Welcome to 2020!
My New Year's Resolution this year is to train Anderson Cooper to walk on leash. That doesn't mean Gloria will get short sheeted, though. She'll still get her regular walks, but now I'll just have to work time in for Anderson Cooper to get hers, too. My current plan is to walk one cat at lunch time and one cat right after work. This may change, as it still gets dark pretty early, but for now, that's the plan.
I decided to do this a couple weeks ago, and rather than wait until today, I've taken her out about half a dozen times since then. The pictures in this post are from our trips to the California Historical Nursery Park in Fremont, California. This place is something of a cat magnet. Despite the fact that she's still in the "pre-walking" stage, she can't help herself here and musters up the nerve to do a little exploring.
I joke that Anderson Cooper is a prima donna, and truth be told, she is! She's my partner's cat in that she adores him. Sometimes. And will purr for him, but never (ok, rarely) purrs for me. In fact, she'll often sit in my lap and dare me to touch her! I'm pretty careful now, and mostly pet her head. Petting her body seems to overstimulate her quickly, and her tail begins to thrash. She has this strange love-hate thing going on with me, but since I'm the one that generally gives her treats in the catio (and other places, but that's her favorite), she tolerates me.
At least she did.
Now that I'm taking her out for walks, she's become my little shadow. I know I sound like a broken record here, but trust me. Taking your cat out for a walk -- even in the early stages when your cat is scared out of its mind -- will enhance the bond between the two of you. It's like they understand what you're trying to do and love you for it. Even if they run from you as soon as you bring out the harness, if you continue to take them out, they'll continue to bond tighter and tighter with you. I'm pretty amazed at how fast she's changing, and while I love cats just as they are, watching them change over time is one of the most exciting aspects of working with a cat.
So today is January first and it's still relatively early in the day. It's a dreary outside, and about 60 degrees, so we'll both likely need a jacket. But that's okay, because today, officially, the adventure begins. As I write those words, Anderson Cooper has just nestled herself between the keyboard and me reminding me it's time to go. Today, we're going someplace she's never been before, and afterwards, we'll grab a cuppa joe at one of my favorite coffee shops in their outdoor seating area.
Let the adventure begin!