Why did Snoopy get so brave as to come out into Sakaura's territory? She is not one bit happy to have her sitting there staring at her.
Don and I are laughing at the big deal we have made of Snoopy walking two or three steps when she used to freely roam the house like she owned it.
I do believe that she is getting much braver though and this is with NO medication.
This week we have seen more progress in cat behavior than we have in the past 9 months. Snoopy has actually begun to come out of her "safe spots" and into the open. This is most always related to eating, but that is okay. Seems she will do anything for food.
Yesterday she actually left the bathroom where she eats dinner and on her own walked into the living room and got up on the sofa where Don normally brings her physically every day. He says it confirms to him that she really likes that spot and the growling she does when he carries her there is only related to the fact that she does not like to be picked up. Whatever!
She and Sakaura still do not kiss and groom each other but they have had a few very close encounters in the past few days with no fighting.
Baby steps!
She's become so much more alert and she is actually venturing out of some of her hiding places lately. I think that the trip to the boarding kennel the first week in September had a positive effect on Madame Snoopy.
Here she's sitting in her spot on the sofa waiting for Don to flip a cat toy over for her to chase. She's off her valium. And a trip to the vet last week to check her blood sugar shows she still does not need the insulin.
She's an old cat and shows signs of the old age, but all in all, she is improving. It's been a long road!
Sakaura has full claws and so far we've managed to keep her from shredding the furniture. I recently purchased this carpet covered "tunnel" that she jumps on top of to sharpen her claws, and sometimes she get inside it to play with the little mouse that dangles from the top.
She's a playful cat. I guess we got so used to our geriatric Snoopy that we are easily amused by a cat playing with toys again.
On a positive note, we've seen a bit on improvement in Snoopy's independence since we brought both cats to the boarding kennel last weekend. She has actually ventured into the kitchen on occasion and she has begun going up and down the stairs totally on her own to use her litterbox. Previously, Don would carry her (like an invalid -- or a princess).
Cat's are not best friends, but there is much more tolerance it seems.
The valium really does help make Snoopy a very mellow cat. Except for some up close and personal encounters with the "evil Sakaura", she spends most of her days lounging on the sofa or in "her bedroom".
She's gotten brave enough to make a few trips downstairs that are not initiated by Don. Once she's done with the litter box, she has a cat condo that she perches on top of and feels safe from "the monster".
A lot of her hair has grown back. I am trying to keep her brushed to put off the inevitable haircut. Her hair seems to have thinned a lot in spots. She is getting to be a really geriatric cat, I guess.
She thinks she is so human and she looks human at times, as well. The other day she got up on the sofa and was sitting there watching tv in this pose. The look on her face when I got the camera was priceless.
She is not a nice cat, but she is so darn cute that she can get by with being such a terror!
Not bby choice, of course. But I was glad to get a photo of her without the dreaded flash and the flaming eyes.
Don carries her around like she's an invalid. I guess she really is - at least mentally. She is afraid of her own shadow since we have had the invader Sakaura come into the picture.
This afternoon Sakaura decided she wanted to sleep on the sofa and jumped right up into Snoopy's face. I think she didn't realize that Snoopy was there because she cautiously backed off - after a couple of not so friendly hisses. No screeching or screaming or slapping - progress!
She is seriously pretty!
This was taken while Don had her sitting outside on the deck rail. I am not comfortable with her being outdoors, since we know nothing of her background and I'd hate for her to escape and run away.
She obviously has had encounters with bad weather given her fear of thunder and lightening, so I wonder if she was at one time an outdoor cat.
At any rate, I do not like her having too much freedom! She does very well as indoor only cat, despite the fact that she has claws. She's been great about not clawing carpets and furniture.
She's a good cat!
She spends most of her time hiding from the sound of the daily thunder. Snoopy does not seem to even notice. It makes me wonder if Sakaura had some experience in her life that caused her to cringe and run and hide during stormy weather.
I feel so badly for her. She is becoming a recluse just like Snoopy. We are good to her and we love her, but I am sad that she is all alone with no other cat companionship.
But what do I know. I felt the same way about Snoopy and she really wishes I'd just kept to my own business and let her be "the only cat".
He was good while he lasted, but his attitude lately has brought the entire team down. It's time to say bye bye!
Snoopy was asleep in her usual spot this morning but was way too awake when I grabbed the camera. Her eyes pick up the light in such an evil way.
Her hair is growing back, so she does not look as much like an alien monster (or an o'possum).
We also got a picture of a stone age saber toothed cat (just the bones), at the Harvard Museum of Natural Science.
It was a fun day for us, and I assume the girls at home had fun laying around and sleeping with no human annoyances.
Flo -
It was a very nice morning for walking again. Sakaura greeted me at the door. When I stepped in, she stepped out. Luckily I could grab her before she made the next move. Wheeeeewww!!! We can't really trust her.
Yesterday Don put Snoopy down in the doorway of "her room" where she normally will walk over and either get up on the bed or go into her tent. He said that out of nowhere there came a blur of a cat and all sorts of screeching and hissing ensued. Sakaura was on the attack.
Poor Snoopy ran under the bed to hide. She was not too traumatized though because when dinner time came she made her way to her food bowl without assistance.
I'd wished these two would be friends, but I don't think that will happen. I do hope that at some point Snoopy will turn around and attack Sakaura to take some of the wind out of her sails! She thinks she is invincible.
Only occasionally! Yesterday she had a very traumatic encounter with the "other cat" in the hallway.
She is generally happy to sleep on this blanket o the sofa. Right now she is there - bathing herself. As you can see her hair is growing back out - so she looks more like a normal cat. She till has the remnants of the tuft on the end of her tail.
She has come a long way in the past 7 months. She is still testing good as far as her blood sugar goes - so no insulin. Her weight is pretty steady - around 13 pounds, down from her high of over 18 pounds. Don thinks the weight loss is keeping the diabetes at bay - that may be true.
