Friday, November 7, 2014

Thursday November 6, 2014

Tommy started the wake up calls at 3:45 A.M. They continued practically nonstop until 7:00. She hadn’t slept in the bedroom and it seemed was still in the same mood.  At 4:30 I got up and put her dry food dish under her face to show her that if she was hungry when I wasn’t available, there was food for her to eat.
When I got up we spent some time with me kneeling on the floor and her crouched in between my legs. I spent some time trying to calm her down and yet, teaching her that this position is one where she shouldn’t try to escape.  I figure this may be a good position for teeth brushing and general checkups.
After I gave her breakfast I spent quite some time shut away in the study. I knew that sooner or later, she’d want my attention and I just needed to be patient.  Sure enough, after she finished eating, I could hear her at the door. When I opened the door there she was sitting by the door.  I spent some time giving her attention and lots of petting. I thought that the mood had passed.
When I went out to the kitchen, Tommy followed and seemed to want more attention. When I picked her up she let me know that she didn’t want that much attention.  I’ve been trying to get her to feel comfortable being held, so I tried calming her down while we moved to the bedroom.  It seemed that her mood hadn’t changed and she fought to escape, digging her claws into my shoulder.  I quickly dropped her onto the bed and decided that maybe she wanted/needed more alone time. I wouldn’t close any doors, but I also wasn’t going to initiate any contact. She’d come find me when she wanted my attention.
As I was sitting in the living room, Tommy came over and just sat near me. After she was sure that everything was okay, she went by the teasers and started pulling on the end of the fleece one. I could tell that she was letting me know that it was play time, so we began an intense half hour of stalking and capturing the teaser. 
After all that exercise, Tommy went to chill in her bed by the window. Once she was settled, I went over and petted her to check her mood. While she was okay with me petting her, I could tell that she still wasn’t in a very affectionate mood. I also figured that this would be a good time to clean her teeth since she was already in a mood.
I chose to use a dental wipe today for convenience. With her in her bed, I was able to get most of the cleaning done before she attempted an escape. Her left side really needed cleaning so I was glad that we accomplished the cleaning. 
After we finished she received praise and treats. She didn’t want her usual hairball treats, so I gave her a couple of the tuna treats which she took right away. We then had more praise and petting, so I think that we had gotten passed the teeth cleaning ordeal.
I needed to get ready to leave for the rest of the day, so I got out her dinner to warm up to room temperature. She was going to get to eat early today. Tommy was curled up on the bed as I got ready. With some extra petting I wanted to make sure that she was okay. Since I’d be gone for almost 12 hours, she would be confined to the bedroom and the bathroom. I put her favorite toys in the bedroom and left my pajamas on the bed.  
She was I think surprised but happy by the appearance of dinner while there was still daylight. I knew that I was going to miss her, but this was just one of those times when I’d need to leave. As she finished her dinner she came in search of me.  It was time to see good bye and I’d see her soon.
When I returned almost 12 hours later, Tommy greeted me at the door and hardly left my side while I did the little tasks that needed to be done before going to bed.  I spent some time just petting Tommy and giving her some much needed and deserved attention.  It had been a long day, so I then said good night and went to bed.

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