Unveiling Aja - Chapter 3 - Little Victories

One morning, as my body began the process of waking, I turned over in my bed and saw THIS!!

Seriously, I couldn't believe my eyes.  Aja, laying in the bed we bought for her.  I slowly reached for my glasses on the night stand.  She looked over her shoulder at me.  I froze not wanting to disturb this little victory.  She returned to sleep.  Even with my glasses on she was STILL there.  I wanted a picture.  I needed a picture.  I slowly reached for my phone and as I drew it towards my body, she looked over her shoulder at me again.  I froze again -  my eyes closed pretending to sleep.  She set her head down again.  

I then took about 20 pictures of a cat that was not moving one little bit!!  Hahaha! Never in my wildest dreams did I even think I would get such a sense of joy from seeing a sleeping cat.  After all, sleeping is what cats are masters at.  I have 50 years worth of cat sleeping images in my brain!!  But none gave me a feeling of success, like that image.

                                                And then there was today - she did THIS!!!!

Yes, she is laying beside me on the bed.   She still keeps to our bedroom normally, so periodically I go in the bedroom and spend time with her.  Today I pulled back the covers of my bed and sat on the mattress.  She has become confident enough to jump up and sit by me, but today was the first time she laid down beside me.  Another victory.

She won't jump to my lap when I sit in the chair.  She did that exactly twice on her own.  And when I lift her onto my lap she doesn't seem comfortable and sometimes hisses letting me know, "Not now!!"  So I have stopped trying to lift her or hold her.  She just isn't ready for that.  But laying beside me was a pretty big step for her.  Relaxed enough to lay on her side.  I will say her tail was wagging a bit - like she knew this action was new with me and she was feeling a bit unsure.  But she stayed for about 10 minutes.  And then she jumped down. 

I am still learning!

The first few weeks I made all the advances with her.  Half the time she was receptive and half the time she wasn't.  In the last few weeks I have let her make all the moves.  She needs to seek me out - and she does.  That method has worked very much better.  What I REALLY want to do is pick her up and give her a great big hug!  But I resist as I know that would end in disaster.  And my goal is to avoid disasters - and even hissing episodes!  Bonding is the goal and trust takes time.  Peace is the path to both.  And I love this little lady enough to do all the steps her way.

I keep forgetting.  Its been only 5 weeks.  We are on Aja's time schedule and not mine!  And she likes it that way.  Now that this approach is bearing fruit - I like it that way as well!