Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Neither Tommy nor I stirred from the bed until a little after 6:00. At that point I was ready to go to the bathroom and Tommy was ready for breakfast. Unfortunately it was too early to start the day, so we stayed put. After a few minutes, Tommy checked to see if I was ready and when I didn’t move to get up, she moved to sit in front of the television.

By the time the heat came on, Tommy had already tried a couple of times to rouse me from the bed either by talking or making noise.  Once the heat was on, so was the “heated” talk from Tommy. I needed to get moving before I got in worse trouble.

We went out to the kitchen and handled breakfast, fresh water, and other chores. Once Tommy was appeased, I moved to the study and commenced my posting and printing. When I got the preliminary work done, I came back out to find Tommy waiting on her chair.

We moved back to the study and had a pet/play session. I was out of bread, so I needed to make some.  After making the dough I went to the living room while the bread rose. Tommy moved to the study, so I thought that it might be a good time to do some vacuuming.

As I got the vacuum cleaner out of the closet in the study, Tommy watched me warily.  I could see her tense up when she saw the dreaded machine. I tried to ease her fears and quickly moved the machine to the bedroom as far away in the condo from her as I could go.

I worked in the bedroom and then moved to the living room. When it was time to do the study I went in first and then put the machine behind the desk.  Tommy could see a clear path do leave and quickly exited. I followed her out to make sure that she headed to the bedroom.

 I finished the vacuuming and after putting the machine away I went to find Tommy. She was under the table at the foot of the bed.  When she saw me, she came over so I could pet her.  Once she had some attention she moved slowly out into the condo to reassure herself that the machine was gone.

I finished cleaning, backing, and burning a couple DVD’s while making sure that Tommy was given the attention that she deserved.  We played a little and then Tommy having finished a light lunch went to take a nap on the bed.

I thought that this might be a good time to run a couple quick errands. I was gone less than half an hour and when I returned Tommy came out to see what I had brought back.  She inspected the mail and the groceries.  Once she lost interest in the items she went back to the bedroom to finish her nap.

Later in the afternoon after we had another play session, Tommy went and sat in the study. I was sitting at the dining table working on my laptop when I heard a cry of distress from Tommy. Before I could get to her she came running out of the study and went flying intot he bedroom.

I followed her in just in time to see her throw up a little puke. As I went to comfort her, she pulled away and went a few feet away and puked a little more.  Once I was sure that she was done, I again went and comforted her. Her distress was probably caused by the new treat we had just tried a little while before.

Once she was calmed down, I went and cleaned up the mess.  When that was done, I went back to Tommy and continued calming and reassuring her.  Her rather loud purring told me that she was content and the issue had passed.

It was time for dinner, so I thought that I’d put out her dinner and she if she was hungry. She followed me to the kitchen and acted like she was hungry. As I went to put her bowl down she followed me and ate some of it.  She didn’t eat very much, but went back to the study to rest.

When I went to check on her she wasn’t in the study. I found her on her bungalow. Somehow she had slipped passed me.  I went to pet her and she flinched, so I wanted to make sure that she wasn’t still having stomach issues.  

I picked her up and put her on the bed. She wasn’t upset when I touched her stomach so my worries were lessened.  She then moved off the bed and sat by my feet. We then had a second calming/petting session and again Tommy was purring.  Once she indicated that she’d had enough she moved near where she had puked and just sat there.  I gave her head a little rub and then left to let her have some quiet time if that was what she wanted.

When I was typing on the laptop, Tommy came flying by and went into the study.  A few minutes later she jumped up on the table, but went and sat on the opposite side from where I was typing.  I wasn’t sure if she was tired of waiting for me, or bored, but she jumped down and went to look out the balcony door to see what was happening outside.

While the basketball game was on, Tommy stayed in the bedroom. I don’t think that she liked all the noise. We spent some time together after the game when she wasn’t napping in her bungalow.  She seemed to be a little out of sorts and I wasn’t sure whether it was because she wasn’t feeling well, or if she was just tired of my overprotective nature.

I decided to give her some space.  Later she came out of the bedroom and ran a few laps around the condo. Once she had burned off some energy we had a little play session with a couple of the lights.  Tommy was especially interested in the laser pointer. She seems to run hot and cold with that toy.

After playing Tommy headed back to the bedroom so I started getting the condo shut down for the night. Tommy came out to check on what I was doing and then went back into the bedroom. We finished our end of night activities and Tommy ate her snack early for a change. I fell asleep while Tommy started her late night up on the bungalow although I know that later she would end up sleeping by my feet.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

I woke up around 5:30 and found Tommy sleeping at my feet and her late night snack had been eaten.  A little while later I woke up again and this time Tommy was sitting in front of the television. I wasn’t sure if she expected me to turn it on, but I got up and went toward the bathroom. Tommy must have thought that it was time for breakfast because she ran ahead of me and sat by the bedroom door. I kept going toward the bathroom and when I returned, Tommy was sitting by the bed.

Once I got back into bed, Tommy came up to “talk.” Her persuading didn’t work and I rolled over and went back to sleep. She tried again a couple more times before 7:00. I woke up when the heat came on and there was Tommy by my feet grooming herself.  I wondered how long it would take her to notice that the heat was on when she was so intent on grooming herself.

It took her a couple minutes, but once she realized that the heat was on, she let me know that I’d better get moving and feed her.  Once that was accomplished, I went to the study to do the days postings and puzzle printing. When I returned, there was Tommy sitting on her chair by the table.

When I petted her head she took it as a sign that it was time to play and ran to the study.  We had a play session and then I got dressed to stop at the post office and Grebe’s Bakery to pick up some pączki.

It was almost an hour before I returned; most of the time was spent at the bakery waiting for D45 to be called. Tommy spent much of the rest of the morning seeking my attention. At one point when I came over she flopped over on her back. Once I finished petting her, she stayed in the same position, so I got out a couple toys and we had a fun and long play session.

While I worked on clearing the DVR and burning DVD’s, Tommy lounged on the sofa. As we neared lunch time, I decided that since Tommy was awake I could brush her teeth. I got everything ready and then put Tommy on the table. She continues to be very cooperative and we finished quickly. After praise and her hairball treats, she went back in the sun by the balcony.

When I went to work on some transcribing, Tommy moved to the study window where it was also sunny. Once the sun left, so did Tommy. She headed to the bedroom for a nap on the bed while I continued to work, alternating between transcribing and burning DVD’s.

At 3:00 I stopped working and went to relax for a few hours before going to choir rehearsal. Tommy came out to see what was happening and we had a short but fun play session.  Tuesday is choir night, so I needed to shower and get ready. While I did that, Tommy sat up on her bungalow. Once I was done, she reminded me that it was time for dinner.

I had already gotten out her food and it had lost the chill. I put it out and she ate some of it, but the minute I went into the study she followed to see what I was doing. I went to the computer to shut it down and Tommy jumped up on the chair next to the desk.  As I tried to type and finish up some loose ends, she moved to under the keyboard to wait for me to finish.

Once I was done, she went to the bedroom to continue her nap while I went to choir rehearsal. When I returned, Tommy was still in the bedroom but came running out when I returned. I’m always glad to see her enthusiasm when I enter the condo.

We played for a while before Tommy decided that we had played enough for a while. Of course, when it was time for bed, Tommy “suddenly’ decided that it was time to play. We had a very short session after I got ready for bed but before I actually got into bed.

Once I was in bed, Tommy played a little. She was sitting on the bungalow when I turned out the lights. She again hadn’t eaten her snack, but I knew that by morning it would be gone and she’d be a sleep by my feet.

Monday, February 16, 2015

I was awakened around 5:00 by the sound of Tommy having some stomach distress.   When I turned on the lights, I could see a small amount of puke.  I couldn’t believe how little there was given all the noise.

I got up and went to check on Tommy. She seemed okay, so I just comforted her and let her know that everything was all right. As I petted her she began purring. Her purring got quite loud, but I was glad that she was content.

After that I went and cleaned up the mess and returned to bed. I was lucky to fall back asleep until the heat came on at 7:00. Tommy was sitting up on the top of her bungalow, so I thought I might be able to sneak in a little extra sleep time. When I didn’t get up, Tommy took matters into her own paws, jumped up on the bed by my head, and loudly reminded me that it was time to get up and got out her breakfast.

I quickly complied and then went to the study to work on postings and printing while she ate. Tommy spent most of the morning hanging out while I worked on postings since I was behind.  Whenever she needed some attention, she would either jump up on the desk, or rub against my legs to remind me that my prime objective in life was to do her bidding.

On Mondays I have class all afternoon, so after lunch I left for class. When I returned Tommy was ready for a little snack so I put out her grass while we waited for her dinner to lose its chill.  We also took some time out to play.

Once dinner was ready we ate our respective meals and then settled in for a quiet night.  I had recently found a small pen light and I thought maybe Tommy would like to play with the light.  She enjoyed chasing it at times. I still needed to learn the size and speed that she most likes to improve our playing time.

When it was time for bed, Tommy again went right into the bedroom. We spent a little time having one last play session before I got ready for bed. I put out Tommy’s late night snack, but she didn’t jump up to eat it right away.  She curled up on the top of her bungalow, but I’m pretty sure that once I fall asleep if she continued her routine, she’d jump up on the bed, eat her snack and then curl up for the night near my feet.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Tommy started her wake up calls around 6:00, but only did a couple before the 7:00 A.M. call. Since I still hadn’t gotten around to ordering the thermal drapes, I had hung a flannel sheet on the window to help keep out the cold. I also wanted to see what Tommy would do before I ordered drapes.

When I had “hung” the sheet last night, Tommy had inspected it, but then left it alone. This morning it was still hanging which meant that she hadn’t tried climbing it as the tape on top would not have held her. Tomorrow I can set up the appointment for the drapes.

We had a quiet morning with me working on postings and Tommy working on her tan on the ottoman. We did have a short play session, but Tommy pretty much left me to work on the transcriptions and also doing some much needed cleaning. I also had a chance to clean her teeth and she was pretty cooperative considering that I was using a dental wipe.  Once that was accomplished, Tommy had her hairball treats and grass for lunch.

When I went to watch the basketball game (Go Badgers!) Tommy was waiting for me on the sofa. She was asleep and surprisingly stayed there during the game. She usually leaves; I don’t think that she likes all the noise during a game, especially if I’m the one making the noise.

After the game I went to run errands while Tommy continued her nap on the sofa. When I returned Tommy trotted over to greet me and remind me to get out he dinner.  After a play session it was time to eat.  Tommy finished about half her meal, saving the rest for later.  I may need to go back to the dinners # 1 and 2.

A bit later she finished her meal and we settled in to watch the SNL anniversary special. Tommy must have found it not to her liking because she left the room. She alternated between sitting in the study and the bedroom.

When the special was over I started shutting down the condo.  Tommy was in the study and since I started in there, she followed me around the condo as I worked.  When all that was left was the bedroom, she led the way.

When I went to brush my teeth Tommy sat in the doorway and watched. She’d never done that before so I wasn’t sure why she did today.  With both of us ready for bed, I put out her snack which she ate right away.  While I finished watching the news and then turning out the lights, Tommy did her usual patrolling around the bed on the floor. I know that when she’s ready to sleep, she’ll come up on the bed to her usual spot.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Tommy began her morning wake up duties at 5:30. I know that she’d been home alone quite a bit during the week and I’d also been sick, so she had gotten plenty of sleep. Although she was rarin’ to go I still needed my sleep. She tried again about every half hour until the heat came on. At that point she was sitting up on her bungalow and jumped down quickly when she saw that I was actually going to get up.

I finished the morning chores and worked on postings while Tommy ate her breakfast.  Once she was finished we had an early morning play session and then I finished getting caught up on the blogs. Tommy watched for a while, but then got bored and went to the main room to await my return from the study.

Tommy was enjoying the sun on the ottoman and later on the floor. When I went to change the laundry, Tommy came along and then let me know that it was time for a play session.  She chased the laser light for a while before stopping to take a breather back in the sun.

The afternoon was spent relaxing in the sun or chasing around. Around 2:30 Tommy came out to the living room. I thought that she wanted to play, but after exhausting most options I realized that she hadn’t had her lunch. Once I put out her treat and grass, she ate them and went back to trying to find a place in the sun.

When the sun hid behind the buildings, it was time for more play and chasing. Tommy caught and chewed on the fleece teaser. At times she’d grab it in her teeth and pull it (and me) into another room. She spent quite some time on the top of the bungalow playing with the teaser.

I finished most of the laundry while Tommy supervised in the study and living room.  Whe3n I finally got to the last load, I went to the bedroom to take the flannel sheets off the bed, and there was Tommy sitting on the bed taking a nap.  I swear the she knows when it’s time to do the sheets and always seems to be napping on the bed at that time.

When it was time for dinner, Tommy came out to eat and I was able to put the sheets on the washer. We had a quiet night with Tommy napping on the bungalow. When the sheets were finished I made the bed. I barely finished making the bed before Tommy jumped on to continue her nap. I’m sure that she wanted to relax on those nice warm sheets before they got cold.

By the time I was ready or bed, Tommy had moved to her chair at the dining table. I picked her up and took her into the bedroom. When I put her on her spot on the bed she just sat there. Usually when I place her there at night, she hops off and moves around the bedroom, but not tonight.  I got out her snack and she ate it on the bed. When I got into bed, she just curled up in her spot, so I turned out the lights and fell asleep with my little fur ball at my feet.

Friday, February 13, 2015

We woke up at our usual time. Today Tommy quickly finished her breakfast. It seemed that she was getting her appetite back.  Once the morning activities were completed we were ready to go to see Stephanie to clip Tommy’s nails.

I went to put Tommy’s collar on her and she just sat there and let me accomplish the task. That was the first time that she didn’t squirm or writhe around the floor trying to get it off. She also let me pick her up and put her in the carrier.  She usually tries to escape, so this was another major accomplishment.

As we rode the elevators, Tommy let me know how much she distained this part of the journey.  I took along a bath towel to help keep in her body heat and shield her from the cold winds.  She was very calm during the car ride.  I think that she actually likes riding in the car.

Once we got to Petco, Tommy was very compliant for three of her paws. She always gets a bit squirmy during the last paw.  Tommy (and I) got a Valentine’s gift from Stephanie. The clipping was on the house, and Tommy got a bag of treats.

Once we got home (same scenario, quiet in car and loud in elevator) Tommy was ready for a nap.  I was meeting friends for lunch and then running a few errands, so Tommy would have to fend for herself during midday.

By the time I got home I wasn’t feeling well and had a terrible headache.  I went in the bedroom to lie down. Tommy came in to investigate and came up and rubbed her face against my hand.  It’s good to know that I have a comforting little pet when I need one.

When I woke up the headache hadn’t subsided and the medication wasn’t helping.  I cancelled my evening plans and gave Tommy her dinner. She ate it all up and came back right away and kept trying to talk to me. I thought that she wanted to play, but that wasn’t it.

She led me to the kitchen and sat by the cupboard where we keep her food.  I went to the refrigerator and got out the rest of her dinner. It hadn’t been in the refrigerator very long, so it was still almost at room temperature.

When I put it out, she ate it right away.  It was good to see that she was eating all of her dinner again. Since I still wasn’t feeling well we sent a quiet night and had an early bed time.  I thought that Tommy might protest, but she was very compliant. I went to bed hoping that I’d feeling better tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Tommy got up at her usual time right before the heat went on. We had breakfast and some quality time. We spent a quiet day. When Tommy was napping I would work or read. 

We did get a new shipment of food, so Tommy had a new box to explore.  It became her new spot in the study. I even added a fleece placemat to the floor of the box to help retain the heat since the box is near the window.

I was going out to dinner and the Bucks game, so Tommy sulked on the bed while I got ready.  I fed her before leaving and again she ate some of it, but not much.

When I returned I saw that she hadn’t eaten any more of the food and again I needed to dispose of it since it had been out for a few hours.  I was growing a little concerned because it wasn’t like her not to eat. I gave her a big hug and let me know how worried I was that she wasn’t eating like she used to eat.

I opened a new can and put out some food. Tommy did eat some of it, so I felt a little better.  I hope that we aren’t going to continue to have this problem whenever I leave.  It seems like she’ll eat when I’m around, but not once I leave.

We had a short play session and then it was time for bed. I had to get up early in the morning, so Tommy would experience the alarm for the first time. I wonder how she’ll handle it.