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cats again
Sep. 19th, 2012 09:46 amWe have something that almost resembles what passes for normality in a house full of cats and monkeys.
Leicester is doing well. He's just starting to put a little weight on the bad leg, though he's nowhere near standing on it yet. The vet is happy with his progress. I am doing cat physio with him to stop the muscles wasting and make it easier for him to use the leg later on when it hurts less. He seems to enjoy this. He does not like the litter tray in his cage, mostly because it is in the cage, so he has trained me to bring him the proper litter tray when he miaows for it. I put it down just outside the open cage door and he staggers out, uses it, then I remove it for cleaning elsewhere while he limps back to bed and has a wash.
Humbug is still confused, but mostly relaxed--what else would a Humbug be? Yesterday, for the first time, he came within nose-rubbing distance of the cage. Leicester put his face up to the bars and they rubbed noses. Aha, I thought, cat harmony is restored. Then Humbug hissed. Then they rubbed noses some more. Then they went to a different side of the cage and rubbed noses. Then Humbug hissed. Then they sniffed each other's noses and Humbug went away. What the hell was that about? We know Humbug's brain is made of fluff but how can he be simultaneously on nose-rubbing and hissing terms with Leicester? Leicester didn't hiss back. I may be projecting here but I'd say he looked puzzled and somewhat disappointed. He's feeling well enough now to be minding the boredom and some more nose-rubs would be very welcome. But he's waiting patiently for the Bug to figure out who he is.
Outside, we're definitely seeing more of the farm cats than when Leicester was active--I can see Dolly out there right now--but Humbug seems to have negotiated some kind of arrangement that avoids actual encounters or aggro, or effort...
Leicester is doing well. He's just starting to put a little weight on the bad leg, though he's nowhere near standing on it yet. The vet is happy with his progress. I am doing cat physio with him to stop the muscles wasting and make it easier for him to use the leg later on when it hurts less. He seems to enjoy this. He does not like the litter tray in his cage, mostly because it is in the cage, so he has trained me to bring him the proper litter tray when he miaows for it. I put it down just outside the open cage door and he staggers out, uses it, then I remove it for cleaning elsewhere while he limps back to bed and has a wash.
Humbug is still confused, but mostly relaxed--what else would a Humbug be? Yesterday, for the first time, he came within nose-rubbing distance of the cage. Leicester put his face up to the bars and they rubbed noses. Aha, I thought, cat harmony is restored. Then Humbug hissed. Then they rubbed noses some more. Then they went to a different side of the cage and rubbed noses. Then Humbug hissed. Then they sniffed each other's noses and Humbug went away. What the hell was that about? We know Humbug's brain is made of fluff but how can he be simultaneously on nose-rubbing and hissing terms with Leicester? Leicester didn't hiss back. I may be projecting here but I'd say he looked puzzled and somewhat disappointed. He's feeling well enough now to be minding the boredom and some more nose-rubs would be very welcome. But he's waiting patiently for the Bug to figure out who he is.
Outside, we're definitely seeing more of the farm cats than when Leicester was active--I can see Dolly out there right now--but Humbug seems to have negotiated some kind of arrangement that avoids actual encounters or aggro, or effort...
