Friday, July 11, 2014

   I had planned a quiet day with Tommy since she’d experienced a few periods of “alone time” and I wanted to continue to establish a routine and rules.  We still have a couple issues to resolve.  Whenever I’m in the study working on the computer, Tommy likes to investigate under the desk where all the wires are.  After warning her and blocking her path, she still found a way to get under the desk. My productivity has quickly decreasing because I was spending most of the time trying to keep her out of harm’s way.

   Each time she went under the desk, I would remove her, take her out of the room, and close the door as I returned.  I kept increasing the time, but nothing was working.  I finally gave up and stopped trying to work in the study until I could find a solution.

   We did have an unexpected pleasant distraction in the afternoon.  My neighbors from my old building who bought my unit were walking and decided to stop in for a visit.  They didn't know that I had adopted Tommy, so after putting her in the bedroom, I met them in the hall and checked to see if either of them was allergic to cats. Since they weren't, I escorted them into my condo and awaited to see how Tommy would handle new visitors.

   She was a sweetheart and won them over immediately. When we went to sit and visit she sat on their laps or next to them. They petted and talked to her and she was a perfect and polite little hostess.  She alternated between Barbara and Alex giving them equal time without causing a fuss or major distraction.  When she had enough attention, she quietly sat on the sofa next to Alex and let us continue visiting.  Of course, she barely paid any attention to me, knowing full well that I’d still be here after the company left.

  The rest of the day I thought was rather uneventful, but Tommy had a different opinion.  I don’t know what set her off, but she wanted nothing to do with me in the evening.  When it was time for bed, she went under the bed, something she had never done at bedtime before.

   I decided that she needed some alone time, so I left the bedroom and went to the living room, closing the door so I could also have some alone time. When she “signaled” that she wanted my attention, I went back in the bedroom and there she was hiding in the covers waiting for me.  We ended our day on a good note with her back on top of the bed, ready to sleep.
Addendum: I forgot to mention that we had our first fireworks experience.  I wasn't feeling well and fell asleep on the bed. I was awaken by the sounds of fireworks (Bastille Days or South Shore Frolics?). Tommy also heard them and while she didn't make a sound or go and hide, I could tell that she was tense, so I sat with her, softly petted her, and spoke in a low quiet voice. This seemed to help her stay calm, but it also may have been the cause for her to go under the bed later.