7-28-23

The foster cat in the attic has finally decided that I won't hurt him.   He has been frightened and hissing, often turning away when I have tried to pet him.    But yesterday he actually came out to greet me as I came up the stairs.   And he spent time looking out the window while I was there.  That's huge, because He sits beside me and asks to be petted while he watches the birds.   

I try to spend several hours each day with him, to get him comfortable with humans.  He will be going back to the adoption agency in two weeks and I want to maximize his chances of  a quick adoption.  It's a no-kill shelter, but the less time he has to spend in a cage, the better.  Actually, he probably won't be in a cage for much time, because they have nice open rooms where the cats can wonder about and climb.  Then humans interested in adopting can walk in and sit down to see which cat would best work for them.

I am impressed with this particular shelter, called Pet Refuge.  They take dogs and cats and have an excellent track record of placements.  They try to maximize the comfort of the animals, and are very strict as to who can adopt.  For instance, they would never let me adopt, because I already have too many animals for my space.  And they would be right.

On a related subject, Plans for the catio are on hold for another few days until the weather co-operates.  I's been very hot and when it's not too hot, it's thundering and lightening.  Hard to work outside on a ladder under those conditions.  I do tend to get out very early in the morning , which helps with the heat, but not with the rain.

And the birds are still not coming to my feeder.   BC often lays out on the feeding ledges, stretching herself as she bathes in the sun.  This tends to discourage the birds and squirrels.  But I have been feeding them on the roof, which I can see from the attic room.  And the birds do show up for that, but still in smaller numbers.   Having them feed on the roof encourages me to go up there more often so the room gets used and the birds are safer.  So, a win/win.