4 posts tagged “ana-sofia and brother wind”
Thanks for all the advice over the past week. Ana-Sofia Vargas and Brother Wind seem to have worked out their differences, and they're living peacefully. Laurie and Lauowolf both advised using food to bring them together. This worked. Now, when I get home from work, I have two pesky cats rubbing on my legs and cajoling me for food. I also gave them treats while they were next to each other. They weren't feeding each other, of course, but neither were they spitting and growling.
Oh, and Wind? He seems to have relaxed a bit:
Not a great picture, but I was in a hurry to get to work. Plus, it's hard to photograph a black cat in low light. You can get the idea, though.
So far, the only casualty in Brother Wind's tenure has been my end table lamp. It's not destroyed--Lord knows I don't buy lamps expensive enough to shatter--but it's been knocked over a few times during various little skirmishes. The first of these, on day one, was sort of sadly hilarious. Apparently, Brother Wind had growled or hissed at HRH Ana-Sofia in the wrong tone, and the little diva chased the big tux up onto the refrigerator. He moved down to the breakfast bar after a few hours, but he wasn't going anywhere near the floor, wisely ceding her the lowlands.
Many of my Vox friends are animal people, and Laurie has devoted years to rescuing strays. Thus, she's had plenty of experience with guest cat protocal. Apparently, the prudent thing is to quarantine the cats in separate but adjoining rooms, so that they can get used to each other's presence and smell.
Whoops.
So night one and yesterday, I managed to keep Ana-Sofia Vargas in my bedroom with me, giving Wind the chance to unclench his metaphorical sphincter a bit. Indeed, when I went out for a beverage later, he was actually lounging on his side, as opposed to the quaking cat-loaf he'd been before. Good. When I left for work Sunday, they were free to move about the apartment freely. I got home from work around 0230 this morning, and Ana-Sofia bolted outside, perhaps to show her disgust. Fine. I knew she wasn't going far, so I left her out for a few minutes.
Ann Marie--Wind's previous human--told me that he knows the word "Now." When you go to feed him, if you say "Now?" He'll respond with "Now?" I figured the poor guy might be hungry, so I cracked open a can of Fancy Feast. He climbed down from the bar to the kitchen counter. "Now, Wind?" I queried.
He looked at me quizzically, as if surprised I knew the language.
"Now, Wind?" I dumped the can onto a nice clean saucer.
"Now?" He replied.
I set the dish down, and he came over and tucked in. After a few minutes, I went and let Ana-Sofia back inside. She ran down her list of grievances against the various birds and humans she saw, and walked right by Wind, barely giving him a glance. She went straight into my room to relax and watch tv.
I closed my door when I went to sleep, and Ana-Sofia was perfectly content to stay inside with me. A few times, she went over by the door, and I think there was some sort of communication with Wind, but no howling. During the night, I opened the door so she could go get a snack and use her box. Things were quiet. I went back to sleep, and awoke to find an uneasy detente. She lay in my bedroom doorway, keeping watch. Wind was on his breakfast bar, keeping watch. Nobody moved. It was okay.
Of course, I don't think the lamp knocked itself over, but at least they chased each other quietly.
When I went to leave for the station this evening, Wind was still on his bar. That's where I keep my wallet and keys. He let me pet him. He meowed a little; he hissed a couple times, but he didn't run or growl. He's a beautiful cat, and I think he and Ms Vargas will get along fine. It's baby steps, er, "kitten steps" at this point, but I'm optimistic. I got my wallet and keys, petted him one last time, then petted Ana-Sofia. I went to pick up the poor lamp. I swear I heard it whimper. I left it there, safe on the floor, wondering if it hadn't jumped down to save itself.
I'm sure the lamp will be fine, as well. And as Tiny Tim observed, "Now?"
Epilogue: To answer two questions from the first post...his name "Wind" comes from "Windstar," a ship in the Greek Isles where his previous human found the other cat, "Star." "Wind" and "Star." Second, FONE is dying slowly. The camera function was the first to go. Hopefully, the replacement phone will be here next week, and I'll be able to post a picture. Or Ann Marie will e-mail me one. Or Ana-Sofia will e-mail me one, or maybe the lamp. Either way, I'll get a pic of Wind as soon as I can.
Brother Wind arrived here at 1015 this morning. He's a beautiful 8 year-old tuxedo cat, and Ana-Sofia Vargas' new brother.
A friend couldn't keep him anymore, and I've been wanting to get Ana-Sofia a brother or sister, just so she wouldn't be lonely while I'm away working 8 kabillion hours. Ana-Sofia's curious about the new arrival, deferential and kind. She's squeaking in an even higher register than usual, but she's not cowering or anything.
Wind is a bit, um, agitated? He was growling and hissing in his cage when Ann Marie brought him. He's been with her since he was a kitten, and frankly I would probably growl myself if you crammed me into a cage, then put me into a car with a four year-old and drove me down Ulmerton Road. No points off. He's taken up position beneath my end table, where he's lying there, looking un-relaxed, and occasionally issuing forth a gutteral noise.
He'll be fine. Ana-Sofia is keeping a good-natured eye on him. I think she knows she's still the mistress of the domain, and Wind will be fine. I expect there will be little flare-ups in the beginning, but things will settle. This is not a frantic environment. It's peaceful, serene. I keep it that way, because I'd lose my mind were it not true. Ann Marie went out on the balcony and smoked, gushing over the view of Lake Tom. The tilapia were swimming languidly, and a pair of white ibises plucked bugs from the shore.
There was just a tense exchange in the other room. It lasted less than a second. Again, it will be okay.
I wish I could fast-forward through the next day or two till Wind relaxes a bit and feels more at home. He's welcome here. He's part of our little outfit now.
