Thursday, October 04, 2007

early afternoon

So, I woke up with this headache…

Apparently the blowing winds bring seeds of ill head health to me, as we decided to finally try sleeping with a couple of windows open last night.  I woke up with a headache early this morning, but I was also in lots of pain, so I took my pain meds, hoping they’d deal with both head and body problems.  Alas, they did not.  My headache got worse, so an hour or so ago, I crept out of the bedroom (we have to sleep with the bedroom door closed, because otherwise Frank will try to leave through the doggie door while we’re sleeping…he doesn’t want to go out during the day though) and tried not to disturb any cats who might want rush the door to get in. Leigh-Ann was still sleeping and it’s rather unpleasant to wake up to six or so cats pouncing on you.  They don’t seem to realize that they weigh more than a couple of pounds now that they’re grown.

I got out the door stealthily and walked down the hall to first get some peanut butter crackers to take back with me, because pills on an empty stomach are icky.  I greeted all of the cats in the bonus room, and as I was looking around the room at them, I thought to myself, “Gee, it would be nice if Dobby was here.  She could be hiding under the couch and I wouldn’t even know it.”  It’s not a normal thought that goes through my mind, especially because I’ve seen Dobby behind the pool every time I’ve looked lately.

I walked back toward the bathroom to get my Sudafed, and as I was walking, I looked down at the stairs.  On the stairs, looking up at me was…DOBBY!!!  Dobby came back on her own, through the doggie door.  YAYAYAYAYAYAY!  I didn’t know if we’d be back to square one where she was terrified of us, so I went to get the kibble bribes.  Ugh, the other cats went nuts - it’s like I’m offering junkies a free fix.  I tossed some kibble onto the stairs and she ate it normally, but when I walked towards her, she jumped through the railing into the living room.  I gave her some more kibble, then went back upstairs to tell Leigh-Ann that DOBBY WAS BACK!  When I went to the doorway to look into the hallway, she’d already made her way back upstairs and was happily mingling and rubbing up against the cats.  Well, except with Bing - she was eyeing Bing suspiciously and walking away from her.  Bing isn’t fond of newcomers, so she was probably giving off “go away” vibes.

Oh yeah, I finally made my way back to the bathroom to get my Sudafed and when I walked out with my prize (the kibble is also kept in there), Dobby greeted me at the door.  She sniffed my fingers and didn’t seem particularly afraid of me.  It looks like we didn’t lose much ground in our efforts to turn her into a pet versus a feral cat.

OMIGAWD, Dobby came back…on her own.  YAY!  (I’m still in shock) If she decides to leave again, we still have the trap in our arsenal because we didn’t have to use it to bring her back.  I can’t believe she came back through the doggie door.  I wonder if she doesn’t like the wind.  It’s the first time it’s been windy since the night she escaped and she seemed terrified then.  I hope she decides that she likes it better inside, although we did make the great outdoors pretty cozy for her.  Food, snacks, toys, litterbox, a crate…and last night, when we discovered where she’d been sleeping, we put down a towel.  I guess an actually bed or couch wins out.

terribly early in the morning

Yay!  Hockey is back!

Boo!  The 2006-2007 Leafs seem to be back too.  Ugh, lost the season opener after being ahead in the third period, then giving up the tying goal and losing in overtime.  Could there be anything more typical of the Toronto Maple Leafs?  Damn.

We now know that Dobby is spending her nights behind the waterfall, next to the pool equipment.  It’s so nice to go out there and shine the flashlight at the rocks and see her.  Of course, we see her running away, but we see her.  Leigh-Ann put a trap (not armed, to get her used to it without scaring her off) in the back yard with food in it, and a crate next to it with our t-shirts & towels in it (to remind her of her loved ones, us!)...and kitty Greenies, and she’s eaten the food (twice!) and the Greenies.  Now we now that she’s feeling brave about going into the trap to eat, so tonight it’ll be armed, and hopefully our feral baby will be home.  I hope it was just an accident that she left and that she doesn’t have any desire, like Frank, to go roaming the great outdoors.  It’s pretty much impossible for us to keep a cat inside if it doesn’t want to be here, if we want to give the big dogs any freedom whatsoever.  Eli is getting old lady dribbly bladder, so we really don’t want to keep her locked inside if she needs to go out and pee.  German Shepherd bladders are very large, if you know what I mean.