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.