At the Movies with Portia

Last night was movie night in the Cosy Apartment, a rainy, cool night outside, but warm and snug inside. I spent the evening with Portia. As you can see, she is largely untroubled by my presence; indeed, by my propinquity.

Her behaviour is still divided, however. I find the fact that she allowed me to sit on the couch with her and did not move from there most encouraging. She eventually stood up, hissed at me and walked away, though she only climbed up to the bookcase under the window and lie there, with her back to me. This may have demonstrated her opinion of me but nonetheless left her vulnerable to my touch – or attack, if I were hostile. That Portia presented her back to me suggests that she does not view me as a threat.

She continues to hiss at me, however. I think this is merely her way of showing that she is in charge of the situation – or would like me to think so. But she also purred. She purred while I stroked her head. She purred – until she hissed and got up to stalk away.

Progress is good, I think. My new house-guest is eating soft-food, and is also eating her old hard-food with the new, better quality, mixed in. Since the little of her previous litter that I had poured on top of the kind that’s used here is now lost in the general mix of scooped, tossed and churned litter, yet she continues to use the box, I would venture that she is now converted to the apartment’s brand.

It may be a while until she is let out of the library – I can’t let her out until I know I can put her back in – but each day makes her more familiar with her new surroundings. Movie night was both a big step forward, and a sign of more steps to come.