Sunday, August 10, 2014

Saturday, August 9, 2014: A Better Day

When I wake up things seem okay. Tommy is yelling for me to wake up and she comes up on the bed.  She lays near my feet which tells me now is not the time to do her morning petting/rub down. When she comes closer and indicates that she wants attention I try to pet me but she again goes into biting mode.  I do the usual “Ouch No” and head to the study to work on the computer.
As I go out to the living room to do the puzzles, Tommy comes over and rubs her face against my feet. I figure it’s safe to try to pet her, but I’m wrong again. Although she doesn’t try to bite, she moves to the screen door to the balcony and keeps her back to me. When I finish the puzzles I figure she wants to be left alone, so I head back to the study.
While I’m working in the study, Tommy comes to check things out and does come up on the desk a couple times. Whenever that happens I give her the attention that she wants. Once when she licks my hand, she again decides to try to bite. When I respond with “Ouch, No,” she jumps down, but returns again later and we try again.  This time there aren’t any issues and she doesn’t leave the desk until there is a noise outside that beckons her to investigate.
Well, so much for progress.  I was putting some clothes away in the closet and Tommy came in as she always does. When it was time to leave I picked her up as I always do and went to the bed to “deposit” her since she doesn’t like to be carried. When she got on the bed I tried to pet her, but was again met by biting and swiping with her paw. I figured this was a good time to leave her in the bedroom and do the ironing.
When I finished, I found Tommy lying on the bed and I could tell she was still upset. Usually when there’s been a time out, she will meet me at the door and be a little meek. That isn’t the case today. I don’t know what’s going on with her lately, but she isn’t the wonderful cat I’ve learned to love. She must be starting to go through her teenage defiant phase!
I forgot to run to the bank this morning and have to travel all the way to Oak Creek. Tommy can tell that I’m leaving and tries to duck out with me.  When I return she again just sits on the bed and doesn’t greet me. I still give her a treat and we spend the next couple hours trying to get along.  She sits either on the shopping bags on the dining room table or in her box in the living room. Once while she was in the box I got up and she went running. The next time I get up I go slowly. When I get near the box I try to calm her down and let her know that I’m okay with her sitting in it.
I need to go a planning meeting/game party. I thought that it was starting earlier, but found out that it’s later and I will be gone during the Arab World fireworks. I turn the television up louder than usual and hope for the best.
When I return home everything seems okay. Tommy greets me at the door and although it’s very late we play for almost an hour. I think we both appreciated the attention. When we head for bed, Tommy plays the “Where’s Tommy?” game where she runs around the bedroom/bathroom and then stops suddenly. When I ask “Where’s Tommy?” she’s flying around the rooms again. Sometimes she puts her head behind the scratching post; she’s probably just like little kids who think they can’t be seen when they can’t see you. Tommy lets me know the game is over when she sits by the window. That’s my cue to say good night, turn off the light and go to sleep.

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