But when he put himself on the cat tree and I asked, "So, shall I let them out?" he suddenly got a panicked look on his face, pushed past me to get off the cat tree (I was standing fairly close), and ran into the bedroom and under the headboard. His place of last resort, the place he hides when he's truly scared.
I felt sick.What have I done? What if he stays there permanently, and don't tell me he has to come out sometime, because I've heard too many tales from people of a cat who stays under the sofa and only comes out to eat/drink/litter box when no one else is around.
I petted him, reaching around the edge of the headboard entrance like I did when he first came here and that's where he stayed for three days. And then I went and let the Rowdy Boys out, because I might as well; they're people too and if Apricot is going to hide, they shouldn't be punished because of it.
After letting them out I went for my walk, because I am a slave to routine and what else was I going to do? When I came back, Apricot was still under the headboard. I was planning to take a shower while I was still (a little) warm from the walk. (It's 29 degrees F this morning, so my walk did not warm up my extremities the way it would had it been warmer.)
But I wanted to pet Apricot and let him know I was still there for him and I still loved him even if he did become the cat under the headboard.
Of course, the boys came in too. They can get under the headboard because they're still small, and Thimble especially kept pushing it and pushing it, going underneath and getting hissed and growled at, backing out, and then seconds later doing it again. I debated trying to stop him, but honestly, I thought maybe if Thimble proved the headboard wasn't as safe as the top of the cat tree, Apricot would come out and be there instead. Which would mean he was at least with everyone else.
About the fourth or fifth time Thimble pushed past my petting hand/arm that was caressing Apricot and invaded Apricot's final hiding place, Apricot lost it. (By the way, my hand got retracted whenever Thimble pushed in; I'm not completely unaware of the possibilities of claws here.)
Apricot, gentle, retiring, shy Apricot, who let all the other cats in the cat room make him be the low man on the totem pole--Thimble got something out of him that I don't think any other cat has.
Apricot swatted him. Hard. He didn't have his claws out, but I could tell the impact had his muscle weight behind it.
Thimble immediately retreated and this time stayed that way. Colby, observing all of this, decided that he didn't need to learn the same lesson and copied Thimble. (This is Colby's method of operation for everything. He lets Thimble go first, and that way he (Colby) has more time and energy to play while Thimble has to do the heavy lifting.)
Okay, well, at least Apricot won't let them push him around while he's there. I gave Apricot some praise and some petting, and then went to take my shower. (Of course by now I'm thoroughly chilled again and had to spend more time than usual in the hot flow of water.)
When I came out, the first thing I saw was very strange. Both the Rowdy Boys were in the pink room, despite the door being open. Well, maybe the whole shower thing startled them--only they don't startle for reasons like that, not and stay startled.
I went to check on Apricot, and he was gone. Crap. Did he go hide under the sofa in the tv room? It's much harder to get at him, and while I will never haul him out from under the headboard short of a fire in the house, I want to know I can haul him out if I need to. The sofa is ever so much harder for me to get under.
To the point where I thought I'd check the living room first, just in case, and if a miracle had occurred, I wouldn't have had to crawl under the sofa and hit my head multiple times (it always happens).
Apricot was in the living room, in the Ops Deck. Oh, I was so relieved! He can stay mewed up in there (yes, the pun is deliberate) all he likes. Just be out where I can sort of be with him!
But why were the Rowdy Boys in the pink room? They like the living room; it's bigger and (apparently) has better toys. They followed me into the living room slowly, and they both gave Apricot a wide berth.
Then, kittens being irrepressible and all, they both started playing in and around the tunnel. Apricot came out of the Ops Deck and watched from the cat tree ... and then he came down, got himself a casual drink from the fountain, and got down on the floor to watch the two play. Thimble looked over but didn't make a move toward him.
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| Colby and Thimble in the tunnel, and Apricot watching from a chosen distance. |
Really? Seriously? This is awesome!
Since then Apricot has come over to me several times for a pet or a head bump or a kiss, like his usual drive-by loving self. He's approached the kittens, not going up to them, but going toward them and then stopping. He never deliberately went toward them before today. He stretched out on the floor in a relaxed position and watched them play. He went over to the green cup stairway cat tree on the opposite side of the room from "his" cat tree and looked out the window for a moment. And now he is back on the cat tree at the top, curled up, to all appearances asleep.
Through all of this activity by Apricot, the kittens never once approached him, and Colby, once startled by his presence (I swear Colby, you really need to start paying attention to your surroundings) backed off with his body bent in a U-shape and moving on tippy toes.
Apparently, all we needed to have happen is for Apricot to swat Thimble a good one, and now Thimble (and by extension, Colby) is treating Apricot with the proper deferential attitude.
It's only 9 am and everybody's in sleep mode. I think perhaps I am not the only one who is exhausted by all this back and forth behavior!
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