Petting Mitsy – again

Day 35

Today I worked on the preparations for new room some more. And I spent quite a bit of time with Mitsy and the kittens as well. Got some nice video and photographs of them playing and running around.

I also managed to pet Mitsy on her back towards her tail. I think she noticed, but she is unsure about these things. Her body is incredibly sleek and there is not an ounce of fat on it. Her coat gleams with health and she seems to be in excellent condition. I tried petting it once before in the past days and I need to find a window that is not dangerous. Usually I do it when she is walking off or surrounded by kittens so she is distracted. It is not as if she is not aware, but it is more natural and less explicit. I can already touch her paws now, each time after giving her a treat. I can also leave my hand in place and she will lick my fingers if the treat was good. No more unexpected and unnerving nibbling.

But I do keep my eye on her to interpret the body language. Her tail and her pupils tell me a lot.

You have to get to know a cat before you can interpret all the signs. This is a typical Mitsy look, during play. In the beginning, when we had just trapped her, this would have looked unpredictable to me. She is one of these cats that can move their pupils without moving their head!

In the morning she only has food on her mind, but she does butt-head the kittens when food is on the way. If I were to stick my hand in, I wonder what would happen…. I will know when the moment is there.

Whenever she retreats, I back off. Often when I play with the kittens or do photography or put some fresh towels and puppy pads in, she watches me for a bit and then goes to sleep.

I think the thing that unsettles her most is sound. Whenever there is something new or loud, she is afraid.

So I am thinking about the vacuum cleaner… I have to get her introduced to that a couple of times before the big move to the room? Or shall I wait?

I am feeling the nerves starting to grow again with this upcoming change from basement to room. Mainly about how to get her to move into the Nest. The big one. Hm. Maybe if the noise of the real vacuum cleaner is new to her, they will all run into it? I might not even need the big Nest? Because that will require a bit of noise and hassle to put in place. Something to think about.

Oh, and I flea combed 2 or 3 of the kittens tentatively. They seem clean. I think the itch on my head is from the sun, dry scalp? It is easy to start imagining things. Small moving things…