Since late January, Lila (easier and faster to type than Delilah - and I go between both names) has had pretty much free reign of the house, with my shutting the gate only for about 15 minutes while she ate her wet food downstairs morning and evening (to keep the other two cats from disturbing her). She was still hiding in the basement during the day, then coming upstairs at night. On the evening of 2/19/25, I closed the gate so she couldn’t go back downstairs (2 litter boxes are now placed in the front bedroom). This act wasn't about Lila, it was about my needing to open the basement door to the garage to let the pellet stove warm it up so I didn't risk frozen FHW pipes out there.
The morning of 2/20/25 she was confused and wouldn’t eat her wet food upstairs. She was very vocal trying to get me to understand she wanted me to open the gate shortly after breakfast so she could go downstairs. She probably thought I was a very stupid human as I ignored her. She then decided the safe place was under the printer stand in the office. While I was working in the office that morning, she started rubbing against my legs. After a while, I reached down and she allowed me to pet her along her tail and back for the first time. She allowed that as long as she was under my legs until she decided to retire for the day under the printer stand.
The trend has continued since then, including trying to get me to open the gate in the morning, but on 2/21/25, she started eating her wet food (she always had access to kibble 24/7). Rainey has been respectful of her food, as long as Lila is sitting there eating. Lila has also popped her head up on the couch a couple of times while I am there at night. She jumped up once on the far corner, but decided that wasn’t for her at that time (Rainey was laying on my legs – don’t know if that has anything to do with her decision).
She and Rainey get a good game of tag going a couple of times a day. Spot just ignores her most of the time. I've only heard a couple of soft hisses - where someone got too rambunctious during play. However, those hisses were soft, so just a warning, not a "I'm really mad and you better watch out" type thing. None of the rambunctiousness between Lila and Rainey gets nearly to the level that Spot and Rainey will get into occasionally (where Spot becomes over-domineering to her sister - those two are not "bonded" and will have their little tiffs). It's really kind of funny that Lila has chosen Rainey, who is very reserved, to be who she flirts and plays with. I think it helps Rainey since Lila is more cat-centric and not pushy or domineering, just wanting to be friendly.
Picture from evening of 2/16/2025 - before making the basement a cat-free zone.
It's a real bummer when the FHW freezes ; )
Really like the photo, but you didn't tell me which sister is which. Let's see if I can pass this intelligence test: Spot on the stove, Rainey on the floor, and Lila is Lila.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 22, 2025 at 09:55 AM
You were correct on the placement of the kitties :)
Posted by: bogie | February 24, 2025 at 01:40 AM
Yay!
Posted by: Cop Car | February 25, 2025 at 08:15 AM