Saturday, January 17, 2015

We must have really had an intense play session last night before bed because Tommy didn’t wake up until 6:50 this morning. She’s usually up well before that time and she was moving a bit slower even when the heat kicked on.  She ate some of her breakfast and supervised my postings before heading back to the bedroom for a morning nap.

I finished some puzzles and went to set up the diary transcriptions for the day. I had the door closed and Tommy let me know that she wanted to join me.  She came in and immediately went up in the book case and looked out at me.

Once I finished work on the computer, I started the laundry and the cleaning.  Tommy doesn’t like the noise from the washer or from the vacuum cleaner, so I figured that I might as well do it all at once. Tommy supervised while I dusted ad cleaned, but once the vacuum cleaner came out of the closet, Tommy headed right for her safe place in the bedroom.

When I finished in the study and living/dining room I turned off the vacuum cleaner and moved to the bedroom. True to form, the minute Tommy saw the vacuum cleaner she hightailed it out of the bedroom.  When I was finished vacuuming a moved it back to the living room and went back to put everything back in order.  Tommy moved back into the bedroom “just in case” I was still going to be vacuuming. 

After I put the vacuum cleaner away I went into the bedroom to make the bed. Once I started Tommy must have figured that I was done vacuuming and went back out into the living room. Now the only noise with which she would have to contend was the washer and there were plenty of quieter places in the condo to nap, play, or sit.

I was working in the study when Tommy came in. She jumped up on the spare bed case and flicked off her purple ball. I had forgotten to put her items back on the floor for her and she was reminding me. Once her things were back where they belonged, she left the study; her job was done. My jobs were also done for a while, so I could relax and read; the kitchen floor could be done later.

While I worked on reading and clearing the DVR, Tommy worked on her beauty sleep.  Sometimes when I came into the master suite Tommy would wake up and look toward me. Whenever she acknowledged me I would go over and give her some attention. Whether she’s awake or asleep I know that she doesn’t want to be disturbed unless she looks at me (which of course she doesn’t do when she’s asleep).

Around 3:30 Tommy woke up and came out to the living room to check on dinner. Since I hadn’t put out food yet, I gave Tommy her grass. She ate a little and then came up and sat on the sofa with me.  After putting out some food to warm for later I rejoined her on the sofa, but after a couple minutes she left and went back to the bedroom.

When I realized that that’s where she had gone, I went to investigate. She was on the bed, so I petted her. After a minute she jumped down and returned to the living room.

As I followed her, she continued into the study and sat where we usually have a play session with the light.  I tried to engage her in play but she didn’t get very involved. She tried once, but got confused when the light disappeared. She still hasn’t figured out that when she blocks the light source the light goes away. I also tried using the laser pointer, but she just sat and watched the light. Occasionally she would seem to start to play only to quickly sit back down.

I finally stopped knowing that it was futile to continue. Tommy moved first to the dining table and then back to the bed. I went to see her to give her some attention. I felt bad that while she seemed to want to play, she just sat there and I needed to finish the laundry and clearing the VDR. Had she at least been active, I would have stopped doing anything else and only played with her.

 She came out to eat her early dinner, but when right back in the bedroom.  I’d try again when I put out my dinner and her second dinner. Once her food was out, Tommy came out and ate some of it before I put the papers down on the carpet. This had worked yesterday when we had one of our best play sessions.

Today, she sat on the papers and occasionally made a half-hearted attempt at playing, she was more concerned about grooming, so I thought I could wait her out, but she still didn’t want to play. She instead went back into the bedroom. Either she was really tired or was having a major attitude day. Either way, we wouldn’t be having a good play session today.

I gave it one more attempt. I went to the bedroom and found Tommy by a chair so I put her food there.  I went to the kitchen to do the dishes and suddenly there was Tommy sitting on the floor by me.  I went and got her food and when I came back she was sitting on her paper pile. I put the food down and went to finish the dishes.

When I got done, I looked out and saw Tommy eating her dinner with her paw. She would dip her paw in the bowl and then lick the food off her paw. She was curling her paw so she would get a more food. I’d never seen her eat like that. 

After she had her fill, she came and got me and we started playing with the teasers and the papers. Tommy was really getting into it when I got a text that needed answering. I quickly answered the text and an email, and then sent another text.

By this time Tommy had moved to the study and when I went to pet her, light refracted off my glasses, and we played a game of catch the beam of light. I can’t play that game too long before my neck starts to hurt, so I tried to tempt her back into the living room for more playing with the teasers and the paper.

We spent some time playing with the teasers and the paper, but after the news I was ready to move to a reclining position. Tommy watched as I closed, shut down, and locked up everything for the night. She and I then went into the bedroom.

I knew that she wasn’t ready to rest, so I got out the laser pointer and we were able to continue the play session without me exerting a lot of energy.  When it was time for bed, I put out Tommy’s snack and turned everything off.  Tommy was positioned under the chair, but I was pretty sure that she’d join me later on the bed.