The Cat Report (W.10/1-14)

Thanks to the quick adoption of TWEETY and SYLVESTER, whom I never got to meet but who look like cute kittens from the pictures, plus the current interdiction on new cats arriving until we get the all clean from the main shelter, we're still at just three cats for now: MOLLINI, BUXTER, and MAEBE. Which turns out to be just the way they like it: all three are revealing personalities previously muted by the crowd but which now really stand out.

With just the three and close to three hours, they each got a good deal of individual attention. The morning started out with walks, of which Buxter's was the longest and Maebe's the loudest. After she'd been out a while, though, Maebe did calm down a little and do some exploring. Mollini's was a mix of prowling (with tail curled under her) and being carried.

Back in the room, Maebe once again showed herself the cat most interested in games, though Mollini comes in a respectable second (watching about as much as joining in). 
Catnip spray (on some of the cat-stands and some of the cat-toys, as well as real catnip, was popular with both Maebe and Mollini. 
Catnip bubbles fascinated Maebe, who stalked them here, there, and everywhere. Mollini watched with interest but mostly just watched. Buxter tried to ignore the unseemly sight of cats chasing bubbles, instead setting a fine example of cat-snoozing atop a cat-stand. Surprisingly, Mollini was more interested in the laser pointer.


Mollini seems to have come to trust people, and no longer swats or hisses at me -- except, of course, for the obligatory protest against going back in the cage, and even here she immediately began exploring the little cave I'd made for her through arranging the blankets. She did more exploring of the far side of the room, as she had last week; think the presence of other cats down on that end had kept her from doing so in the past.

Once walks were over, all cages were clean, and all three cats had gotten games or petting sessions, I did put up the fencing and stood outside the room to keep an eye on things. Only Buxter came out and stayed out; Mollini lay down across the doorway, while Maebe stayed in the room where it was safe. The cats being out on the leash early on and outside the room later did attract a good deal of attention. We did have one visitor who seemed to be in the early stage of looking for another cat, possibly a middle-aged cat like Mollini, to keep her senior cat at home company; hope she'll come back and talk to an adoption counsellor and get to know Mollini better.

Hadn't known that Mollini has a favorite toy: thanks to the fellow volunteer who came by and showed me how much Mollini loves the little sparkly balls, even playing fetch with them. 

And that's about it for yesterday morning. I'm out the next two weeks, so the cat population in the cat-room's likely to be very different next time I see it.

--John R.