Little Bit and Mary. Mary, who was there first, was in Little Bit’s path through the room. Some sound effects, no violence, and eventually, Little Bit walked around her.
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I think they have all recognized that there is possibly a ninja street fighter still left in Miss Little Bit. plus a boatload of tortietude.
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Another milestone. This morning, for the first time, I saw Little Bit using another litter box instead of “hers.” There are six in the house, spaced around, but the others definitely smell like other cats, including the one she used, which for unknown feline reasons is the most popular box in the house. But she has never used one of the other boxes before, to my knowledge. She always went back to her room.
I was talking to one of the ladies in my symphony group before the last concert, mentioning that I had added a senior cat who had never lived in a house, and that one said, “Oh, was it hard to housebreak her?” No, it was a breeze. Cats are so easy to train in that area, much easier than dogs. But Little Bit previously had patronized her own litter box, which I bought new when I got her so that it would be “hers” from the beginning, many weeks of just her smell before anybody else had access to it.
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That - as fair as I know - is cat for “I’m here.” And possibly trying to establish some dominance. Good for her.
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Satin. He doesn’t get as much press as the flashier Rascal and Cotton, but he’s a fine tabby fellow.
I still remember that morning at Cat Lady’s, the day American Pharoah won the Belmont. I was working when Pharaoh, the runt, wobbled through the open door into the living room announcing at full cry that he needed assistance. Pharaoh to this day has a voice that would raise the dead. As CL and I were attempting to sort out materializing kittens, here came Bagheera and Panther (or possibly Panther and Bagheera; those two took me a week or so to sort out). I retrieved all three blacks, deposited them on CL, and went out to search for any more dumped waifs. I walked around outside and called “kitty, kitty,” and Satin answered at once, popping his tiger face out from under some junk. I picked him up and searched on. Never found anyone else. I have always hoped there were just four.
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These are the kitties that some A hole left in a sealed box along my farm lane about 30 feet into the woods. They were crying and our trusted dog alerted us to the problem. What kind of POS could leave these kittens in a box to die?
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Breakfast, please.
I woke up at 4:55 as usual (thanks, Pharaoh, my ever-vigilant prealarm) and went to my bathroom, which is on past my bedroom and is in the very far corner of that end of the house. I had five cats with me; Solo and Mystery remained in bed.
While I was checking Facebook and email, all five cats scattered around the floor suddenly alerted, and in the next moment, here came Little Bit around the corner, through the door from the bedroom. She had to walk past two cats on the bed to do that, and she found herself immediately faced with five cats on the floor. She went into growls and snarls, while throwing in an occasional meow to me. This is the first time she’s ever come that far at getting-up time, due to the crowds. She usually meets me in the living room.
I went on into the living room, and of course, we now had the taking of my thyroid pill, which all of the cats consider an unfair if routine delay. They see absolutely no point in me standing there drinking a glass of water before feeding them. Finally, I gave the others their tidbit and headed for Little Bit’s room for hers privately, and she was with me in full cry all the way. She must be hungry this morning. I’m impressed that she walked through the bedroom and one foot inside the bathroom with everybody else right there.
Now down to work a bit before chores at daylight and getting ready for choir rehearsal this morning, followed by my surprise (to Dad) trip on a few hundred miles to see him. Solo and Mystery remain in bed.
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I hope this upload will work. Adorable and not-too-long video that came up on memories this morning. Box wars, starring Atticus and Pilgrim.
Atticus and Pilgrim Box War
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And, since that seems to have worked, here’s a slightly longer one. Little Bit walking through other cats; she had been in the bedroom, and everybody came up in the meantime, so she had a minefield to get through on her way out. This is tremendous progress, actually, but you can tell how totally unsocialized this cat was and how hard she’s having to work at it.
Little Bit Walking through Cats
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Old Sarge. First seen hanging around in 2010, and he was a fully mature tom cat with huge jowls already then. Almost certainly the oldest resident of the farm. Little Bit is a senior but probably not quite this senior.
Little Bit
The spider.
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We have a new routine, I think. This is hopefully progress.
Saturday, I was gone all day, rehearsal that morning and then a fast trip to visit Dad which still took the entire rest of the day. Saturday night, I got home, and all appeared peaceful. When I shut off lights and went into the bedroom to get ready for bed as usual, Little Bit came into the bedroom. Totally unlike her. She has been clear through the house now, but the thing about the bedroom at night is that all seven other house cats will be heading that way because they sleep with me. She does not typically seek me out unless it’s feeding time. She just does her own thing. I figured maybe she missed me through the day, but I warned her about the others, and here they came.
She jumped down from the bathtub side shelf, but instead of leaving, she went under the bed after I got in it. There she growled for a while. Being in a growling bed certainly makes an interesting prelude to sleep. Finally she left.
Last night, she was tucked up in her room in her snuggle as usual when I did the evening box scooping. I told her good night, turned out all lights, and headed for bed. Shortly after I got in bed, every cat on the bed alerted, and here came Little Bit again, into the bedroom in the mostly dark (security light from outside). Again, this is totally against her routine. She went into the shower for a drink first; the main water dish lives in the shower courtesy of Madam Splashalot (Solo). Then she came out and once again went under the bed, and we had an extended growling session under there. Then she left the bedroom.
It’s a change, anyway. I’ll interpret it as progress. She has no experience sleeping with a person (unless it was ages ago in a prior life), but if she wants to get in the bed when I’m in it, there are going to be many other cats there. I’ll be interested to see if we get the nighttime under-the-bed growling again tonight.
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She’s a funny little thing. I bet you have her wandering all over and on your bed very soon.
And yes, there is certainly nothing like trying to sleep in a growling bed. 
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This is such a sweet bedtime story.
I say that, have never lain in a growling bed!
But I think she is trying so hard while “all those other cats” (her thoughts maybe, not mine!) are between her and you, her benefactor, her rescuer. Do the other cats seem upset by her growls? Do they growl back, or ignore her, or close ranks around you to protect you?
Little Bit is so lucky to have a human who understands cats so well. I hope the growling will soon stop so you can all sleep in peace!
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The other cats are being marvelous with her. They tend to ignore her mostly while trying not to step too close unless they’re distracted. Brio in particular impresses me. He’s the Teddy Roosevelt of the pride, the one who is so boisterous and enthusiastic that he actually can play too hard for the tastes of the others, leading to minor spats at times as they try to end the game and he tries to continue it. But he’s never tried to play with Little Bit. Watching him confirms for me that Brio is purely play, no aggression in there. He’s big and does it to an uncomfortable level at times, but he just wants to have fun. Some of the cats, Atticus in particular, look at her like, “Just what is your problem?” and don’t understand, but they are good with her.
This is last night. She may be uncomfortable around other cats still, but she has decided she likes houses.
And from memories this morning, here is Rascal in my big front maple tree.
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Oh my someone thinks they are Queen. I mean - look at that face and the pose.
And I will send you Baler so Brio can play with someone his own size. Baler does the same thing Brio does - he wants to play too hard for all the old farts and does not know when to stop sometimes.
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As we approach the eclipse, I was reminded of the last one that came near here. The farm wasn’t in the path of totality, just in the path of shadowy, but it was a perceptible change for a few minutes as I sat out on the Bench of Purring to watch. Rather, to not watch.
However, as the shadow was transiting, I was dutifully not looking at the sun and noticed Bagheera. Bagheera is very deep, raven black, and during this eclipse, he had little eclipses all over him. It was very cool. I watched them progress and then vanish on the cat.
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She found the bed. I put a cat bed in the corner of the bedroom so Little Bit could have a place in my bedroom while she’s not yet ready to jump on the bed with it occupied by every other cat in the house. It’s been a few days, but she was in the bed this morning. She got up when I went over.
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Saw this on Twitter and thought of you, @dressagetraks.
https://twitter.com/ATinyGreenCell/status/1767215113822515630
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Little Bit has been with me three months. She is definitely a STRONG personality. I think she likes me, but she’s not the demonstrative type, and she still enforces a pretty short limit on petting. She has full run of the house but carries around about a two-and-a-half-foot bubble of “I will growl and then slap you.” Has not yet made friends with the other cats, but that bubble is smaller than it used to be.
She started coming into my bedroom to growl under the bed at night for a few minutes, which amused me (didn’t do much for sleep, though). Every other cat in the house, of course, is on top of the bed with me. She was definitely making the effort to come in, though, instead of sleeping in her fur snuggle in her bedroom in peace. So I put a cat bed in the corner of my bedroom to offer her a spot if she wanted to be near us (or probably just near me). She has found and used the cat bed on some nights, not on all. She’s maintaining her independent reputation.
But she is warm, and she is safe.
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