Tuesday, March 24, 2015: An Update and a New Hiding Place

Things have been going well for us. Tommy is now back to sleeping on the bed and doesn’t wake me up until almost 7:00. With any luck this is a pattern that will continue. We still have our morning routine of breakfast and chores followed by a play session.

I’ve moved Tommy’s dishes to her rug in the main room. It’s a bit more open and she seems to be eating more of her food. She has taken to eating some of her wet meals with her paw.  It’s quite the feat to see her swipe her food with her paw and then bring the paw to her mouth to lick off the food. She does tend to occasionally drop some of the food but she’s pretty good about cleaning up her eating area.

I’ve also moved some tables and plants around. Tommy checked everything out when it was moved, but only smells the plants. She hasn’t shown any interest in eating them as long as she has her grass for lunch.

She started playing with her toys again when I’ve been busy working on the computer or watching television and she usually ends up next to me on the sofa while I’m watching T.V. She also still does her run around the condo to burn off some energy.

I’ve added full length drapes in the study. Tommy didn’t climb up the sheets that I temporarily precariously taped to the windows as a trial run. Step two was adding the drapes in the study. The drapes for the main room will arrive in early May, and I’m pretty confident that she will continue her good behavior and not climb on them.

After the news I went to find Tommy for her last play session before bed. I looked everywhere, but couldn’t find her.  During the second circuit through the condo I saw that the drapes were billowed out at one point. Sure enough, there was Tommy when I pulled back the curtains.

We had our play session and then headed for the bedroom. Tommy has gotten so used to the routine that the minute she hears me open the drawer, she jumps up on the bed and looks for her nighttime snack. She doesn’t always stay on the bed, but she takes her place on the bed sometime during the night when I’m asleep and she’s ready to settle down.

Thursday, March 12, 2015: The End of the Daily Blog

Now that we’ve been together over eight months, I find that I am writing about many of the same activities every day.  Because I don’t want to post just for the sake of posting, I have decided to stop writing a daily blog.

I will instead write occasionally when there is some major news, some photos to share or just a periodic update when we reach a milestone.  Until you hear from me again, take care and be well.

Don & Tommy

Wednesday, March 11, 2015: New Toys

Tommy jumped up on the bed a little after 6:30 A.M. to see if I was ready to get out of bed. While I was glad to see her, after a quick acknowledgement of her presence I tried to fall back asleep. She was pretty god about only quietly disturbing me a couple more times before 7:00. For the most part she either left the room, or just sat next to my head waiting for the next time that she thought would be the optimum time to get me to wake up.

At 7:00 I got up and got out her breakfast. I went to the study as always to work on posts and Tommy showed up later to get some attention. She again didn’t want to play, but only wanted petting and attention.  Her purring told me that I had chosen the right areas to pet.

She left for a while but returned to look out the window. Unfortunately I hadn’t opened the blinds yet, but that didn’t stop her. She just stuck her head in between the slats, but also let me know that I was shirking my duties.  I went over to open and rise the blinds. After a cursory glance outside, Tommy left to play in the main room with her box since her job was done.

When I finished I went to join her in the main room and work on the daily puzzles. I came out and found her curled up in her box with one of her toy mice.  I hadn’t been able to figure out why she had made so much noise playing in her box and now it made sense.  After some quick attention and petting I worked on the puzzles while Tommy went and napped in the sun by the balcony door.

I was meeting a friend for lunch, so I went to get ready and when I returned found Tommy sitting in her box waiting for me. I gave Tommy a couple new toys that were dental chews. The first one was a mint chew which she proceeded to sit on to guard.  I didn’t actually see her chewing it, so I’m not sure if it will help her breath.

The other chew had catnip in it and Tommy started licking that one right away.  Again, I didn’t see her chewing on it, so I’m not sure how much it will help. I had put the catnip treats on the table and the counter and Tommy went exploring the scents.  She ended up sitting on the table trying to find the source. Unfortunately for her I had already put away the other treats.

We spent a quiet afternoon and evening. We played a little and Tommy amused herself with her new toys while I read.  I worked on the postings and Tommy again amused herself in the main room while I worked.

When it was time for bed I got out Tommy’s snack. I went and picked her up, and gave her a big hug before I put her down on the bed.  She ate her snack, looked up at the television and then at me in the bed. I think she was surprised to see the T.V. wasn’t on.  Since there was nothing else for her in the bedroom she jumped down and went back to the main room. I turned out the lights and went to sleep.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015: Back on Schedule

It seemed that Tommy had quickly figured out Daylight Savings Time and the warmer weather because right at 7:02 A.M. She was in my face for the morning wake up call. I had hoped that with the warmer weather and time change I might be able to sleep until 7:30, but Tommy had a different idea.

I knew that I’d never fall back to sleep at that time, so I got up. When we were in the kitchen, Tommy seemed to want some attention, so I picked her up and gave her a good morning hug.  She didn’t try to jump down right away, but sat in my arms for a moment and purred.  We were making some advancements.

I put her down and then got out her breakfast.  I decided that since I was up I might as well accomplish something, so I went into the study to work on the blogs. I was coming to the end of my grandfather’s diary project, so I could use all the time I could get to clean up some of the earlier posts fixing the formats and titles.

Tommy came in and wanted some attention. When she didn’t want to play, but still hung around I decided to pick her up. I tried to get her to sit on my lap while I petted her, but she wasn’t having any of that. I let her down and I guess that was all the attention she wanted because she went out to the main room and took a nap on the sofa while I worked.

After I finished working I went out to the sofa where we ate our breakfast. It was my first breakfast but her second.  I’ve really come to enjoy our mutual dining time. Once Tommy was finished she went to the balcony door and looked over at me. I guess that was my cue to open the door so she could explore the sights and scents of the city.

She observed for a while and then I went over and picked her up. At first she wanted to get down, but once she saw the heightened view she stayed for a few moments. She gave out a sudden growl and since I saw that she wasn’t squirming I knew that it wasn’t because I was holding her. I wasn’t sure if it was toward the lone jogger or something else.  About a minute later, she was ready to get down.

We played with the fleece teaser and her little box. When a siren started blaring, she froze. I wondered if this was a learned response from her times on the streets of Chicago. Later I hear some birds chirping and so did Tommy. She ran back over to the balcony door and stared out intently looking for those birds.

We continued to alternate between playing and Tommy going to check out the outside world from the balcony door. Before she went for her afternoon nap, I brushed her teeth and gave her the hairball treats and grass that she earned.

When it was time for her afternoon nap, she moved to the study to enjoy the sun and some solitude. I went the car wash and then came back in time to have Tommy trot to meet me when I returned. 

Tommy went back to the study and I went along to work on postings.  At one point I thought that she was going to hack up a hairball but someone it never arrived. I went to her to see if I could soothe her and she purred while I petted her.  Once she had enough petting, she moved to her perch near the balcony door and I went to get ready for choir.  Before I left I got out the rest of her dinner and gave her a good petting and hug.

When I returned Tommy trotted over to greet me. Once my coat and shoes were removed, Tommy flopped down and expected a good petting and quality attention which she received. Since it was late, I was going right to bed, but at least attempted to play with Tommy. She didn’t want to play she just wanted petting and attention.

As I got ready for bed, Tommy watched from the dining area.  When I was ready to go to bed, I went and got Tommy, picked her up, hugged her good night and put her down on the bed for her snack. As always, once she finished her snack she jumped down and left for the main room. I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t see or hear her again until it was time to wake up in the morning.

Monday, March 9, 2015: A Middle of the Night Wake Up

Sometime between 12:30 and 12:45 I was awakened by the sound of Tommy’s distress yelp from the main room.  Since I knew that it was never a good sign, I rushed out to find her standing in the middle of the room.

When I got near her, she flopped over on her side.  I petted her and tried to soothe her. I felt around her belly to see if there was any tenderness, but I couldn’t detect any problems.  I also looked around for any puke, but found none. When she moved, Tommy kept low to the ground and then would flop over again.  I again would pet and soothe her and we continued this one more time.

Because I wasn’t sure what the problem was, I decided that she’d be safer and I could keep closer tabs on her if she slept in the bedroom.  I picked her up and she just cuddled. This wasn’t like her at all. 

When we got to the bedroom, I put her on the bed. She did a little investigating and then jumped down and sat near the chair in the room.  She seemed to be okay, so I got into bed and turned out the light.

During the night, Tommy occasionally got up and caused quite a ruckus.  She still scratches around a lithograph, so I put it down on the floor. It appeared that the wall was the problem, not the picture because she continued jumping up and scratching the wall.  Rather than let the scratching continue I put some aluminum foil on the table and that problem was solved.

The next time I woke up it was almost 6:00 and Tommy was sleeping on the top of her bungalow. I rolled over to go back to sleep, but Tommy must have figured out that I was awake because that’s when the noise making started. She chewed her foil ball, crunched on some dry food, jumped up near my head to call me to wake up and also went up on the bureau to make noise with all the objects that were up there.

Occasionally she would stop making noise and settle down. Just when I’d think that the noise making was over, she’d start in again. I finally gave up at 7:15. I called to her and she jumped up near my head. When she realized that I was going to get up she jumped down and ran for the door.

After feeding her, I went to work on postings since I was a day behind. Tommy came in to check up on me, but let me continue working while I’d pet her and she walked near my feet.  Once I was done we had some time together. She was sitting on the sofa, so I brought over the rest of her breakfast and my bowl of cereal. We sat and ate our respective breakfast.

It was such a beautiful day that I thought that I’d open the balcony door just a little ad let in some fresh air.  Tommy went and sat by the opening and enjoyed the breeze and scents that came in through the screen. While she was preoccupied, I went and showered and got ready to leave for school. When I was ready, I went to work on some postings while Tommy raced around the condo occasionally stopping over to check up on me and get some attention. As I finished typing, Tommy was resting in front of her box in the study. I hated to have to move her, but it was time to go and since the toxic plants reside in the study, that room would be closed to her while I was gone.

When I returned I found Tommy relaxing in the sun. I thought that she’d want to play, but she just wanted some attention. After some petting and talking I got down her grass so she could have a snack if she wanted one.

The main room was 75°, so I opened the balcony door. Tommy ran to sit by the screen and takes in the sights and smells.  We had a relatively quiet time. We played a little and then Tommy went for a run around the condo before settling down for a rest on her perch by the balcony.

We had dinner and then settled on the sofa. Tommy ate her dinner on the sofa while I ate my salad.  Then as I watched some programs, Tommy took a nap next to me.  I’m glad that she’s decided to sit next to me on the sofa again.

When it was time for me to go to bed. I got myself and the condo ready for the night.  I picked up Tommy and gave her a big hug as I brought her into the bedroom for her snack. As she ate it I got into bed. When she finished, she left for the main room while I turned off the lights and went to sleep knowing that I’d get my usual wakeup call in the morning.

Sunday, March 8, 2015: I Get to Sleep Later

With the time shift and a warmer morning, the heat didn’t come on and I the first one up at 8:30.  Since it would have been 7:30 without the time change, I took that as a way to get some extra sleep.  Tommy was a bit off trying to figure out why I was awake before she came into the bedroom to wake me up.

I got out her breakfast and started the morning chores. Once coffee was made I started doing some much needed cleaning and started the couple loads of laundry that still needed to be done. I stripped down the bed to launder the sheets and being rather optimistic, I decided to change the sheets from flannels to a heavy cotton set. 

I also decided to change Tommy’s fleece blanket for a lighter one.  Once the bed was made I brought Tommy in and put her on the new blanket. She jumped down and went over to her other blanket which was one the chair. She smelled it, looked at me and then left the room.

I put the old blanket back on her part of the bed. I then went out and found Tommy. I brought her back in and put her on the blanket.  She walked around and inspected it before jumping down and going back out to the main room.

She spent most of the morning near the balcony door either on her perch or in front of the door. I wondered how she’ll enough the fresh are with the warmer temperatures and reopening of the balcony door this week.

Once she woke up and was moving around I brushed her teeth. She was very cooperative and I was able to spend a little extra time on her dental hygiene.  She then had her hairball treats and grass.

After she finished her treat, she left for the quiet of the study while I worked on DVD burning and freeing some space on the DVR. I went into the study occasionally to check up on her. At one point she was sleeping in her box near the window.  Although she likes the box to rub against and sometimes hide behind, she hasn’t actually slept in it for quite a while.

Later she moved out of the box so she could move to where there was optimal sunlight. I was watching the Badgers basketball game and realized that at one point I yelled loudly enough at the television to raise the dead.  I went to apologize to Tommy and saw that she was still sound asleep. I guess she’s gotten used to the noise during the games.

With only a few minutes left in the second half and the Badgers with a comfortable lead, I went to check on Tommy. She was just waking up and was sitting in the shade. She got up and moved to where the sunlight was still available.  I went and gave her a couple quick pets, but could see that she still wanted to extend her nap, so I went out to watch the end of the game.

With the game ended, I did a quick run to the drug store for a few supplies. When I returned Tommy inspected my purchases to make sure that she approved.  After she approved the items, we moved into dinner mode.  Tommy had the early part of her dinner while I had my only part.  We had a play session in the study that extended a bit longer than usual. After I finished doing the dishes we had another play session in the living area using a box and the fleece teaser. It was again a slightly longer session than usual and I appreciated the time and effort that Tommy put into it.

Once we were played out and the news was over, Tommy moved to a dining chair and I started closing up the condo. I hadn’t completed any diary transcriptions, but thought that perhaps I would catch up in the morning.  I was glad that I had chosen some quality time with Tommy over computer work.

After closing everything down, I picked up Tommy and took her into the bedroom for her snack.  She seemed to be less squirmy whenever I picked her up at night. Perhaps she knew that she could tolerate my closeness when there was a snack involved.  While she ate her snack I got into bed. With her snack finished, she had no real reason to stick around so she headed back out to the main room for the night.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Tommy didn’t come in until the heat came on and then she jumped up on the bed to let me know that it was time for breakfast.  I quickly moved through the morning chores before going to the study to work on the postings.  I was going to visit a couple of my siblings so I needed to get some work done.

Tommy stopped in and we had a short play session before I went back to work. Once Tommy saw me put on the headphones, she went and curled up by the window. After a while she realized that I was intent on working, so she went out to the main room and looked out the balcony to see if there was something more interesting outside.

Once I finished posting I got ready to leave. Tommy sat on here perch in the living area as I got ready. I gave her some attention before I left and then headed out.

When I returned several hours later she was resting on her rug.  She got her hairball treats and grass while I put things away. She was very interested in the scents I had brought along since they included a few dogs and a couple cats.  Once she had her fill of the scents, she got ready for dinner.

I put out her food and she ate a little of it. Since it was so close to when she had her treats I wasn’t worried about her lack of enthusiasm. A little while later she finished off her dinner and I got out the little bit that was left so it could warm up.

Tommy loves to spend time in the study. Since there are plants that would be harmful to Tommy I keep the door closed when I’m not at home or at night when I’m asleep. Whenever I return Tommy will usually run up to the door and cry for me to open it.  We also have many play sessions in that room, so I know why it’s her favorite room.

Once she had out her last meal of the day, I was able to close off the study. It was early, but since I had a bad headache I wanted to go to bed early.  I also wanted to go to bed a little early because it was the beginning of daylight savings time and I wasn’t sure how Tommy was going to handle the time shift.

Before going to bed I made sure that the clock by the bed and the thermostat clock were changed.  I went to bed, but left the main room lights on for a while. When I woke up later, I got up and turned off the lights. I shook Tommy’s snack bag, but she didn’t come running. 

After getting out her snack, I went and found her sitting on a dining set chair. I picked her up and was able to give her a few hugs before putting her down on the bed to have her snack.  As always once she was finished, she left the bedroom and went back out to the main room to sleep.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Tommy slept all night in the main room while I slept in the bedroom.  She didn’t come in until almost 6:00 to see if it was time to eat. She jumped on the bed and after petting her she jumped back off the bed when she saw that I wasn’t getting up.

She showed up about 10 minutes later with the same activities occurring.  Her third visit didn’t happen until right before 7:00. She seemed a little more ready to accept my petting, but once the heat came on, she jumped down and waited for me in the main room.

I got up and got out her breakfast.  I then went to the study where Tommy later joined me.  We had a short play session and then I went back to work with Tommy stopping in a couple times just to check up on me.

It was a short morning as I was going to a late morning movie with friends.  Tommy could tell that I was leaving because not only did I shower, but I also had some “outside” shoes out. Once she saw the shoes, she went and sulked on her perch by the balcony. I gave her a quick petting and said that I’d see her later.

When I returned, Tommy took a minute but then came and greeted me.  Because we had not had a good day yesterday, I put off teeth brushing until Friday. After a quick hello I brushed Tommy’s teeth and gave her the treats and grass which always followed.

I began doing the weekly laundry and settled in for a quiet afternoon and evening. While sitting on the sofa, Tommy came and joined me.  She let me know while we were sitting there that I needed to pet her. She did this by tapping my hand with her paw.  It doesn’t happen often, but I really like to get that reminder.

When it was time for bed, I turned everything off and then went and put out Tommy’s snack. As I was opening the bag, Tommy came running into the bedroom and jumped up on the bed.  I guess that she knew the sound of her snack bag.  I got out her snack and gave it to her. I was able to also pet her and wish her a good night before I got into bed and Tommy returned to the main room.  She still wasn’t sleeping on the bed, but at least she wanted my attention.

Thursday, March 5, 2015: Sometimes Getting In Doesn’t Mean Getting Out

I woke up at 5:00 and Tommy stayed on the bed while I handled my personal issues. I went back to bed, but by 6:00, Tommy let me know that she thought it was time to exit the bedroom. I opened the door and let her go explore, play, etc. while I went back to sleep.

I was able to sleep until 7:00 when the heat came on and Tommy came in to get me out of bed. After feeding her I went and took care of the morning printing and posting.  Tommy came in to see me, but left when she saw what I was doing.

When I went to find her later, she couldn’t be found. I finally heard her crying in the bedroom. Somehow she had gotten under the bed and couldn’t get out. Once I moved some items, she came out.  I tried to find out how she was getting in there and blocked what I thought were the openings.

This happened three more times in the morning.  Each time there would be a cry, a box moved, and an escape. Each time I would also try to find another way that she could have gotten in and tried to block it.  I have no idea what’s going on with her today.

She hasn’t bothered with the area under the bed for months, but today she wanted to get under there even though she has plenty of hiding places. I even moved her special little box in the study so that I couldn’t see the opening from the desk.  I’m not sure if she’s reacting to the three days of company we had, but since we’re here alone she shouldn’t need to hide.

The rest of the morning proceeded without incident. We spent some time having a play session and Tommy also brought her “new” little mouse toy out in to the living area and put it by the green glass cat. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to share it, but after the glass cat didn’t move, Tommy started rubbing against it until it fell over. I was sitting close by so I righted the glass cat, but Tommy moved to the study.

Just when I thought that the under the bed issue was over, Tommy again got stuck under the bed.  This time, I put her in a secure area with food, water, litter box, and bed and moved enough boxes and other storage items under the bed that I filled the area.  With any luck this will finally settle the issue and I won’t have to keep rescuing her from her own devices.

Tommy spent some time sitting on my lap while I explained life to her. I know that she doesn’t understand what I’m saying, but I’m doing it for my own good.  Tommy doesn’t usually sit on my lap, so getting her to sit and let me pet her let her know that I wasn’t angry (just very frustrated) and that I loved her.  After a few tense moments I could tell that she calmed down and relaxed.  After I was sure that she was still relaxed, I let her down.

I gave her the hairball treats that she likes and put out the grass. She still seemed a little wary of me and probably was upset that she had lost (I hope) an area which got her into trouble and could potentially hurt her. I wasn’t sure how the rest of the day would go.

Tommy spent most of the time “staying out of my way.”  I felt bad that she was not seeking my attention, but I knew that I had to fix the under the bed problem before I needed to be gone for several hours and have her trapped under the bed.

When it was time for dinner I put out her food and she ate some of it.  I closed off the study where she had spent most of the afternoon.  I retreated to the bedroom since the DVR would not be able to record all the programs. I needed to watch a couple programs in real time.

While I was in the bedroom, Tommy moved to the sofa. I checked in occasionally just to reassure her, but I saw that she still wasn’t eating.  I put the food up on the sofa near her to see if that would help.

The next time that I came in, I saw that the food hadn’t been touched.  I went and sat next to her and petted her. While I was reassuring her, she moved to the bowl of food and started eating. She continued to eat until she had finished all the food.  She then let me know that she also didn’t want me to keep petting her, so I took the bowl and went back to the bedroom.

When it was time for bed, I closed up the condo and picked Tommy up to take her to the bedroom.  She allowed me to pick her up and didn’t fuss at all. When we got to the bedroom I put her down next to her snack which she quickly ate.

Once she was finished, she jumped down and went back to the living room.  I put out a little more of her snack on the plate on the bed just in case she decided to return. I was pretty sure that she’d sleep in the living area and I would be alone on the bed which is the usual setup when Tommy is upset with me.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

I woke up around 6:00 and by 6:20 it was clear that Tommy wanted to be fed.  I saw that she had already eaten all of her dry food in the bedroom, so I decided to get up early and give her some of her canned food.

Surprisingly she didn’t eat much right away, so I was glad that I had only given her part of her morning portion.  I was very far behind on postings, and Tommy “allowed” me to work quite a bit to get caught up. I pulled out a couple of her “new” toys from the bag in the closet as a special treat.

There was a triangular shaped mouse in the bag and Tommy immediately pounced on it. She had a great time throwing it around with her mouth and chasing after it. After a morning of play, Tommy moved to her perch in the living room to rest and watch for any activity outside.

Throughout the afternoon Tommy alternated between the study by the window and her perch in the living area.  I finished catching up on posts and the book for book club that night. We had our dinner and then I went to book club.

When I returned Tommy was sitting on the sofa and didn’t jump down to greet me. I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that I had been gone such a short time or that she was just tried.  I sat down next to her and she smelled my sweater. After a quick whiff, she jumped down. I wasn’t sure of the person next to me had a pet or was wearing a perfume with an unpleasant scent to Tommy.

I went and changed into my pajamas which I think confused Tommy. She saw me and went to the bedroom even though I hadn’t turned off any lights. She came back out and sat near the balcony door while I worked on some reading and watching the couple of the night’s programs that were on the DVR.

When it was time for bed, Tommy beat me into the bedroom and went and sat by the window.  When I got out her snack bag she jumped up on the bed and sat by her little plate which she noticed was still empty.  Once I put the snack in the plate, she finished it up and moved back down to the floor before I could even get into bed. Once in bed, I turned off the lights and said good night to Tommy who would join me later on the bed.

Monday, March 2-Tuesday, March 3, 2015: No Class or Choir

I didn’t have class on Monday because it was an exam day. On Tuesday night choir was cancelled which was lucky for me since I probably wouldn’t have gone since I was still nursing my cold.

Because I was starting to feel better we did get to have some extended play times. I also did leave to go to a movie at the Oriental. The walk and the fresh air seemed to do me some good.

I had fallen behind on my blogs so whenever I had some time, energy, and ambition I was back at the desk.  Tommy was very good about stopping in to check up on me and also to come up and get attention when she needed some.

I also needed to finish reading the book for book club, so again Tommy was very good about just sitting next to me on the sofa or sitting on her perch while I read. She truly seems at lease in the condo. She tends to find the best sun and just relax during the day.

She has had a couple hairball instances recently, but other than that all has been well.  I feel so bad for her when she gets a hairball. The yowl that she makes followed by the regurgitation seems so traumatic for her. I always make sure to comfort her before cleaning up the mess.

Her eating habits have changed slightly.  I used to give her half of her canned food in the morning and the other half at night, but so often she’d eat about half and then want to come back in a hour or two to finish.  The direction state that the food should be refrigerated after opening and shouldn’t be out for more that 2-3 hours.

I’ve got to feeding her a quarter can in the early morning and feeding another quarter either late morning or at lunch.  The last two quarters get divided up between late afternoon and evening. She still eats some of her dry food each day, so I know that she’s getting enough to eat.  There seems to be much less waste this way and I feel that we’re being safer.

Both nights were spent quietly reading, watching television, and playing.  Tuesday night we did have a “chase session.” For the first time in I don’t know who long, Tommy didn’t head to the bedroom when I starting shutting down the condo. 

She started racing around and would stop until I started to move and then off she would go again on a tear through the main room. She finally headed into the bedroom, but before I could pick her up to give her a good night hug and put her on the bed, she would again race around the room.

Unfortunately for her, the bedroom isn’t as big as the main room and soon she was on the bottom of her bungalow and came out slowly enough for me to pick her up.  I gave her a big hug and then put her on the bed for her treat.  While she ate her snack, I got into bed.

Usually once she has finished her snack she jumps off the bed and retreats to the bungalow or by the window until I’m asleep before she joins me on the bed.  Tonight she finished her snack and then just curled up by my feet in her usual spot.  I wasn’t sure if she was just exhausted from the racing around or she just wanted to move to her sleeping position right away. Either way, I was glad to have her on the bed when I turned off the lights.

Sunday, March 1, 2015: Tommy Stays Home Alone

With all the disruptions (although all were good) to our schedule and having company, I needed to leave for the day to go to the Badger basketball game. Even though I still had that lingering cold, I had the ticket and since it was Senior Day and the last home game, I needed to go. 

I made sure that Tommy had plenty of food in the morning and I completed all my chores before leaving. She followed me around and supervised my preparations. Since she naps much of the day and I had left the blinds open I knew that she’d be okay.  I even left the main room open to her.

When I returned, she was sitting on the sofa and came down to greet me.  I’m not sure if she was trying to tell me that she was glad I was back, that she was hungry, or that I shouldn’t leave her for that long a period of time.  No matter what the message, I immediately put down her grass so she could munch on it while I got her dinner ready.

We again had a quiet night and all was well.  I’m still not sure if Tommy understands that I’m sick and therefore that’s the reason I’m not as active, but she seems to be taking it in stride.

Saturday, February 28, 2015: Tommy Meets Some of the Relatives/Children

After all the hassles of the night, we awoke to begin a semi-normal Saturday. I did need to go to a funeral visitation, but since I had a bad cold, I knew that I wouldn’t be gone very long.  We had our usual morning routine and then I left.

When I returned a little over an hour later, Tommy made sure that I remembered to spend some quality time with her. I also spent some time talking to my older sister on the phone and Tommy graciously allowed me that time.

I noticed midafternoon that there was a message on the answering machine from my goddaughter asking if we could get together during the day.  Since I knew that her family was meeting my sister/her grandmother later, I sent a text to her mother explaining my reason for not calling back sooner.

When I got a return text, it was decided that the family would drop off my Girl Scout cookie order and meet Tommy at the same time.  When I got Tommy from the shelter, they let me know that Tommy shouldn’t be in a house with other pets or children.  It would be interesting to see who Tommy handled guests that included some children.

We spent a quiet time during the remainder of the day while I continued to rest and administer to my cold.  Tommy had been so good about letting me rest and understanding that I wouldn’t be petting her or spreading my germs on her as much as I usually did.

In the early evening the family arrived.  They have two cats so I knew that everything would be okay. I went down to greet them and bring them back up to the condo.  When I opened the door, Tommy came trotting over only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw the rest of the entourage that had entered.

She did some preliminary sniffing of their shoes before heading out of the room.  After we all had settled down in the living area, I decided to try to get Tommy to come out and formally meet everyone. I went to the study, picked up Tommy and brought her out.  No sooner had I put her down, but she retreated out of the room. I guess it was too early to expect her to warm up to the visitors.

Later I tried a second time and that time Tommy sat over in the dining area observing for quite a while before moving toward us. She went to the closest chair where my grandniece Allyson, the middle child, was seated.  Ally did such a great job of letting Tommy smell and explore.  Once she was sure that Tommy felt safe, Ally moved down to the floor to sit.

I could tell the Kyra, the youngest of the three children wanted so much for Tommy to come to her and she was patient enough that Tommy soon moved over to where Kyra was sitting on the floor. I was glad to see that Tommy was able to interact with my young relatives.

What Tommy did next pretty well shocked me.  With Ally laying on the floor, Tommy went over by her and gave her a nose kiss.  What a triumph for both of them.  It was time for them to leave and I was glad that we had ended on a good note.

When I returned from accompanying the family to the elevator I couldn’t find Tommy.  After some searching I found her up in the bookcase behind the books in one of her safe places.  I gave her much praise while trying to reassure her that everyone was gone and it was only the two of us. She finally came down on the chair and I picked her up.

I took her around the condo to let her inspect and see that all the company was gone. After giving her some well-deserved treats we spent a quiet night. I retreated to bed early and Tommy stayed out in the main room until I woke up and closed down the condo.  We then headed into the bedroom for a well-earned night’s rest.

Friday, February 27, 2015: A Lazy Day and Tommy Gets Caught

I had noticed that my throat was feeling sore and sure enough, I had a cold.  I spent much of the day in bed or just laying around drinking orange juice or tea by the gallon.  Of course, Tommy wanted to play, but finally gave up and we spend considerable time sleeping next to one another on the sofa. I actually have to put my feet on the cocktail table since half of the sofa “belongs” to Tommy.

I did do some laundry during the day. Tommy and I took another extended nap on the floor in the sun. We tried to have a couple play sessions, but I just wasn’t quite up to it.  I went to bed early and Tommy stayed out in the main room until later when I finally woke up and started turning off all the power.

During the night (I can’t remember if it was Thursday or Friday) I woke up to hear Tommy crying. I couldn’t figure out why the sound was so muffled until I heard her scratching at some boxes.  I knew that she had somehow gotten under the bed and was now trapped.  When I pulled out a box, there she was, laying in the middle.

I thought that once there was an opening that she’d come flying out, but I guess she figured that once I gave her an opening that it would remain like that.  She was so wrong. I tried to get her out, but she wasn’t budging and I knew that if I left under the bed open that she’d revert to retreating there and becoming more timid again.

I had to get her out and with a little coaxing from the broom, she came out.  I found out that she had gotten in through a very small opening between the mattress, the frame and the wall. I used the throw pillows to close off those openings and although she’d tried moving the boxes that line the openings under the bed, she hasn’t managed.

She does have other safe places in every room, so it’s not like if she needs a hiding place she doesn’t have them. After the fire evacuation in the building, I just don’t want her to have a spot where I can’t reach her in an emergency.

Thursday, February 26, 2015: An Early Morning Visitor Upsets Our Sleep.

Neither of us woke up until almost 6:30. I woke first and saw Tommy curled up and asleep by my feet.  Even though I had barely moved other than my eyes, Tommy’s keen sense of her surroundings roused her from her reverie.  I would pay dearly for waking up early.

As I tried to return to sleep, Tommy spent the rest of the time until the heat came on trying to get me to get out of bed.  She even stuck her head through the blinds to check out the balcony.  Once the heat was on, her “nagging” yell began and didn’t stop until I was not only out of bed, but moving toward the bedroom door.

Once she was fed, I was able to complete the morning chores.  When they were finished and I was leaving the bathroom after clearing the litter box, Tommy “led” me to the study for a very short play session.  Sometimes I think she just wants to see if she can get me down on all fours and once that’s accomplished she thinks her task is completed.

I went to the sofa to work on puzzles and have some coffee. Tommy soon followed and moved to her perch up on the scratching post. She was able to keep a close eye on me and all the activity outside while basking in the morning sun.

In the book that I’m reading, the characters were at the opera, so I decided to play that opera while completing some posting and reading.  Tommy feel asleep, but when the contralto came in to sing her aria, Tommy sat up and stared at me.  I figured that this was my cue to can the music.  Once the music was off, Tommy returned to her usual position on the perch surveying the activity outside.

When I moved on the chair to start to get up, Tommy turned to me to see what was happening. I went and got coffee, but returned to pet her on her perch. It was then that I noticed the tracks in the snow on the balcony by the bedroom window.  I guess a bird had been on the balcony when Tommy thrust her head through the blinds early this morning.  It now all made sense.

I went to work on the computer in the study while Tommy moved to the sofa for her morning nap.  When I finished she was still sleeping so I guess we’d handle her teeth brushing when she woke up.  A door slamming woke her up a few minutes later, but after sticking her head up to check, she went right back to her eyes closed curled up position.

When she finally woke up we completed the brushing followed by her hairball treat and grass.  The rest of the day was pretty quiet. Since neither of us had any pressing appointments, we caught up on television and stayed up later than usual to watch all the cliffhangers.

With everything turned off Tommy and I headed to the bedroom.  The only change in our routine lately had been that I was now closing he bedroom door at night.  When Tommy saw me moving toward the bedroom she always made sure that she beat me there.  I’m not sure if she thinks that I’d deliberately exclude her or I’d just forget her if she didn’t beat me to the room.

She’s also gotten used to be picking her up and giving her a big hug good night before putting her on the bed for her snack. She used to try to immediately escape, but now I guess has resigned herself to the fact that since I’m going to hug her anyway, she might as well just endure and get it over.