little victories

ah, little victories. i'm taking them where i can get them. harley isn't under the couch anymore, but, alas, he's now under the bed. :) the good news is that he didn't just run from one hideout to the other. the progression came in small steps, a dance if you will. it started with him staying far away from me and only acknowledging me now and then as i spoke to him. then we had some sniffing of the treats in my hand. a few hours later, it was him coming over to me and letting me scratch his ears, his chin, and also his back. this is a good sign as he didn't like me petting his back when we had our meet and greet.

i knew we were going to be okay when he first showed me his belly, and it was combined with him kneading the air and the carpeting, and then, he turned his head on the floor and i could hear him purring. ah ha! all this lying on the floor with him, talking with him, giving him the layout of the apartment, the neighbors, how i got here; basically telling him my story that was now becoming his story, it was paying off.

somewhere in here i slept. i suspect he came out for a look-see during that time because the edge of the couch near the floor had cat hair on it. is where he squeezed himself underneath it. i had wiped all the hairs away before i went to bed so these were new. good sign.

but the morning came and he was still under the couch. or was he? i looked. no harley! i rubbed my eyes. still no harley? i think of jumping up to start looking for him when i see him standing up in the corner under the couch. its an ikea piece so there's a space where he could comfortably stand and he sure enough was. his tail was wrapped around his paws which were together and when i said his name and touched his toes he stirred as if he'd been asleep.

what followed next was a break through. he did the drop, the roll, the rub my belly move, he came to the edge of the couch a few times, and then, because he was now starting to play with the camera cord i thought i'd have a chance, i gently coaxed him out from under the couch (meaning i slid him out on the carpet) and he came without any argument which means this move was on his terms lol. not a nip, a noise, no protests (although he is a big stubborn cat and when he didn't want to come out before, even with me holding the couch up with one hand, he simply didn't). he was in my arms and we were walking the estate!

first he tried hiding behind the couch pillows but once we were walking he was straining his neck to see everything. i showed him the litter box, his food and regular water dish vs. by the couch, and then, the real deal, we went to the king size bed and we just hung out there, meaning i snuggled him and spoke to him and he was lying down letting me pet him.

and then, after about five minutes *on* the bed, he dashed *under* it.

more good news is he let me pick him up, and not just that, but hold him, and then, he let me hold him on my shoulder so he looked over my back as we walked. not one protest and i knew this meant we were, we are, going to be ok.

by the way, he's a *heavy*, solid, sturdy cat. picking him up is my new aerobic work out lol

so now, we wait, as does the kitty post in front of the window. i hear he likes to look outside.