Sunday, February 10, 2002 * Rose's belly Rose, who we started out calling Rambling Rose, and has now become Moose Rose (instead of Moss Rose because of her size and capacity for food) is gradually endearing herself to us - and now us to her or so it seems. At first very aloof and unwilling to be touched, she would run inside the house for very brief periods then frantically want out again. She basically inhaled any and all food she found and became very attached to DH as he worked in the yard and rose garden to which she now inhabited, following him around like a large jumpy puppy dog. I began giving her cream in the afternoons (tea time) with my other inside cats and she took to this quite well - fretting when it was past tea time by starring hard into the kitchen window on the days that I was on errands and returned late. When the weather became cold, DH began insisting that she stay inside at night and although she didn't seem to like it at first, she would settle herself into a corner somewhere quiet and out of the way until morning, then rush out at first light. Gradually she started making herself at home in more obvious places like right in the middle of the kitchen floor or on top of the dining room table - and more recently on the sofa or on DH's lap... which really floored us. But even then, she didn't want to be petted or touched, rubbing against your leg when the spirit moved her - but shying away if a hand touched her fur. But this weekend she has decided to jump up on the sofa on a blanket near me - and since I'm use to petting or stroking the cats as they lie there, did so unconsciously and realized that Rose was actually curling up her toes and kneeding in sleep. When I stopped, she actually turned over on her back, giving me her belly to pet... which is a real mark of trust in the animal world. We were amazed... and pleased. She's come a long way since turning up in our rose garden last Spring. Rian |
From Dawn to Dusk... the journal |
Sunday, February 10, 2002 * Rose's belly Rose, who we started out calling Rambling Rose, and has now become Moose Rose (instead of Moss Rose because of her size and capacity for food) is gradually endearing herself to us - and now us to her or so it seems. At first very aloof and unwilling to be touched, she would run inside the house for very brief periods then frantically want out again. She basically inhaled any and all food she found and became very attached to DH as he worked in the yard and rose garden to which she now inhabited, following him around like a large jumpy puppy dog. I began giving her cream in the afternoons (tea time) with my other inside cats and she took to this quite well - fretting when it was past tea time by starring hard into the kitchen window on the days that I was on errands and returned late. When the weather became cold, DH began insisting that she stay inside at night and although she didn't seem to like it at first, she would settle herself into a corner somewhere quiet and out of the way until morning, then rush out at first light. Gradually she started making herself at home in more obvious places like right in the middle of the kitchen floor or on top of the dining room table - and more recently on the sofa or on DH's lap... which really floored us. But even then, she didn't want to be petted or touched, rubbing against your leg when the spirit moved her - but shying away if a hand touched her fur. But this weekend she has decided to jump up on the sofa on a blanket near me - and since I'm use to petting or stroking the cats as they lie there, did so unconsciously and realized that Rose was actually curling up her toes and kneeding in sleep. When I stopped, she actually turned over on her back, giving me her belly to pet... which is a real mark of trust in the animal world. We were amazed... and pleased. She's come a long way since turning up in our rose garden last Spring. Rian |
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