A Good Summer
Summer is passing by very quickly and progress has been good for Doodles! Our goal to keep him out of the fridge has been successful, he doesn't even bother with it. Although Doodles is still somewhat skittish around me, he has made great improvements within the home. We are able to pick him up now. He is bonded with my fiance and is most comfortable with him completing this task, but Doodles is warming up to me. I can scoop him up off the ground if need be. It's only a matter of time before he's associating it with positive things like treats and cuddles. He is still attempting to pick furniture. This problem is few and far between but it seems to be a social thing, he only does it when he's nearby and wanting cuddles, hence the reason we're trying to pick him up more. He knows he has scratching posts, he's not doing it to pick, he's doing it because he's happy. One negative thing, which seemed to spring upon us, is Doodles' need to bite things. It's almost as though he's suffering from pica. He bit right through my purse handles, which works out okay because the straps are being replaced, but it's still disconcerting. I can't leave my purse unattended with him. I'm worried this obsession will shift to shoes...which are plenty and very dear in this house. Right now we're keeping things locked up away from him and trying to deflect his attention onto his toys.
Gimli has improved since my last post. It seems his cold has subsided, it took a long time but he is better now. He might have injured his neck as some point, a week ago he just started to pull off his collar. I let it stay off for a few days to see if maybe he just needed time to heal (although there was no apparent wound, abrasion or bug bite). I tried a new collar on him and had the same results. He appears to be scared or annoyed by it. He hunkers down as though he's unhappy and then, to my disappointment, he pulls it off. I'm practicing with him to get used to wearing a collar again. He's worn one for a year without issue, I'm not sure why this is a problem now.
Aside from the minor complaints things have gone well here. Gimli and Doodles get along much better. Gim tends to be a little more laid back, whereas Doodles is a very active and playful cat. Poor Gim will stop playing with me if he knows Doodles is around. We've had to put time aside to play with the cats separately, just so Gimli gets his playtime too. This isn't to say that they don't play together, it's a nightly routine that they chase each other through the house at high speeds. They also love to watch the squirrels and chipmunks together. In the hot afternoons they can often be found together snoozing in the cat tree. I think we're all looking forward to dry warm days and not so many hot humid ones!
: )
