Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. Believe me, I have things to say. I just can’t seem to sort them out into blog-sized bits.
The post-Katrina national disgrace continues. I need to write about all that’s happened, if only to help me sort it out in my own mind, but every time I try to outline my thoughts, I just get so freakin’ angry and disgusted and sad at all the ugliness that has been revealed… well, maybe soon I can remain calm enough to get it off my chest.
In positive news, a bit closer to home, Smacky has now become an indoor/outdoor cat, mainly because he took it on himself to chew through my living room window screen last week. Putz. I caved in, bought him a collar and hung his tags on it (he did not like that at first, until he realized that I was not going to let him roam around outside without some kind of identification) and now he’s learning new tricks.
His first trick was meowing right outside my bedroom window at 3 AM, wanting back inside. How did he know it was my bedroom window? Did he bug other folks in my area? Or could he tell by the smell and sounds that it was home? At any rate, the first morning he did that, I ended up staying up and going for an early morning run. After a couple of nights staying out, coming back in the morning, he’s kinda/sorta settled into only going out for the evening and coming back before I go to bed, and sleeping inside. Often but not always.
But his latest trick is to meow to go out the front door… and then, five or ten minutes later, meow to come back in the back door. Repeat a couple of times, until I get stubborn and stop letting him out, at which point he runs around crazy until I let him out again. Double-putz.
The best part is that, behavior-wise, he’s become a much better cat. He’s stopped biting and scratching me, he plays only with his toys, he tends to sleep in the afternoon when I’m home. In fact, he’s sleeping in my lap as I type this. He’s very affectionate when I get home, jumping up on my shoulders and riding around on me, rubbing his head on my cheek, and generally acting cute as he should be. I gather that he’s taking his aggressions out on stuff outside, chasing birds and squirrels and maybe the dogs in the neighborhood, and then coming home for food and attention. And I’m OK with that. I won’t be surprised if I wake up some morning and he’s caught a mouse or small bird and left it for me as a gift. I think he’d make an awesome mouser (if my scarred arms, hands and feet are any testament).
I still worry about him being outside, especially in my area, but since he seems happy with it, and has demonstrated that he will come back on a regular basis, and is more affectionate when he’s here, I can live with it. Wow. They grow up so fast, don’t they?
Got some great pictures for tomorrow, showing off his snappy new collar and generally acting cute. Tune in Friday morning for the regular catblogging.