Sorry for posting off schedule- recovering from stomach flu. Last week Bella Tuna Todd and I were in the company of a delightful pair of seven year olds. I read to the girls the last blog entry and we spent some time trying to decide what my next post should be about. It was decided that I should write about Bella's and my visits to their abode and the next section in the chronicle of the kitten's life. So, this blog post is inspired by and dedicated to my favorite set of twins. Thanks for the help and all the laughter that we shared, girls!
The Storm
The final push for me to start this blog was Super Storm Sandy, which happened only a couple of weeks after Bella came into my life. As the storm started to approach, I made all of the necessary precautions (stocking up on water, candles, instant coffee - lest I should lose the life-source of the coffee maker, and other such bare necessities for survival.) I did everything well in advance, but on the afternoon that the super storm was supposed to arrive, I realized that I was almost out of cat litter. Not at all willing to accept running out of that necessity, I went to my local Rite Aid to fetch more supplies for my cat's latrine not expecting anything out of the ordinary. However, in my bubble of personal security, I failed to realize that not everyone had stored food for the winter like me. Rite Aid was insane. It was like stepping into a beehive. People were dashing about the store trying to find candles, then comparing scented candles - like it makes that much of a difference when your electricity goes out - grabbing whatever form of water or non-perishable cans that they could find. And then came the standing in the line waiting for the registers. Any one who knows New Yorkers or who lives in New York, knows that waiting in line is comparable to sitting in traffic in LA - frustration rises and people will verbally complain whether anyone is listening or not. There are currently signs in the subways, which demonstrate how much New Yorkers despise standing in lines; I could be wrong, but I think that the posters say, "Waiting in line kills New Yorkers." If you've seen the poster and/or are able to take a photo of it, please try to post it in one of the comments, so that non-New Yorkers know what I'm talking about. (Likewise, if I see it again, I'll snap the shot). So anyway, after casually strolling through the aisles to find my desired cat-latrine filler, I stood in line (or "on line" as they say out here). I try to mind my own business and stay in my happy bubble of security whenever I'm out and about - I'm generally a very calm and level headed individual, so it takes a lot to disturb or to rattle me. BUT, one thing that I picked up quite quickly as I stood in the line that led through the aisle that was half Halloween candy and half Christmas decorations, was that people were staring at me. Large eyed and whispering, people were talking about me, the crazy cat woman, whose efforts toward preparing for this wretched storm was to buy cat litter. It was a bit on the silly side that my selection of market-goods was judged so much, but it sure made me laugh on my way back to my apartment. The looks that I received were priceless.
With the extended and seemingly perpetual edition of Brian Lehrer's storm updates playing on my radio, the kitten and I settled in for the storm (I was very grateful to have my radio once the cable and internet died, so that I could continue to know what was going on). From the advice from my radio, I moved my bed away from the window and did a very horrible job of "boarding" it by duct taping the random bits of cardboard that I had in my room to the glass in case it shattered. When I finished taping the shoe box patches to the window, it made me realize how pathetic my storm prep was, but I managed and made it through with what I had. By my door I had a Barnes and Noble book bag that my cat had decided to use as her place of refuge for the storm - she had packed herself and was prepared in case we needed to be evacuated. During the night, the storm rolled through and it was the most unnerving/terrifying natural event that I have yet experienced; I've been in a 7.2 earthquake and some seriously bad blizzards, but Sandy was a whole new ball game for me.
The Party
In the weekend before the storm, I had hosted a Halloween Party/Housewarming Party/Friend's Birthday Party (I like to do party-themes in bulk) with a couple of friends with the hope to socialize the kitten who was at that time only used to me. My friends and I spent a good portion of the night in her territory (my room) and during the course of the evening, a photo was taken of one of my friends looking under the couch to trying to coax out Bella. Little did we know (there's that cliche again) that Bella was actually in the photo. My friend had dressed up as a villain with bloody hand prints painted onto his shirt; in the photo he is laying flat on the ground and my kitten is lurking not too far from him as though she had been caught in the midst of her murderous act. Of course, my kitten did not kill my friend, but the photo makes for a good laugh - I passed the photo around the office enough to prove that.
The First Visit
It is not good for animals to only know a limited number of people. They need to be socialized to help them develop good skills with people. Knowing this, I decided to socialize my kitten. Now, being that dogs get to go on car rides and go on long walks, I rationalized: why shouldn't my kitten get to ride the train and travel the city and come on long walks with me? So, I made a play date with a friend to have my kitten meet his daughters - the twins. Some of you may disagree with this, but there is no better way to socialize a kitten, then to take her to someone else's home and introduce her to a pair of seven year olds. It sounds like a situation riddled with potential catastrophe - taking a cat on a subway and then to a strange land where there are children, but nope. Not the case. I've said in earlier posts that I have an extremely calm cat who handles the subways (now) like a pro. The trains do startle her when they arrive, but she watches the people in the trains who stare back at her with great curiosity. This visit was not Bella's first train ride - we had gone to the vet's twice at this point, which is a couple of stops away from my place, so at the very least she knew about the trains. When we arrived at the family's house, Bella wanted nothing to do with anyone for the first half hour - she hid under the bed. The family and I stayed in the room with the kitten, talking normally to get her used to all the new people. At one point, I coaxed (by a good grasp on the scruff of her neck) Bella out from under the bed and handed her to the lady of the house, so that Bella could be calmed by someone other than me. It worked very well. Within no time Bella went from trembling to purring. It was her first time being held by anyone other than me (vets don't count in this situation.) By the end of the evening, with a few lapses of the kitten running back under the beds, Bella was being passed back and forth between the girls as though she was a stuffed animal. It was a very good evening for Bella. I noticed that evening and in the following days that she was much more willing to be cuddled by me. Thanksgiving A week or so went by and then came Thanksgiving. I was invited back to the household of my friend to spend Thanksgiving with his family. The price of my admission: bringing Bella. So, again Bella and I boarded the train, this time with a pie and several loaves of bread that I had baked. A little boy spotted my kitten in her carrier and declared, "Mommy, look! A kitten!" From which were generated numerous smiles and my showing off Bella to many new faces.
One very happy evening, filled with good food, good company, and loads of dancing with the girls, Bella and I returned to our abode. We took a cab back and believe it or not, Bella fell fast asleep. The car ride did not bother her one bit - not surprising as cars are no where near as loud as trains. The kitten's willingness to cuddle with me again intensified. The Third Visit of the Traveling Cat This week marked our third visit to the household of the girls. This time, Bella was given full access to the house,whereas previously she had stayed in the girls' room to feel secure. Now she was running up and down the hall, letting the girls feed her and pet her, and curling up on the back of the couch to watch T.V. with the them. Transformation from liberated-wild-cat to domesticated-socialized-kitten, nearly complete. I've not heard any bark hissing since that first night, but Bella does still have the tendency to bite. I was recently told by a friend that it's not uncommon for wild cats or for cats who lived in foster homes to bite, but that with good training and patience it'll pass. I figure if I can continue to train Bella to be comfortable on subway trains, training her to not bite will come. Our time with the girls has been a blessing for Bella in terms of her socializing and getting used to people. Bella and I are currently in a Chicago airport, westward bound.
Your humble writer,
S. Faxon
The photo of her in the bag is so cute ! I cant wait to hear the story of her travels and vacation !
ReplyDelete