Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Monday, July 14, 2014

We had a very good morning and accomplished many things. I was able to clean and scrub the litter box and the bathrooms. I also was able to bake bread.  Tommy was very helpful by watching and not ‘helping.”
We had a problem under the desk again. It seems that the aluminum foil fence is now lower in one spot and Tommy found that she could climb over it without making any noise. I added an extra layer of height and the problem is again solved.
Tommy still enjoys sitting up on the desk while I’m narrating or typing one of the blogs. She usually sits on a small pillow on the desk next to me, or she sits right in front of me on the calendar blotter. It hasn’t been a problem when I’m dictating using speech recognition, but today she decided that Grandpa’s diary makes a perfect pillow. She didn’t understand why it was so hard for me to read the page when her head was in the middle of it.
We’re still having a few issues with her trying to bite me, but we’re both learning. She’s learning that I’m trying to be soothing and loving, and I’m learning that there are times when she doesn’t want to be petted even if she’s in the same position (on her back) as when she wants to be petted.
I’ve also learned to always speak in a very low voice, almost a whisper when she gets skittish. I’m trying to help her calm down. I’m sure that strange sounds scare her and I need to do whatever I can to help her feel safe.  I’ve also been told that lavender has a calming effect, so I’m going to try to use a warmer with a lavender scent when she’s in the bedroom.
She also still has some separation anxiety when I leave and return. I think this will improve as she becomes accustomed to that happening.  I left today to do a much needed one hour walk and she seemed to be better when I returned. I only got a short “hollering” and it stopped when I gave her a treat.  I’ll keep trying to treat her when I return to see if that helps.
As always we end the night with a comforting petting session. She purrs more than she had for several days, so I feel that we continue to be a positive addition to each other’s lives.

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