The big kitty update.
Whew. After about a week of things in a holding pattern (namely freaked-out kitties pretty much hiding at all times and making me feel awful), Lumen apparently got bored and decided to move along with this whole domestication thing -- including exploring outside the bathroom, and renewing her friendship with Fry sans screen door in the way.
For the better part of the first week, this was a pretty standard view of little Lumen, peeking out from her hidey-hole behind the dryer:
Pretty depressing, huh? Made me feel like I was running a kitty gulag.
But then, last Thursday, a week to the day after the traumatic Night Of Live Traps, Lumen apparently either decided she was safe, or got bored, or some combination, and she started coming out at feeding times and interacting, to the point where I risked a little flash photography.
Clearly, the flash didn't bother her in the slightest.
I'm beginning to see a hint of the typically feline, "I am your lord and master, obey me!" attitude in this next shot.
During all of this, Dex remained resolutely in hiding behind the washer, though regular readers will recall that, unlike Lumen, he retained the collar I had the clinic people put on him while he was knocked out, and the jingling of the tag let us know that he *was* coming out at night, when the lights were out, eating (the collar tag jingles against the rim of the bowl), etc. Also, on a rare occasion when someone went in to use the bathroom "after hours" (it *is* still our bathroom, after all) by the glow of the night light, Dex was occasionally spotted perched on top of the water heater. I figured if he was eating, drinking, using the litter box, and able to get up that high off the ground when he wanted to, he must be doing fine.
Then came today, and the next dose of trauma headed in Dex's direction: the first load of wash being run since kitties were moved inside (countessaleska and I held off on that as long as possible, but the dirty clothes have been piling up . . .).
I fired the washer up and left, leaving the cats to figure out their own solution to the situation (while keeping an ear out for screaming/yowling, stuff getting knocked around, etc., that might require intervention). All was quiet for the duration of the run. When I went in to load the dryer, I found both cats had transferred, not unexpectedly, to the tub.
Lumen came out when I entered the room:
Dex, well, cowered:
Poor little guy.
With the dryer going, Lumen wanted interaction (but not food, since she wasn't interested when I offered it), mewing and half-approaching. I tried getting her to play with a fishing-rod toy, but while she was intrigued she also seemed confused, so I gave it a rest after a bit.
Yesterday, Friday, she'd actually wanted to take a look out in the hallway, so I'd let her venture forth -- and, not incidentally, meet up with Fry for the first time. She took it quite well. Fry was badly disconcerted and ran away from her, but he seemed more weirded-out than hostile. Lumen wanted back into her safe space pretty quickly, but today I decided to see if she was up for something more.
Boy, was she ever. With tail in the air (and a lot of talking-mewing and looking back for reassurance), she began to seriously explore her new home.
So many things to see! (Fortunately, she didn't try to hop up on any counters, so she spared herself the squirt bottle for now.)
And, of course, Fry came to see what was up. I think his poleaxed expression here says it all; he was simply astounded that there was *another cat* in the same room with him who wasn't hostile like Tippy:
In fact, Lumen tended to ignore him -- as when she checked out the porch window from the *inside* for the first time, and Fry lurked behind a box, watching her.
Finally, Fry decided to initiate some play. It took a moment for Lumen to notice.
However, she was happy to join in once she got the idea.
Don't let Fry's partly-back ears fool you; while it was tentative, skittish play, it was definitely play -- there wasn't a single hiss or growl the whole time, and both cats were clearly pulling both the force of their swats and their claws. So, a very good first date for Fry and his little feral girlfriend. :)
After the dryer was done and the bathroom was quiet again, Lumen, like the youngster she is, abruptly maxed out on stimulation and made a beeline for her safe spot behind the dryer. I let her be, and closed the bathroom door to give some privacy while she rested. Fry didn't seem to mind; he flopped and chilled pretty readily.
Total elapsed time: a bit over an hour.
And where was Dex during all this, while the bathroom door was freely open and Fry and Lumen were enjoying themselves? Still gone to ground in the farthest corner of the bathtub. So far as I could tell, when I checked on him, he hadn't even moved.
Oh, Dex. I hope all this gets easier on him, soon . . .
Anyway, that's the update for now. Breaking news will be posted as needed. ;)
For the better part of the first week, this was a pretty standard view of little Lumen, peeking out from her hidey-hole behind the dryer:
Pretty depressing, huh? Made me feel like I was running a kitty gulag.
But then, last Thursday, a week to the day after the traumatic Night Of Live Traps, Lumen apparently either decided she was safe, or got bored, or some combination, and she started coming out at feeding times and interacting, to the point where I risked a little flash photography.
Clearly, the flash didn't bother her in the slightest.
I'm beginning to see a hint of the typically feline, "I am your lord and master, obey me!" attitude in this next shot.
During all of this, Dex remained resolutely in hiding behind the washer, though regular readers will recall that, unlike Lumen, he retained the collar I had the clinic people put on him while he was knocked out, and the jingling of the tag let us know that he *was* coming out at night, when the lights were out, eating (the collar tag jingles against the rim of the bowl), etc. Also, on a rare occasion when someone went in to use the bathroom "after hours" (it *is* still our bathroom, after all) by the glow of the night light, Dex was occasionally spotted perched on top of the water heater. I figured if he was eating, drinking, using the litter box, and able to get up that high off the ground when he wanted to, he must be doing fine.
Then came today, and the next dose of trauma headed in Dex's direction: the first load of wash being run since kitties were moved inside (countessaleska and I held off on that as long as possible, but the dirty clothes have been piling up . . .).
I fired the washer up and left, leaving the cats to figure out their own solution to the situation (while keeping an ear out for screaming/yowling, stuff getting knocked around, etc., that might require intervention). All was quiet for the duration of the run. When I went in to load the dryer, I found both cats had transferred, not unexpectedly, to the tub.
Lumen came out when I entered the room:
Dex, well, cowered:
Poor little guy.
With the dryer going, Lumen wanted interaction (but not food, since she wasn't interested when I offered it), mewing and half-approaching. I tried getting her to play with a fishing-rod toy, but while she was intrigued she also seemed confused, so I gave it a rest after a bit.
Yesterday, Friday, she'd actually wanted to take a look out in the hallway, so I'd let her venture forth -- and, not incidentally, meet up with Fry for the first time. She took it quite well. Fry was badly disconcerted and ran away from her, but he seemed more weirded-out than hostile. Lumen wanted back into her safe space pretty quickly, but today I decided to see if she was up for something more.
Boy, was she ever. With tail in the air (and a lot of talking-mewing and looking back for reassurance), she began to seriously explore her new home.
So many things to see! (Fortunately, she didn't try to hop up on any counters, so she spared herself the squirt bottle for now.)
And, of course, Fry came to see what was up. I think his poleaxed expression here says it all; he was simply astounded that there was *another cat* in the same room with him who wasn't hostile like Tippy:
In fact, Lumen tended to ignore him -- as when she checked out the porch window from the *inside* for the first time, and Fry lurked behind a box, watching her.
Finally, Fry decided to initiate some play. It took a moment for Lumen to notice.
However, she was happy to join in once she got the idea.
Don't let Fry's partly-back ears fool you; while it was tentative, skittish play, it was definitely play -- there wasn't a single hiss or growl the whole time, and both cats were clearly pulling both the force of their swats and their claws. So, a very good first date for Fry and his little feral girlfriend. :)
After the dryer was done and the bathroom was quiet again, Lumen, like the youngster she is, abruptly maxed out on stimulation and made a beeline for her safe spot behind the dryer. I let her be, and closed the bathroom door to give some privacy while she rested. Fry didn't seem to mind; he flopped and chilled pretty readily.
Total elapsed time: a bit over an hour.
And where was Dex during all this, while the bathroom door was freely open and Fry and Lumen were enjoying themselves? Still gone to ground in the farthest corner of the bathtub. So far as I could tell, when I checked on him, he hadn't even moved.
Oh, Dex. I hope all this gets easier on him, soon . . .
Anyway, that's the update for now. Breaking news will be posted as needed. ;)