Could it be…? Is it possible…? Is that Mr. Meow I spy somewhere other than the leather chair?
It started about two weeks ago, when Mr. Meow dared to get off his leather chair and venture into other parts of the house. (See: Yes, Virginia, It Is Possible for Cats and Dogs to Get Along.)
First he grew comfortable negotiating the kitchen scene again. As I wrote about in the above referenced article, he now jumps up on the counters to keep me company while I wash dishes or prepare dinner. He’s kept that up, making an appearance every day these past couple of weeks.
But just a couple of days ago he made new strides. BIG ones.
First, he dared to come into my office. Pre-Tabby this was an everyday, usually multiple times a day, occurrence. Post-Tabby, I think he’s made it in there a half dozen times. I did a double take when I looked up last Friday and saw his fluffy gray mass hovering at the threshold. I had gotten so used to seeing Tabby come in I was ill-prepared for the shock (a delighted one!) to the system it was to see him there instead.
He further astounded me by jumping up on the desk like old times and sprawling out across the keyboard. How many times over the years had I cussed him for interrupting my flow for this very thing? This time it brought tears to my eyes and squeals of delight and praise.
But he wasn’t finished making breakthroughs yet that day. After he got tired of me crooning over him, he hopped down and went into the foyer. Instead of making a right as I expected (the route that would take him back to his leather chair), he went straight. Into the formal living and dining rooms. (Which we use for neither purpose. Instead, we store a piano in the one and a foosball and pinball table in the other.)
From there he can cut through to the kitchen to get back to the living room and his “safe place” (a.k.a. the leather chair), so I half figured that’s what he’d done. I listened for sounds of the great stampede (Tabby mercilessly chasing after him) but heard nothing. I went back to work and forgot about it.
It was only a couple of hours later when I went to the kitchen for water and heard him jump down from the top of the pinball machine that I realized he’d been in there the whole time! Even funnier, she’d been in there, too. Across the room, though, laying on the floor in the sun. (I’m not even sure she knew he was in there with her.)
I thought it was a fluke, until he repeated it again both days on the weekend.
Slowly, but surely, we’re making progress. They’re learning to live with each other and navigate their shared living space. I’m so relieved. I love them both so much and want them to, if not get along, at least find a way to tolerate each other. I’m so pleased to see they’re really giving it a go now. (Finally!)