Picking Up Apricot

Since I discovered how to pick up Apricot in a way that doesn't scare him, I've been practicing. I don't, obviously, have pictures of me carrying him, since that would involve me being in two places at the same time.

Here's a lovely closeup I got of him, instead. Technically the picture is upside down but I think it looks better this way!

Look at those lovely green eyes!

Anyway, over the weekend I've been randomly picking him up, holding him and petting him while he's being held, and then carefully putting him back down again. He's still a little weirded out by the whole process, but he's getting used to it. It's nice I can pet him while I'm holding him. If he was bigger, I'd need both arms to support his weight, but since he's such a little kitty, I can support him with one arm and pet him with the other hand. And he does so love to be petted.

In fact, this afternoon when I was making hard cooked eggs, he was curious as to the sound from the stovetop. The pan with the boiling water in it was making noises, and he was curious and wanted to know what it was. Let me repeat that one more time. He was curious. He wasn't frightened or scared.

Well, I don't want him on the counters specifically because of the top of the stove being one of those that's smooth and isn't any different than the rest of the counters. Except that the top of the stove will get hot, and then not look any different, and if a kitty is used to being on the counters, how would he know to stay off that one area and only at certain times? It's safer in the long run to forbid counters.

But Apricot was looking up, wanting to see, and contemplating the long jump. So I asked him if he wanted to be picked up so he could see, because he wasn't supposed to get up there by himself. I didn't actually wait for an answer. "Do you want to be picked up? Do you want me to pick you up? Shall I pick you up?" is what I've been saying before picking him up most of the time, because I'm trying to get him to connect the words "pick up" and the action: thus I can pick him up without startling him because he knows what's coming.

And I picked him up, and let him look at the pot on the stove, and explained that the pot was making noise because the water inside was boiling, and then put him back down. Curiosity satisfied, he sat down and wanted petted (which is usually the case if I'm standing anywhere close) and after petting he wandered off into the living room in search of a toy.

Do I think he understood my explanation? Of course not. What he did understand was that I knew what was making the noise, and I was okay with it, and I was letting him know he could be okay with it. Since for the past three weeks I've been telling him about stuff and letting him know if it's okay, mildly scary, or "you might want to hide," he's slowly learning that he can trust me when I sound blase about something. 

Yesterday I got out the vacuum and just did the bedroom and the high traffic areas. This included part of the living room. While he was still in it. He was in his cubby hole, which has turned into a sleeping spot and a hide-from-noises spot, rather than a constant lookout. He stayed in the cubby hole, watching me and the vacuum quite closely. I'd told him and showed him when I got it out that I was going to make horrible noises again, and he was safe but it was going to sound awfully scary.

I was very proud of him for staying in the cubby hole and not running away from the vacuum cleaner! 

He even got so bold this weekend that one time that he ambushed me. Not that it was a very close ambush, and he rather stopped and waited to see what I was going to do, instead of the more typical ambush behavior of running away at high speed, laughing maniacally. (Pippin never did this because of his vision, but Pizza and Tiger both did, and Max did although Max used teeth. Pizza and Tiger did it the way Apricot did it; they come out of nowhere, pat my leg, and take off, well, except Apricot didn't do the 'take off' part.)

I was debating whether to discourage this behavior or not, but decided as long as he kept teeth and claws out of it, a drive-by grab was okay. So I just let myself giggle at him, and say "You startled me!" (because he had, and it showed; I'd jumped!). He hasn't ambushed me since, but he seemed to think this was an okay response. 

Not all is roses, however; he's developed a weird fixation with a spot on my comforter. It's actually a whole "line"; the comforter has two ribbon-like things several inches away from either side that allow a person who likes stuff precise, like me, to balance the comforter between the edges of the bed so an equal amount hangs down on either side. I have no idea why they are there other than it lets you make the bed look neater! 

But this is something he's decided to attack, although not while I'm sleeping, thank goodness. I sprayed it with citrus smell today, and we shall see if that discourages him (most cats don't like citrus). At least he's going back up on the bed again? I can't decide if that's a good thing, given the attacking of my comforter.

And he didn't get the zooms again till today (Sunday). He had them Wednesday and Thursday, but when I came home Friday he seemed oddly subdued. I think perhaps something happened outside the house that day that scared him. It took a while and some petting before he wanted to do anything other than being petted.

He loves being petted but it rapidly escalates into playfulness when he's in a good mood, and I have learned the signs. I've been telling him my hands aren't toys, and if he wants to bite something, bite a toy. He's actually gotten the concept behind "no, not me, go play with your toys" because today when I said that, he got up and went into the living room in search of a toy. My house looks like a strange sort of toddler lives here--there are cat toys all over the living room floor!

Giving him toys to chew on works most of the time.
This is the butterfly toy that crinkles and up until today,
was a source of wariness and not a toy to bite.

I keep handing him a toy to chew on whenever we are in the living room and he goes playful on me. Luckily there are so many that there is usually one within reach, and it no longer scares him when I sprawl out to grab one. 

Back to picking him up: I have even taken two steps twice when holding him. This is very alarming to him and he wants down almost immediately (thus only two steps). It doesn't help that my ankles have creaked alarmingly both times! 

But it wasn't so long ago that he went all stiff and resistant cat when I picked him up and just stood there with him. I get impatient, and I need to remember slow and steady has been working just fine so far. And if I'm slow and steady, he races ahead of me in expected development, which is nice. 

I did complain to my friends that it was very frustrating being around Apricot, because he looks so very cuddly and hold-able, and I can't cuddle him yet. I had to hug my friend's cat last night in a cuddle hug to kind of tide me over. Pumpkin just kind of half put up with it, half enjoyed it, which was generous of him. I'm not his person, after all.

Apricot is currently on the look-out perch of the cat tree with the cubby hole in it. He is napping because I played with him and Da Bird for fifteen minutes and got him all tired out. Yes, I learn too. If I want to write a blog post about him, I need to wear him out first, otherwise he nags for playtime.

It's really nice having a cat around the house again. I did sort of want either two kittens (to play with each other) or one older cat (which Apricot was supposed to be) who wasn't so playful, but this works, and it's good practice for the kittens this winter. Maybe we'll both build up our stamina till we can play with the kittens without getting exhausted so quickly.