laurierobey: (Default)
When are you leaving?

My mom sent me some blue dutch iris rhizomes, and I needed to get them into the ground. We've got a heat advisory starting at noon and going through TUESDAY at 8 p.m. It was about 10 a.m., already 78 degrees in the shade, so I thought I'd get it done now because the heat's just going to get worse from there.

So I put the cats out in the backyard, along with me and the bulbs and a shovel. Dasher was in his harness and on his leash.

Sun. Sweat.

Okay, I've planted them, now I just need to water them, then we can go back in. Dasher was lying in the shade by this point. I'm dragging the hose toward the flowerbed, which is generally in the direction of Dasher. The hose is not running. I'm going to take Dasher inside before I start up the hose, along with Buddha.

Dasher sees me dragging the hose, jumps up, and takes off for the side of the house. He starts off so violently that the leash handle jumps off the shepherd's hook it was attached to and is now dragging behind Dasher as he sprints.

As Dasher runs past the patio, Buddha looks like, "What's going on?!" but stays on the patio. I drop the hose and walk quickly after Dasher. If I run, he'll think I'm chasing him and just run more.

I hear the clatter of the leash handle on pavement, so he's either in the front yard or the neighbor's yard. I get to the front of the house and start calling for him. I hear a pitiful, scared mroooow and follow it to the front door of the house.

He's sitting there praying for the door to open. I approach gently and pick him up, trying to make soothing sounds. As soon as I've got him in my arms, he starts to calm down. I carry him back to the back door (because it's the only one unlocked), and put him inside, along with Buddha who has been waiting at the back door all this time.

I took the harness off Dasher and gave them both some Feline Greenies. They've calmed down now.

I guess someone must have squirted Dasher with a hose before, or he thought it was a giant snake.

Note to self: don't do anything with the hose while Dasher's around.
laurierobey: (Cat sticking out tongue)
We brought another FIV+ cat home to see if Buddha would like a buddy and we could give another cat a home. So far, Buddha shows no signs of accepting the cat (Dasher). Every time he hears Dasher meowing or smells his scent in the guest room, he tries to attack. We haven't let them contact each other yet. We've just had Dasher in the guest room and Buddha out in the rest of the house. We put Budddha in the master bedroom and let Dasher out of the guest room into the upstairs hallway. I was holding Buddha, and I cracked the master bedroom door so Buddha could see Dasher in the hallway. Nothing by hissing and growling from Buddha. For his part, Dasher doesn't even seem to notice Buddha.

Also, when Dasher was in the guest room and Buddha was right outside in the hallway, I cracked the door just enough so that Buddha could stick his nose in the opening. He tried to barrel his way through the door, hissing, spitting, and growling.

I don't know of Buddha is going to accept another cat in the household. And Buddha has dibs. We may need to call back Margarete from the rescue organization and find another home for Dasher. It's just kind of difficult because he's FIV+. FWIW, he hasn't shown any signs of aggression toward Buddha, so it could be that he wouldn't have a problem in another household with other cats.

He's only been here about 24 hours, so I'm not giving up yet, but I'm dubious if this is going to work.

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laurierobey

January 2013

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