Daddy's Lap



Squirrel on her perch.

 Some times every just wants to lay down in daddy's lap. Just yesterday I was sitting on the couch with my feet on the coffee table, when TJ climbed up and got into my lap. After a few minutes Mizz Purrzzy came by and propped her two front paws on my legs. She was looking to get on to my lap, she would walk away and come back every couple minutes to see if it was clear. Lil' Bit came from the recliner across the end table to the arm of the couch, checking to see if my lap was clear. She too would wonder away and come back several times. Occasionally both were just sitting there staring at me, wanting me to do something about the situation. Both wanting some lap time.




Lil' Bit getting onto the recliner.





From here to arm of couch to lap.
Two leaps and she is there.



Lil' Bit will do this a lot, when another cat is in my lap. She will go to the arm of the couch or on the back to see if my lap is empty. She is notorious for plopping into my lap. I will be sitting on the floor at the coffee table when from the couch she will jump into my lap. Or if I am in the center of the couch she will jump from the arm, instead of walking across the couch. Kr-plunk 5 pounds dropped into my lap. It is like someone dropped a bag of sugar into your lap.



Mizz Purrzzy tongue out as normal.



Mizz Purrzzy is a bit more diplomatic about it, she waits until I am sitting with my feet on the coffee table then will prop up with her front legs to see if its available. Sometimes she will come up and meow or just look at me until I invite her up. If Lil' Bit is already in my lap she will get up and leave, and Mizz Purrzzy will take her place. Otherwise Lil' Bit is on the arm waiting for her chance.



TJ half asleep.



TJ (Tom Jones, “M” named him) might get a name change to NMK (NOT My Kitty). He supposedly belongs to the people out back, but thinks that this is his home. He will come to the front door, pick at the screen until I let him in. I keep telling him, “Not my kitty”, he doesn't pay any attention. Once in he believes it is time for petting and attention. Once in my lap he does not like to leave. I can pick him up, put him down next to me and before I can stand up he is back in my lap. Passive resistance all the way, limp and difficult to move.



Squirrel, Mittens, Mizz Purrzzy in their beds.



With all the other cats around Squirrel has not had much chance to play lap kitty. She avoids the others. In the last couple of weeks she has started to come around wanting in my lap more often, mostly when I am on the computer.

No pics of them in my lap, hard to do by myself. But here some of each of them. By the way I have opened a store on Zazzle of cat related images etc. I did this to help me pay to feed them. I plan on adding to it as time goes by. Check it out and let me know what you think. There is also a link in the column on the right.

   

Why So Many Cats

I an not very good at social interaction, that is partly why I started this blog. To improve my social skills. I failed to fully develop them while growing up. I am not anti-social just not very sociable. So if I seem to ignore your comments, fail to visit, or leave a comment when I do, I apologize I am still learning. I am never quite sure of what to do, I don't want to seem rude either.




What's for dinner?



Being currently unemployed and not having any family near by, not much happens. Don't get any visitors. So most days are the same. Kind of makes it hard to have something to write about, when not much is going on. No trips, new toys etc. Most of my posts wind up being descriptions or about behaviors. Things should improve soon.



I'm not going out!



People do ask me why so many cats, and how I can do it. I always believed if you are going to have a cat you should have at least 2. So they will have company while you are at work. I believe 3 is ideal 2 can play with each other while one sleeps. That gives them 4 ways to pair off (AB,AC,BC, or all 3 ABC) I always felt that 3 was my limit, but with Girl being such a loner I made room for a fourth. That gives 3 cats that get along with each other with Girl being alone.



Our bed now!



I am not very soft harted and some people think of me as cold (back to lack of social skills). But I have always been one for the underdog, so to speak. Cats just seem to be the most neglected, abused, and misunderstood of all pets. Watch TV or a movie, when something gets thrown off stage it is a cat you hear holler. How many famous cats can you think of? Even jokes are anti-cat “I like cats they taste good”. Then there is the whole witch thing not to mention black cats. They just have a bad rap all over, so I guess I am kinda of their advocate.



Squirrel's nap spot.



I have outlived a few family members without shedding a tear. Watching those commercials with homeless, abused animals seeing the cats will bring a tear to my eye. Seeing all the cats running around in my neighborhood got to me. Some of them just looked mangy and under fed. Plus I am more aware of problems feral cats have, now that I am older. So I felt I needed to do something to help stop the over-breeding.



Lil' Bit catching a few rays.



To me a dog is just a robot, pre-programed to like you being of a pack mentality. Anyone can be a dogs friend. But to win the approval and friendship of a cat says something about the person. People that want to be god-like and controlling have dogs. People that want friends, companions, equals have cats. I just have more respect for them. I like dogs they are OK, but so does everybody else. Who looks out for the cat. Very few.



Mittens sittin' pretty.



I have the room and as long as I have the money I will continue to care for the unwanted ones. It does get expensive sometimes, but I make sure they are taken care of first. All they need is a chance. It is rewarding to see a timid fearful cat like Girl come out of her shell. Or a mean wild outdoor cat become a loving indoor cat like the Martian. With his fierce independence I did not think he would ever adjust to becoming an indoor cat. But as soon as I let him the first time he has hardly wanted out. Or take Squirrel she used to pick fights with all the others, even had Twinkie afraid of her. She is now a content loving lap kitty. All any of them needed was a place and a chance to let their true personalities to come out.



Still not going out.



Most of the cats I write about are adoptable. I try to get them socialized with people and other cats. Anyone in the Tucson area interested let me know, I can answer any questions you have about adopting one of the cats. I have taken some to the Humane Society, that is where Mizz Purrzzy's kittens went. Kittens get adopted easily. But we have an over abundance of cats. I just checked their website with 191 animals 116 are cats. Craigslist is full of posts for cats. Currently there is no one else to take care of them.



Feed us.



I would like to find them homes. Sometimes it is almost to many. Especially when they keep pestering me while I am trying to work. LOL

        

No Privacy

Mittens & Mizz Purzzy at the door.

As many of you proud feline parents probably already know, one thing cats abhor is a closed door. As a general rule I have an open door policy, meaning I leave all the doors inside the house open at all times. They trained me well. The doors leading outside are naturally closed to my 5 babies. They stay inside where it is safer and healthier for them. Don't want anyone getting hurt or lost.



Mizz Purzzy walks in.



At one time I used to close doors. Girl would not eat if she saw another cat, instead she would run and hide. At first I would feed her where ever I could find her. Weather it be under a bed or the couch. I grew tired of this and started to make her eat in my bedroom only feeding her there. I would catch her, take her into my room and shut the door. I would open a can and place it on the floor for her next to her water. With the door closed it was not long before one or two sets of paws would appear under it. Trying to pull it open or get in.



Mizzy Purrzy watching the water run.





Squirrel getting a drink.



 

Hearing the sound would trigger Girls flight response to run under the bed and hide. I would sneak out trying to draw the others away from the door. Letting Girl out after an hour or when she would start to holler. Only to find out she had not eaten. Once the door was open the others would run in and eat the food. Soon this became frustrating. I started practicing tough love with Girl. I will put the food out and if she eats good. If not, well she will learn to. I decided to quite babying her. I believe between this and other similar actions it helped her. She has made most of her progress since then, now tolerating the others.



Full house.



 

That was the beginning of the open door policy. There are some disadvantages to it. If I go sit on the toilet and look up I have anywhere from one to four cats staring at me. If I sneak in and take too long (brushing my teeth, shaving, etc) Squirrel will appear and jump up on to the sink. She will look into the mirror to see what I am doing, walking back and forth getting in the way. Most of the time she will jump up onto the sink and want me to turn on the water. She likes to drink from a slow stream. She does not care weather I am sitting, standing, or in the tub, she still expects me to turn the faucet on.

 



Squirrel in the tub.



Now for Lil' Bit everything is play. She will run in at full speed jump up on the edge of the bath tub to scratch her claws on the bathmat. I hang the mat over the edge of the tub to let it dry, she thinks it is her personal scratching post, as she is the only one to use it. Then she disappears behind the curtain at one end of the tub. Popping out at the other end, then back around the way she came. Pausing only to use her scratching post. They all like to play in the tub.



Lil' Bit in tub.



 

Mittens, Squirrel, Lil' Bit will run and just jump into the tub without looking first. Sometimes I want to fill the tub and leave it full. Just to surprise them. I know, I am a mean daddy for thinking of that. They will race me into the bathroom getting there before me. Once a week or when my hands and feet are cold during winter. I like to run the tub full of hot water with the door shut to keep the heat in and just soak. If I shut them out there will be 3 or 4 sets of paws poking underneath, one or two sets at a time.

 

Squirrel noticed the camera

and struck a pose.

 

Sometimes someone will follow me in and I will close them in the bathroom with me. Then it is a kitty free for all. Everyone bating at each other under the door. I let in Mittens and Ugly once. Laid back in the water and closed my eyes. Soon I felt something on my face. Opening my eyes I found Ugly walking back and forth along the edge of the tub sniffing at the water. Wondering why in the world I would get into the tub when it was filled with water. Ugly just could not understand it. She was the brave one, me I had my hands protecting my sensitive areas. Mittens was asleep by the door, with Mizz Purrzzy's paws poking underneath.

 



Lil' Bit starting to sharpen her claws.



Currently I am single so it is not problem. I just wonder when I get a lady friend and she comes over how she will feel about being watched all the time. Especially in the bathroom or bedroom. It is normal to have 2 – 4 cats in bed with me with most of the others on he floor. I am never in any room by myself. My every move is watched, rated for appurrval. Oh well I guess that is what you get when you have kids.



Lil' Bit says "This
is my scratching post"



I walked into the bathroom just to take pictures. Naturally the first several times no one followed. Typical, LOL. I flushed the toilet to get their attention, it worked. Looking at the photos I noticed how dusty my walls and baseboards are. Well I am a guy what do you expect.

         

Wildcat Tamed

As promised here is an update on the Martian, also notes on the technique I use to tame feral/semi-feral cats. So this will be a long post, sorry but there are a lot of steps involved. Not really so many steps but a lot of detail in carrying them out. You will need to build trust with the cat, if it was abandoned it has lost all trust of humans. It might take longer than one that never learned to trust humans, but has always been afraid of them. It takes a lot of time, effort and patience to accomplish this but it is well worth it.




Wild Cat!



I had seen him around off and on for a couple of years. Mostly hit and miss, not more than once every month or so. He may have been around more, just in hiding. He was usually heard more than seen. He does have a very distinctive growl when facing off with another cat. As “M” would say when talking about him “the one that sounds like a martian” that is how he got his name.



Deep cut on his ear.



Around April or May of 2010 he started to hang around more, I would see him a couple of times a week. He would run away if I stepped out the back door. Most of the time I was chasing him away to try and prevent a fight with the other toms. About late June or early July I decided I would try to get to know him if he was going to stick around. He did not seem to have a home as he looked somewhat scruff, also he was very skittish.



Piece of straw stuck in his paw.



He would growl and hiss while backing away. He was always wounded as you can see in some of these photos. He regularly had a deep gash at the base of his ear, at one time behind both. For a while he had a piece of straw jammed into his leg. It was obvious that he was not being taken care of. He also looked to be about half starved. At one point I thought he might have had rabies, what with drool plus foam at the mouth along with a wild and unkempt look. Most cats that are cared for keep themselves a bit cleaner.



Rabies??



I started by putting food out for him, he knew the sound of the can being opened. I buy Friskies caned which helps in training (any wet caned food will work). First I open the can when the cat can see and more importantly hear it being opened. Second it has a stronger aroma for them to smell it so they know that it is food. I will hold the open cat at arms length and approach as close as I am able. When he started to back off I would put the can down and back away that same distance. If I could only get to 15' from him before he backed off then I would back away from the can 15'. Once he stated eating I would take a step or two closer until he started to stop eating. Each time getting a little closer, he would start to growl or swat at me, then I would back off. (A few times he would go after me ready to attack, not really chasing me just a quick jump like he was going to attack. Just a quick hiss or stomp of the foot and he would back off.)

Sometimes I would get his attention by opening the can and set it close to the back door. Then I would sit on the floor next to the screen door, talking to him in a quite calming manner to get him used to the sound of my voice. At that time I was with in 3-4 feet of him, sometimes I would sit on the ground outside so he could see me. I kept getting closer until I could get with in arms reach. I would put the can down lean back so he would eat. Once he started eating I would slowly reach out towards him. I do this until I can hold the can while he is eating. You need to sit the whole time they are eating, not just to put the food down and walk away. It may take 5-10 minutes or longer, much patience is needed here.

If you try this you do have to be very alert and ready to pull back. Very important here to keep an eye on the feral cat at all times. Many times while doing this he would swipe at me with his paw, you have to be quick and alert. Just as important is no quick moves or loud noises. I got scratched a few times, it is all part of the process. If you get caught try not to yelp or cry out “ouch” or at least keep it to a whisper. You can pull your hand back quickly that is OK. However if you raise your hand while yelling ouch you will frighten the cat. It will appear to the cat that you are attacking them, which may also set your training back, causing you to have to start all over.

Around this time my neighbor from across the ally noticed that I was feeding this cat. He saw me calling for the Martian. We got to talking and he asked me if the cat was female and did it have kittens at one time. I found out that his neighbor had moved away about 2 years prior and had 2 cats that he left behind. That was about the time Squirrel showed up, pregnant. As Martian's coloring is similar to Squirrels someone who doesn't much care for cats would get them confused. I took Squirrel out and he identified her as his previous neighbors cat. So it appears that the Martian was on his own for over 2 years, poor thing. He was pretty wild growling, hissing etc.

As I was saying I got to the point where I could hold the can. I would do it in such a way that when he was eating he rubbed his face against my hand. When he got to the bottom of the can I had to hold it in place or dump it out on the porch for him to get to the food. I did that at first because he would not let me get that close without trying to bite me, he would let me pull the can away and dump it out. He did bite me once or twice, but it did not go very deep. I just cleaned it with antiseptic and it would be fine. With him it was more of a warning bite as he did not bite hard or deep. If he was serious he would have bitten harder. I know I have gotten some deep bites, once down to the bone. It hurt for a month or two after, but that was another cat at another time.

Bites can be very dangerous, that is what I hear anyways, so if you need to see a doctor then do so. If you report the bite, remember in some places Animal Control will have to catch and quarantine the cat. There are areas where they will automatically kill the cat and run a rabies test on them, especially if they are feral. Either way someone else will take over and ultimately decide the fate of the cat. This is why I take care of all wounds myself. (He had been around long enough and did not show any signs of rabies) Remember though your health and life is more important than that of one stray cat. If something happens to you who will take care of the other cats, it is a decision you will have to make for your self.

First course.

At the point I can get this close to them, I will place my finger on the top of their head giving a light stroke. It takes several attempts to do this before the cat will let you. With Squirrel at this point I could do it 3 times before she would move, but she growled the whole time. It was funny because her head would not move out of the can of food. She would just pivot around the can and not stop eating. With the Martian it was different he would either take a swipe at me or snap at me. Not every time then eventually he would ignore me.



Dinner time.



Then I move to scratching behind the ear, at the top of the head not under the chin or near his mouth. Starting with one finger working up to 2 or 3. Once that becomes routine next is to give a full stroke from neck to rear stopping just before the tail. Again all this is in steps taking as much time as the cat needs. You are trying to build trust with the animal so you have to take it at their pace. How long it takes varies with the cat. It can take a couple of weeks or even a couple of months to get to this point. If you are consistent and spend time everyday with the cat it will go much quicker. I was spending an hour or more each day depending on the day. I do believe he was starving and might have had worms. He was eating 3-4 cans a day, sometimes eating 2-3 cans at a time. After a couple of months he did not appear to be gaining any weight.



BIG kitty!!



I have a medium trap and he is a big cat so I knew he would not easily go in it. It was September before I felt that I would be able to push him into the trap. I put a can of tuna inside to lure him in, it took a lot of coaxing to get him to start to go in. He would get half in then back out, once he was over halfway in I gave a push and trapped him. The next morning I took him in to get neutered and dewormed. The Humane Society receives funds a couple of times a year for TNR so I was able to take him in at no cost. Which was good as I had just lost my job and needed to save my money.

Smallest cat with biggest cat.
Lil' Bit and Martian.

They neutered him, cut the tip of his ear off, dewormed him and gave him his shots. I made sure they did the ear in case I could no tame him, so he would be marked as being neutered. He spent the night before surgery, that day after coming home and most of the next day in the cage before I let him out. When I did he immediately took off and disappeared for a day. Soon he was back, hungry as ever.

I do not know if that helped or if it just was about the right time, but he let me start petting him more. I moved on to trying to pick him up or at least placing my hands under him like I was going to. This whole time he was still an outdoor cat. All my cats are indoors only and were not used to him. Before I would let him in I wanted to make sure I could get him back outside if needed to. I wanted to make sure I could herd him out or pick him up if I had to. With out getting tore up in the process. It takes a while to socialize a new cat with other cats, and some may never get along.



Peace amongst cats.



Round about a week before Thanksgiving I let him in for the first time. Remember I started this process in late June. By Thanksgiving he was spending 80% of the day inside. Now he goes out maybe once a day for about an hour, then he wants back in again.

He has become a bit of a pest. He constantly follows me everywhere, if I get up to get a drink he is right behind me. He is never too far away, my other cats still do not like him, they either hiss at him or run away. So if I have to break up a dispute or move one of them off of a counter etc he is there which disrupts everything just by his being there. If I sit on the couch he is right there next to me, he is needy wanting lots of attention and petting.



Asleep in bed.



He thinks he is a lap kitty, and will either try to get into my lap or will lay half way on to me. He is a little big to be doing this. When I took him to be neutered he weighed 14 pounds and he has gained weight since then. Because he is so big when he rubs against the scratching post he knocks it down, even with just his tail. I can not let him up next to the computer like Mittens, he knocks things over and does not realize it. Every night he will join me in bed. He jumps up rubbing against me until I pet him then he lays his head down next to mine on the pillow. Some times he will lay across my chest, he is heavy.

Like I said the other cats do not like him and will growl and hiss at him as they pass him. Sometimes they will try to pick a fight. He usually ignores them not even growling back. If they attack he trys to get away. Over all he has become a very loving cat wanting lots of attention. He still does not like his butt or tail to be petted or his rear paws touched. I have to be careful picking him up. He will bite me, he never draws blood just enough pressure to let me know he is there. He also still swipes a paw at me sometimes instead. I am still working on getting him to stop, he keeps getting better. It will just take some more time that's all.



Playing with some toys.



As you can see I use food as incentive, making most of my progress while they are eating. I start touching and petting them while eating. Getting them to associate it as pleasurable activities like eating is. I continue until I can get them to let me do it all the time not just while eating.

In the last week or so the Martian has started chirping, goring rowwrmp to get my attention when he wants to be loved on. Asking to get petted. Right now he is in my lap making it hard to type as I have to push back from the desk to make room for him. He does not care that he barely fits he is just purring away.

Taming a feral cat can be rewarding. Both Squirrel and him are very loving, more so than some of the others are. All they needed was some love and attention, someone willing to give them a chance. It takes time and patience, with lots of love and forgiveness. If you are willing you may find that a former feral is the most loving and gentle cat you ever had the privilege of knowing.

     

Purrfectly Feminine Feline



Avatar

 Mittens as with all the other cats, started out as a wondering stray. She first showed up when I still was leaving my back door open, letting the cats come and go as they wished. Eventually she started spending the majority of her time with me. Most nights sleeping in bed with me. When I would pick her up I noticed that she smelled perfumery. A nice pleasant aroma not at all like dirt or the outdoors, not like the litter either.




Skinny Cat



One day while “M” was over we were discussing some of the traits each of the cats have. Mittens was in the room next to us when she observed how pink her nose is. I happened to mention that Mittens has the pinkest lips I have seen on a cat. “M” said that was because she was a proper little girl, which caused me to mention how sweet Mittens smelled. She said that mittens was a totally feminine cat. I had to agree. She was all delicate and graceful at that time, still is pretty much. She has lost her girlish figure along with some of her grace along the way.



Good Pose of Mittens.



When you can get a good look at her straight in the face it looks like she is wearing a mask. It reminds me of one worn by French women at masquerade balls in the 1800's. Like you see in the movies, big, flowery that covers the eyes, held on a stick in front of the face. Cat like coming down to a point at the bottom, like in the image. One of the ones that flair out around the cheek bones instead of curving back around the face. Most defiantly a ladies mask. I tried to find a good picture on line here is the best I could find.



 

Masks from online



Face mask shot.



 

 

I have not been able to get a full on face picture of her yet, at least not from the proper angle. If you look at the close ups of her you can get the idea. Both sides are flawlessly symmetrical. She also has little black teardrops under her eyes. Almost like little clasps to hold the mask on her face. Of course she is wearing a long black cape with her underbelly in white. All dressed ready for the ball.



Tear drop at the eyes.



When you scratch her behind the ears she will stare at you with a soft delicate look in her face. Like she is both enjoying it and patiently putting up with you at the same time. I have nicked named her Mamma Mittens. She will sooth and mother the other cats, letting them curl up next to her. She will bath and clean them, attending both Squirrel and Mizz Purrzzy on a regular basis. Those two will come up rub against her until she starts to lick them. Then they will lay down next to her while she cleans them. She will tolerate most any cat, I have seen her do this once or twice with one of the long haired calico's also. Lil' Bit is fiercely independent not into all of that. Mittens is gentle with her too, they both play and chase each other.



Pink nose.



 



While Mittens has a calming affect on the other cats, she is not sure what to think about the Martian. She along with the others will growl and hiss at him, but wont attack him. When Mizz Purrzzy tries to start a fight with him, she will run to join in along with the others. Over all Mittens is a very kind and loving cat. Especially when she was pregnant, she would purr loud and proud eating up all the attention.

Mamma Mittens
grooms Mizz Purrzzy.

 

She still likes belly rubs, with scratches behind the ears. But no longer tolerates being held. Hardly ever fusses, rarely meows. She is very factitious though requiring an exceptionally clean litter box. She will come up rub against my legs then walk to the box, then back to me. Continuing until I get up and clean it to her satisfaction. Watching me every step of the way. Then once finished will jump in and use it. All prim and proper like the hole time.





Momma? I need some lov'n.



One more skinny shot.

 

 

Mittens is the only one that does not pick on Girl, although Lil' Bit is only trying to play with Girl when she does. Mittens can be insistent but is not pushy. To finish, overall Mittens is a “Purrfectly Feminine Feline” all lady like and proper, 100% girl. Hope you enjoy the pic's of her.

Odds 'n' Ends



Squirrel on the counter.

 First I want to thank everyone for the comments about Squirrel. I wont tell her though because it will just go straight to her head. She already acts like a movie star. LOL

I wanted to post a movie and see how well it works. I just ran across it the other day. I took this a couple of years ago, when I first got my camera. It is just a still camera (8 megapixel), I noticed it had a film option. I tried it out to catch Girl in action. Milk is a finger food, as you can see. She eats milk with her paws (she is left pawed). That is the only thing she does that way, although once I did see her drink it like water. This was taken when she was still deathly afraid of Squirrel. If she knew Squirrel was on the bed she would have run and hid. I think if I had more light (my place is so dark inside) it would be less grainy.



Eating milk from a glass.



I want to get one with her and a tall empty glass of milk. She will delicately place her paw in the glass to get the last drops at the bottom. Or if I have a full one in the coffee table she will stand up with one paw on the table the other to eat with.



Dinner Time.



Well the kitties are not sure what is exactly going on. I think that they may be a little frustrated with me right now. I have switched them to a dry food only diet. I still have not found a job and am just about out of funds. So I had to cut back on costs, they still get their nutrients but this is cheaper. They are used to me opening 3-4 cans in the mornings when I wake up. Each morning they still gather around the food bowels expecting it.



Before, see how skinny.



The Martian used to eat 3-4 cans a day by himself. When I first started feeding him regularly he looked to be about half starved. You can see the difference in the two photos. What my cats would not eat from the cans the outside ones would finish off. I was going through 8 cans or more a day before the Martian showed up. Maybe the fat ones will get back into shape this way. If they do I might just keep them on dry food.



After, much healthier.



Pretty has started staying in nights, joining me in bed along with her twin Ugly. Both sleeping at the foot of the bed now that Martian has joined me. He sleeps with his head on my pillow, laying down after nuzzling and giving me a kiss. I will have to do a progress post on him soon, he has come a long ways.



Outside wanting in.



Mizz Purrzzy walked in a couple minutes ago meowing for me to play with her. I put her in my lap but she wont lay down or sit still. So I type a few words pet her a couple min back and forth between typing and petting. Of course this was just right after Lil' Bit jumped down. She joined me when I first started typing.

Mizz Purzzy says
Phbbt... to me.

I saved the biggest news for last. (Cat change Lil' Bit is back in my lap) Girl jumped at Lil' Bit. You know how a kitten will leap 2-3 feet to attack another one, trying to get them to play. Well night before last Girl did that, she leapt from the arm of the couch to the recliner to chase Lil' Bit. I had thought Girl had chased her before but this was the first time I actually got to see it. As usual that was the extent of her play 15-30 seconds before getting scared and stopping. Still it is a major leap forward for Girl. I told “M” and she asked if I had a heart attack when I saw it. It was so surprising and made me feel so happy and proud for Girl. I had to reward her and immediately gave her some treats.

 

Girl ignores the Martian.

Like I said just a few odds 'n' ends to update everyone on whats happening here.