the way he's banished himself from my room - he's always so close to me that I miss just sticking my hand out while I'm working and getting a headbutt from him. I'll have to make sure I still spend lots of time playing and clickertraining with him.