Good to finally be back, and to meet new cats Wesley and Bellamy and Mary Meowsie (well, new since the last time I’d been there, anyway).
I got to walk five out of six cats, some for as much as fifteen minutes or so. The sole exception was PIXIE. I got the leash on her and took her outside of the room, but she was so distressed I brought her back in after only a ninute or so. It didn’t help that between my giving ZIPPY his walk and trying to give PIXIE hers, some dog had marked territory all over the place right outside the cat-cages. I cleaned it up as best I could, but the cats that took walks after than all knew it was there.
Of the cats who had walks, ZIPPY did well, and RAGGEDY ANNE did great. MISS MARY MEOWSIE proved to be an old pro at this walking thing, while MR. BELLAMY and YOUNG WELSEY both seemed to enjoy themselves — though Wesley has a tendancy to suddenly stop dead, for reasons not apparent to me, then after a wary while to start up again as good as new. Quite a few people were amused by seeing the cats walked and came up to ask questions.
After the walks came the crinkly paper. Wesley loved it, but Mr. Bellamy acted like it was the best thing ever. Miss Mary was interested but didn’t want to get too close to the boy cats. Wesley similarly wanted to keep his distance form Bellamy, eventually settling himself atop the cat-stand, so pouncing on and burrowing under paper wound up being all Bellamy’s game. Which pleased him no end. Watching him with the other cats I think he’s willing to share but likes it even better when he doesn’t have to.
After that there was catnip all round. Again Mr. Bellamy was the most enthusiastic, followed by Wesley and Raggedy Anne.
Mr. Bellamy did have one unusual behavior. He went several times to the communal dirt box, scratched in it furiously, then ran around both rooms several times. He finally used it near the end of my shift; all the rest had been him just playing I suppose.
Sorry to hear that Baloo’s adoption didn’t take. Wish I could get Zippy and esp. Pixie to come out more; both are v. shy around me, esp. Pixie.
Heath issues: only thing I noticed was that the hair’s getting matted behind R.Anne’s ears. I tried combing the tangles out but she wasn’t in a mood to put up with any such foolishness on my part. She did a lot of grabbing my hand and then grooming it. That was sweet, but when I tried to pull the hand back that tended to trigger her predator instinct. She was careful not to bite or actually scratch me, but I came away with a few pinpricks.
And that’s about it for yesterday’s socializing shift. It’s good to be back.
—John R.
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