Thanks to Shane for coming in and showing me the ropes. I’d gotten the training for the cleaning/feeding routine back when I started at the Renton cat room (which is a bit different from the way we did things back in the old Tukwila cat-room), but that was more than a year ago now and I’d forgotten the details; good to have a refresher course.
We’re now back up to five cats, so the room feels full again for the first time in a long time. In the big cage is BOSCO, a big (18 lb) cat who’s a love bug. He loves attention, being fed, being played with, and wouldn’t mind more food if someone else’s is left unguarded. He went out for a walk that was interesting. He got carried a lot and otherwise kept trying to hid under and behind things for the first half, up until he came face-to-face (mere inches away) with a large and fortunately friendly dog. After that he relaxed and explored. It was as if he decided nothing worse than seeing a dog could possibly be out there, and he’d come through that alright, so he might as well relax.
Like so many tubby cats Bosco has difficulty grooming his bottom, so had to do a little intervention there, which he didn’t much appreciate. We’ll need to keep any eye on it, since cat-bottoms get red and tender when not kept clean.
He’s definitely a stumpie not a rumpie — that is, I think his little fat stump of a tail is because he was born that way, not from any traumatic injury along the way.
The second new cat is TONKS, a small black little cat with deep golden eyes. She wants to come out and meet everybody, play with everything, and generally show off her friendly, playful personality. She likes to ride on your shoulders. She too had a walk but was on edge the whole time (lots of time up on my shoulders where it was nice and safe). I’d be surprised if she doesn’t find a home quickly. She was pretty friendly with the other cats, with just the occasional hiss when she felt threatened.
She was apparently a litter-mate of Lupin, who passed through our cat-room on his way to being adopted a few weeks back.
The third new cat is tuxedo-cat TABATHA. Also pretty friendly, once her suspicions about the other cats had been overcome. She too had a walk, but it was a short one: she was sharply focused on trying to get back into the room, too nervouse to enjoy herself. Maybe when she settles into her new quarters and gets to know and trust us better.
The other two cats are familiar faces back for a return engagement: MINERVA and AVRY. Avry loves being petted inside her nook but doesn’t yet feel safe enough to venture out into the room. I think once she gets used to being in previously familiar surroundings she’ll start to come out and accept her due attention.
For her part, Minerva looks so much like Tabatha that I had trouble tellling them apart. She too was on the quiet side today — a bit shy while adjusting to being back, I think. She’d already gone back in her cage and was settled, so didn’t want to un-settle her with a walk. Definitely a good candidate for next time.
Health issues:
— Someone had some sneezing after she came out and went into the front room, but I forget which cat it was — perhaps Shane remembers.
— also, the fur around Bosco’s bottom will need checking on a regular basis and, when necessary, cleaning. A wet cloth works really well, but in a pinch wet paper towels wd probably do.
—John R.
current reading: MYSTERY AND MORE MYSTERIES by Robert Arthur (just finished).
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