This week, we hit a milestone; on
Sunday it had been one year since Tommy came home with me. I’ve learned and
experienced so many things this past year.
Adopting Tommy was definitely one of my best decisions. Having her
around has enhanced my life.
Taking in a shelter/stray cat has
some benefits. Tommy was already litter box trained and knew how to entertain
herself. She was accustomed to being
around people and although still curious, she wasn’t inclined to get into the
same kind of trouble that a kitten would.
Given that she was about a year old,
there were also some behaviors that were already ingrained in her head. If she decides to sleep during the day, she
tends to find a quiet secure spot. By secure I mean that she tends to be
hidden. Some of her favorite spots are in my walk-in closet and include a
sweater cubby, on the shelf made by the cubbies where I keep my shorts, and in
between the shirts on a lower rack or between my long terry bathrobe and a box.
At night she tends to sleep under the table and chairs where there are many escape
routes.
I know that she’s concern about her
safety, but at the same time, I know that she trusts me. Whenever there’s a sudden loud noise, she
will usually try to find me and stay close by me until I’ve given her some
reassuring petting and enough time has lapsed. She also rolls over on the floor
at least a couple times a day to get a tummy rubbing. Finally she makes sure that I always have her
scent by rubbing up against me. She’s especially fond of rubbing against my
feet and legs.
Tommy doesn’t like to be held or sit
on my lap which has been quite hard for me to accept. Friends tell me that sooner or later she’ll
get comfortable enough, so I just have to continue to be patient. On a positive note, Tommy does allow me to
pick her up and hold her for about a minute before her tolerance of my behavior
ends.
She doesn’t like her carrier or
riding down in the elevator. She’s quite vocal during those times and if there
are others in the elevator I tell them she’s just singing along with the tones
announcing each new floor. Once we get
in the car, she enjoys the ride. Her
monthly trip to Petco to see Stephanie to get her nails clipped is usually her
only reason for traveling.
This summer she’s enjoyed being on
the balcony. She usually stays on the carpet which is just under the chairs and
table. There’s at least a foot or two between the carpet and the railing. The few
times that she’s gotten curious and tried to stick her head out through the
railing I’ve calmly told her “No,” and then we go inside. She’s learning that if she wants to enjoy the
balcony, she needs to keep my anxiety level down.
After our visit to the vet last year
we changed her diet and also starting brushing her teeth. She loves her wet
food and tends to eat the dry food during the night. Occasionally if she’s
hungry and I’m gone during the day, she’ll eat the dry food. She tolerates getting her teeth brushed, but
I think that’s mainly because she gets her favorite treat, dried tuna flakes, when
we’ve finished that task. Because we’ve followed Dr. Becky’s instructions, this
year she reported that Tommy was in excellent health and we just need to
continue what we’re doing. I felt
validated because I’d never had a cat before and I’m always concerned that I’m
doing what’s best for Tommy.
Our days are filled with play, naps, and
food. I’m glad that Tommy allows me to sleep through the night. She’s awake quite a bit during the day, so I’m
sure that at least part of the night she sleeps. I’ve been known to have to get
up during the night, and I’ve usually found her sound asleep under the table.
She’s good company and she keeps me
on my toes. I always look forward to her wake up visit up on the bed in the
morning, although she sometimes starts at 5:00 A.M. which she’s learning is way
too early to wake me. By 7:00 she’s
pretty persistent. I don’t know how she knows that 7:00 is the time to make
sure I get up, but I appreciate her efforts.
She doesn’t like television. She will
usually vacate whatever room I’m in once the T.V. is turned on. She also doesn’t
care to listen to music. She will
sometimes remain in the room if I’m playing classical music. She also stays
when I put on Barbra Streisand although she’ll leave if I start to sing along. When
I’m at the keyboard learning songs for choir she’ll also vacate the room. I’m
not sure if she’s critical of my voice at that point or the combination of my
plunking away at the keyboard while I’m singing.
She also regulates my time on the
computer. If I’m spending too much time in the study, she’ll come in, jump up
on the desk and make sure that I notice her. Of course it’s hard not to notice
her when she sits right between the computer and me. It’s also the time when she allows me to be
close to her for an extended period. Her purring is one of the sweetest sounds
to my ears and it almost always happens when we share time at the desk.
When I come home Tommy may be waiting
at the door, or may run over to greet me.
I know that I’m in trouble if she remains sitting on her chair which
means I may or may not be granted an audience with “Her Highness.” As I
approach, she may allow me to pet her, or she may leave the room to put me in
my place.
Even after a year, we’re still
learning about each other’s quirks. I’m
sure that it will continue throughout our time together which I hope is for many
years. I look forward to writing many yearly updates. As I said at the
beginning, Tommy has enriched my life and adopting her was one of the best
decisions I’ve ever made.
