This is Lyra. She was named after the spunky, adventurous, and overly curious main character in the Phillip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy.
About a year ago, the foster mom noticed her as a kitten following a little old lady around. The lady fed her, but didn't want her in the house, so the foster mom took her in before the weather turned cold.
Besides being pretty, she's got razor-sharp claws, she keeps herself fastidiously clean, she's very good about using the litter box, she's a bit skittish at sudden movements and noises, and she isn't used to being petted too much or picked up, and she has a distinct talent for getting underfoot and nearly tripping me. She's also extremely curious (read: she gets into everything!) - I've come home to find socks pulled out of the laundry basket and the DVD player tilted back against the wall at an odd angle. I was doing some crochet practice last night, and Lyra got interested in the ball of yarn - so interested, in fact, that she picked it up in her mouth, jumped off the couch, and ran around the living room with it, a line of yarn trailing behind her.
On her first day with me, it took her about 10 minutes to get up the nerve to come out of her carrier. Once out, though, she was quick to start exploring. She decided that her safe place would be under the bed, and she stayed there for most of that first day. If I got down on my knees and talked to her, she'd come right out and explore a little bit and then go back under the bed for awhile. She started rubbing against my legs on her quick-explore trips, and she even got brave enough to cuddle up right next to me and snooze on the couch for a bit, which is now her evening habit.
As the days progressed, she spent less time under the bed, and more time finding snooze spots and other places to explore.
The main thing we've got to work on is not swatting and hissing at my dog, particularly unprovoked. Hunny is keeping her distance and remaining very still when Lyra approaches, and it's Lyra who leans in for a swipe, which makes Hunny nervous. I don't expect them to be best buds, but I would like peace to reign.
I attribute her skittishness and defensiveness to the folly of youth and a rough start in life, and hopefully correctable. I imagine it's just a matter of getting used to Hunny and realizing that she's not a threat.
The other cat I was considering apparently has "issues," and probably wouldn't do well in my household. Lyra doesn't seem to mind being on her own when I'm at work, but it's probably quite a shock to go from a household of two other cats and two dogs, to just one dog, so she may need another feline playmate in the near future.
I've made a couple of big realizations. One, is how much I miss Louise and what a near-perfect cat she was. I can't expect Lyra to be like Louise, and I have to respect that where Louise was more laid back and less active, particularly toward the end of her life, Lyra is young and energetic. Two, I had gotten so used to Louise, that starting over from the beginning with a new cat is more of a shock than I had anticipated. The energy in the house feels different, which is to be expected, though a little hard to get used to. I feel like I've been jolted out of the energy pattern I had been accustomed to.
Wish us luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment