Monday, October 6, 2014: Our First Appointment with the Vet

Tommy woke me up during the night when she needed some attention. This time she spent the rest of my sleeping time up curled up near my head. I know that it was only a few hours, but it’s showing that she’s feeling more comfortable.

We had a usual morning and I headed off to class. When I returned we just hung out fro the couple hours until we needed to leave to have our first appointment with our veterinarian. There was nothing wrong with Tommy, but I just wanted to establish a rapport with a vet so that when we needed her for shots or illness, she’d already know us.

I put out her carrier so she could see it and get reacquainted with it. When it was time to go, Tommy didn’t want to stay in the carrier. She would enter, but would try to escape before I could zip it up. I’d never had that much trouble, so this was a surprise. I finally got her in and we left for the animal hospital.  She doesn’t like riding in the elevator, so she was quite vocal during that part of our trip.

When we got to the small animal hospital. Everyone was very nice and helpful.  We were escorted into an exam room and I got Tommy out of the carrier and on the exam table.  It wasn’t long before Cassie, the tech. came in and did the preliminary work. Tommy was very cooperative and really liked Cassie. We found out that Tommy now weighs 9 pounds and 2 ounces. When I got her three months ago she weighed 6 ½ pounds. She is definitely eating well and enjoying the good life.

Dr. Becky came in and she and Tommy hit it off right away. Then Tommy had her exam. Becky needed to remove a little tartar and then took her temperature. Although it wasn’t a pleasant experience Tommy just tried to squirm away, but didn’t bite, hiss, or scratch.  We all felt sorry for her.

After the preliminary work was done, Tommy and I were given some time alone in the room. Tommy jumped down and explored. It seemed to take her mind off the exam. When the Dr. Banks returned Tommy was ready to go explore the rest of the building. Little did she know that there were a couple more tests and Becky would be taking her to the lab to draw blood, so she just picked up Tommy and off they went to the lab.

When they returned, Tommy was put on the exam table and she immediately jumped into her carrier. We all laughed because we knew the trouble I had getting her in the carrier. It seemed that Tommy was now ready to leave.

We finished and checked out and waited for the results. She’s in great health, but we need to watch her calorie intake. It was suggested that part of her diet consist of moist food, so we’ll be trying that starting tomorrow. I also probably need to be a little more conservative with the treats, but just a little more because she’s very close to her ideal weight.

When we got home, Tommy ate the couple dental treats that she wouldn’t eat at the exam. The day had been pretty stressful for her, so she spent much of the rest of the day napping. She would get up every so often, check on me, get water and/or food and head back to sleep.

During the evening she got up and jumped up on top of her scratching post in the living room which has a platform on top. She’d never done that before, so I’m not sure what prompted her action. When she jumped down, she looked at me and it looked like there was blood coming out of her eyes. I raced for a wet cloth and came back to clean the area.

Tommy wasn’t happy when I tried to clean around her eyes and once I started I saw that it wasn’t blood, but just her natural darker spots around her nose. The light had played a trick on me and Tommy wasn’t amused. She didn’t want to play but did run around the condo.

Later Tommy decided that it was play time and of course that meant the fleece teaser. We played with that for a while, but then Tommy went from vigorously to halfheartedly to barely playing.  It was time for bed, so I turned off the lights and went into the bedroom.  Tommy stood by the doorway, so I went back and told her it was time for me to sleep. She then came into the bedroom and sat near her scratching post. I got ready for bed and put her treats in the usual spot on the bed. Just as I was ready to turn off the lights, Tommy jumped up on the bed and ate her snacks. I knew that she’d be sleeping “below,” but would wake me up during the night. I turned out the lights and was glad that we had made it through the day.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Tommy woke me up during the night when she needed some attention. I really don’t mind it that much. It’s just irritating that she’ll wake me up in the middle of the night, but then sleep in the morning when I’m awake.

We had a usual morning except that somehow Tommy must have really eaten too much grass again. After I put it away and while I was working on the computer I heard a strange noise.  When I got out to the living room there was Tommy sitting next to a bit of green vomit.  It was easy to see that it was from the grass. It happened once before when she overindulged, so I guess I’ll have to watch her more closely when she’s eating the grass.

I left for a couple hours to cheer on a friend who was running a marathon. When I returned Tommy was glad to see me, but let me know that I had interrupted her napping. When I went to work on the computer, she came in, sat on her chair by the bookcase, and fell asleep. The sun was shining in, so she had an ideal locale for her nap.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening were periods of napping and attention seeking. When I went to sit on the sofa with my dinner of two brats, Tommy came running. She jumped on the chair next to me, across to the table and then on the arm of the sofa. She was just about to pounce on me when she caught herself and jumped first next to me and then immediately to the cocktail table in front of me.

She leaned in at close to me as possible watching me eat. I knew she’d love for me to share my brat, but I also knew that she shouldn’t have it. When I finished eating Tommy went back to her rug, but followed me around wherever I went.  Once I settled down, Tommy decided that she needed some exercise and went flying around the condo occasionally abruptly stopping to make sure that I was paying attention.

When I went to work on my laptop on the dining table, she took a nap on her rug. I knew that we still would have a play session before bedtime.  When it was time for play, as usual, Tommy wanted to play with the fleece teaser.

Tommy is so funny when we’re playing with the fleece teaser. At times she will crouch behind some small object as if she’s hiding and preparing to pounce. When she’s just about ready, she raises her butt and starts to wiggle it. Then I know that she’s ready to attack.

When she took a water break I remembered that I needed to refill the Brita water dispenser in the refrigerator.  Since Tommy finished I did, she went and sat by the bedroom door. I wonder if she was asking “Are we done already?”

We continued playing. Tommy moved under a chair in the dining area. As I wiggled the fleece, a pen on the table was moved by the fleece and starting making noise.  Tommy jumped up to investigate and found a new toy. She spun it with her paw and when it fell to the floor she continued playing with it, but finally gave up when it wouldn’t spin very well on the carpet.

Tommy pulled the fleece into the bedroom. She sometimes liked to play with the fleece and her scratching post.  We continued playing until she went and sat by the bed.  This “almost bedtime” was going too well. I stopped for a minute to go to the living room and turn off the lights. When I reopened the door, Tommy was still sitting by the bed.

I put her treats on the bed and prepared for bed.  When I returned she was still sitting there. I climbed into bed and after a minute or two, Tommy jumped up and found her treats. When she finished she jumped down and went under the bed. She was ready to go to sleep and so was I.

Saturday, October 4, 2014: The Sleeper Sofa Adventure (part 2)

Tommy woke me up during the night when she again tried to get inside the sleeper sofa.  Again, cushions were removed and she jumped out. She came back on top of the bed and curled up near me. I think she knew that I didn’t appreciate her antics.

I petted her to reassure her and she started purring.  Since I wanted to go back to sleep this didn’t last long and once I stopped petting, she left the bed, but this time went over to her rug and curled up.

When I woke up in the morning she was still laying on her rug. When I called her she didn’t move. She must have decided that the sleeper sofa wasn’t her friend. I got up and put everything back in order and Tommy finally got up.

I brought out her grass and then did the morning chores.  When I went to check her food and water in the bedroom I noticed that the water was full, but the food was almost all gone. I filled the food and moved to her other water dish by the dining table. That one was empty, so it appeared that she doesn’t like her food and water in the same place.  I do know that when she’s thirsty during the night she will use the water dish by the food, but I’ll bet it’s only because she can’t get to the one in the dining area.

When I started to clean her litter box, Tommy came in. Since I wasn’t sure if she was supervising or needed to use her litter box, I stopped.  I went to the living room and she followed me, so I assumed that she was merely supervising my actions. I went back and cleaned out the litter box.

Right after I finished, Tommy came in and used it. I guess that she just wanted to use a clean litter box in the morning. After finishing, she went back into the living room and ate her morning salad. She then moved away from the grass indicating that she was finished and that I could remove it.

AI was going to a weeding and needed to get ready. When I started putting on my suit, Tommy knew something was up. She had never seen me in a suit, so this was going to be interesting.  When I put on and tied my shoes, Tommy started heading for the bedroom. 

Since I had plenty of time I didn’t follow her. She came back and probably figured that this was just new around the house clothing. Once it was time to go, I went back to the bedroom, but Tommy didn’t follow me. Since she’s been having a lint problem in her bed, I really didn’t want to have to pick her up.  Fortunately the shaking of the treat bag worked and she came running into the bedroom.

When she sat on the floor near the bed instead of jumping up, I knew that I needed to get her up there. I carefully picked her up and put her on the bed. While she ate her treat, I said goodbye and left.

I didn’t get back until almost 11:30 P.M., so she had been alone for 10 hours. I was tired and just wanted to go to bed, so I only opened the door enough to enter. I tried to explain to Tommy how tired I was and that I just needed to go to bed, but she wasn’t ready to go to bed.

She sat by the bedroom door and complained loudly and continually. I knew from past experience that when she wants out, I’d better agree or face the consequences.  I gave up and opened the door. Tommy went flying passed me.

I followed her into the living room. Tommy amused herself playing and running around the condo. Since she wasn’t demanding that I participate, I was okay to just relax and be a spectator.

After about an hour, tommy finally curled up on her rug.  I knew that now was the time to act.  I turned off the lights moving toward the bedroom and called for Tommy to come along with me.  Fortunately she joined me in the bedroom and went and sat by the foot of the bed.

I put her treats on the bed, but she just sat there and stared at me. She wasn’t budging and I was going to have to pay for my absence during the day.  I picked her up and put her on the bed. While she enjoyed her snack, I crawled into bed. She finished her snack, jumped down and headed for her safe place under the bed.  It was sleep time for both of us.

Friday, October 3, 2014: The Sleeper Sofa Adventure

Tommy didn’t wake me up until around 5:30. She jumped up on the bed near my head. She then began an extended purring concert. She didn’t want to be petted; she just wanted to lay down next to me and purr. This went on for about 10-15 minutes, then she jumped down to have a meal.

I woke up after 7:00. Tommy was waiting under the bed for me to open the door. I’ve learned to give her a clear path as she tends to dart out from under the bed. When she entered the living room, she went right to her rug and waited for her morning meal of grass. While she ate, I did my usual morning routine.

Once she finished we played. No matter what I try she still prefers the fleece teaser although she did play with another teaser this morning.  Once we finished, it was time for a drink and to check out the view from the balcony door.  All seemed to be well, so she then headed back to her rug for her morning meditation.

After lunch I needed to go for a haircut and do some research at the library.  When I brought my walking shoes into the living room, Tommy headed right for the bedroom. She sat by the end table knowing that treats would soon be coming. I put the treats on the bed and she jumped up to eat them. I said goodbye and closed the door.

When I returned we had a typical night until I decided to stretch out and opened the sleeper sofa.  Tommy of course was curious and even though she’s had bad experiences inside the sofa, she squeezed herself along the side of the bed and into the area that usually housed the mattress and frame.  Since there’s no way out, she cried for help.

I removed cushions and tilted the front of the mattress and frame up so she could escape. After putting everything back including putting the small pillows along the side of the bed where she had entered, I thought that we were done. Tommy explored under the bed and realized that she could also squeeze herself into the forbidden place between the frame and the outer frame of the sofa. 

Within a minute she realized her dilemma and cried out.  Again, cushions were removed and she jumped out. This time she chose to stay on the top of the mattress near me.  We settled in and fell asleep. Later when I woke up, I decided that since the bed was out we’d just sleep there. I saw that Tommy had moved to her rug, so I said good night and turned off the lights. I was sure that the sleeper sofa adventure wasn’t over.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

During the night Tommy woke me up to let me know that she was joining me on the bed and then went and ate her treat.  She then jumped over me and came up by my head to rest; it was probably too light outside for her to want to sleep anywhere except under the bed.

When we got up I needed to complete some things before 8:00 and Tommy waited quietly on her rug. When I walked by, she let me know that I hadn’t brought out her morning “salad.” I then went and got her grass, so she could enjoy it while I printed the puzzles and made coffee. She knows that she won’t have it for long, so she takes advantage and enjoys the treat.

When I come back from printing and grabbing a cup of coffee, Tommy had moved slightly away from the grass which indicated that she was done. I put the grass away and worked on the puzzles and some paper work while Tommy either watched or grabbed a quick drink.

Tommy seemed very affectionate this morning. At one point while I was sitting on the sofa, she came over and rubbed against my legs.  After a while, she jumped up on the sofa, not a common occurrence, just to let me know that I wasn’t doing enough petting to please her. Once I adequately started petting her, she moved back to the middle of the floor and turned around to look at me. It seemed that Tommy had decided to move where the petting would occur.

As always when it was time for play, Tommy would come and get me. We again tried a few toys, but Tommy wanted her fleece teaser.  She left the room, so I assumed that we were done. When she returned, she crouched on her rug in her hunting position and called out to me.  I guess I was wrong, we weren’t done playing.  When Tommy moved to her bed in the living room, I knew that play time was over and nap time had begun.

I worked on prepping the 1944 diary entries which doesn’t make any noise.  When I started to dictate the transcription for January, 1944, Tommy must have heard my voice. She found me and let me know that she was awake and ready for some attention.

While she got a drink, I worked on this blog.  She then went over to the balcony door where she could see a bird on the roof of the building next door. She sat and watched him and continued to look out the door when the bird flew away. When I joined her, she complained (I’m sure about the missing bird), then used the scratching post and looked at me. It was her little way of reminding me that she wanted a treat. Since it had been since early this morning, I obliged. I brought out the four different flavors and spread them out. She put her face on the Savory Seafood, a good choice.

As the afternoon and early evening progressed Tommy napped and then came and looked for me whenever she wanted attention.  After a while I noticed that I had gotten a lot done and Tommy hadn’t checked in. when I couldn’t find her, I looked under the bed. There she was. She had been moody before and that hadn’t changed. I talked to her and gave her a treat. She finally decided to come back into the living room and we had another play session.

Throughout the play session, there were licking, drinking, and strolling breaks. During one strolling break, Tommy went into the study and when I heard a noise I went in to investigate. There she was on the inflatable bed case moving towards one of the plants. The minute I turned on the light, she jumped down and went back to the living room to sulk. She half-heartily played, but finally just got into her Buddha position signaling it was time for her meditation (nap) session.

The rest of the evening was spent quietly watching television. Tommy was pretty well wiped out, but I knew that she’d have a second wind right when I’d be ready for bed. We again slept through the news, but later woke up and had a rousing play session before bed.  When Tommy signaled that she was finished, I turned off the TV and lights. Tommy followed me into the bedroom. She went under the bed to start her next sleep session.  I went to bed knowing that sooner or later, she’d be up on the bed seeking my attention.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Tommy woke me up at 4:30 to give her some attention. When we finished we fell asleep next to each other. She seemed to feel that I need to be kept in close proximity so I don’t shirk my duties.  I of course enjoy having her near to me.

Although we woke up a couple more times, we didn’t get up until it was time for me to get ready for class. As always Tommy watched me put on my shoes and headed for the bedroom under the bed to await my return.

When I returned we spent some time trying to figure out what toy she wanted for our play time.  After several attempts, we went right back to her favorite, the fleece teaser. It never fails to amaze me that she doesn’t tire of playing with that toy.

I opened the windows and balcony door to let in some fresh air. Tommy decided that the balcony door with its fresh air and sun, would be a great place for her nap. While she napped, I worked. When it was time for attention, Tommy would find me and rub against my legs as I worked on the computer. One time I didn’t stop working quickly enough, so she jumped up on the desk.

When Tommy decided to nap in the bedroom, I decided that it was a good time to leave for the museum exhibition opening.  Tommy was now okay with me leaving, knowing that I always return, and when I do return I had better be quick with a treat.

When I returned we spent some time making sure that whether by petting or playing, Tommy got the attention that she deserved.  We then again fell asleep while watching the news, but woke up about an hour later which still meant that there was time for one more play session.

Tommy pulled the fleece teaser into the bedroom, so I closed the door. We continued playing in the bedroom and finished the night using the laser pointer to hopefully tire Tommy enough to go to sleep.  When she was done with the laser pointer, she headed under the bed to indicate that play time was finished.  I put her midnight snack on the bed, knowing that later she would come up and find it when she moved to sleep up on top of the bed.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

I woke me up at 4:30, and saw that Tommy was still asleep at my feet. As I fell back asleep Tommy must have realized it was time for our early morning “love fest.” She came up by my head and started rubbing her face against my hand and arm.  I petted her and let her know how happy I was with her actions.  She curled up by my head, licked my hand and then purred while she and I fell back asleep.

Awakening number two occurred when Tommy needed to handle her basic needs. I heard her in the litter box and then eating some her of crunchy bits of her food.  She then headed under the bed to wait for me to wake up. Since it was a little after 6:00 A.M. I wasn’t ready to get up and l bet that she headed under the bed because it was growing light out and she likes the darkness.

When I got up later we completed our morning routine, and I got ready to take the car in for service. Again Tommy watched me put on my shoes and headed for the bedroom. This time she went right under the bed and I couldn’t get her to come out. I left her treats where she could see them and told her I’d return soon.

When I returned, Tommy let me know that she was glad that I came back and waited on her rug for her treat.  We spent a relatively quiet afternoon, playing, petting and napping.  I needed to leave for choir and again Tommy saw the shoes go on and headed to the bedroom. She again went under the bed, so I left her treat and said good-bye.

When I came back I watched television and fell asleep as did Tommy. When I woke up I headed for bed. Tommy didn’t follow this time, but waited for me to come and pick her up. We went to bed. I was on the bed and Tommy was under it although during the night she would probably be joining me on the bed.