Relaxed in the Saddle

Brazil has made great strides in trusting me, which now allows me to get to know him further. He will alternate between running madly away from me and remaining still or even coming up to me, and I haven’t determined what I do to influence his decision in the matter. But when he runs, his retreat can often be arrested by calling his name in a coaxing manner. It’s as if he flees as a reflex, rather than in a reasoned response.

He will lie down frequently and permit, even want, me to stroke his back, down to his tail. He seems a little skittish about having his head and face rubbed, but I will work my way into that. A stride forward has been achieved in his simple tolerance of my presence. For instance, when he took to lying in the saddle of the saddle-topped cat-tree in the bedroom, he would always vacate it as soon as I stepped into the room. Then, he started waiting until I walked around the bed, in his direction, before jumping down. Now, if I keep my back to him, I can usually make my way around the bed without startling him into flight.

The newcomer needs a playmate. He tries to interest Neville in playing. This merely angers my grey lion. He fares no better with Renn. And attempts to chase Imogen are interpreted by Miss Silky as attacks, and result in growls and hisses, or worse. At the moment, I am not in a position to bring in a fifth cat, but that is an option. There is, of course, no guarantee that a newer-comer would be more receptive to play than Imo or the oldsters, but it is a good possibility.

For now, I will try my hand at playing with Brazil though, so far, he has been unnerved by such actions, so this too will take time. However, I have seen that time is a friend to Brazil and me, and we will continue to see what it can do to help.