Solitary Osa

Osa-the-Erstwhile-Orphan-Cat is fast approaching the completion of Month Three of her Oysterville residency and appears to be accepting us as suitable foster parents. She no longer looks at us with the glint of resentment in her eyes or, worse yet, with the sulky I’m-not-the-least-bit-interested-in-you-or-your-two-legged-life-style look. More often than not, she now scrutinizes us with that mixture of curiosity, humor, and superiority so familiar in the well-adjusted feline.

During her first few weeks with us, she spent a lot of time alone – sometimes in plain view but often out of sight. Gradually, she has become more companionable. She joins us in the kitchen at mealtime, albeit alert and sitting upright nearby as if poised for flight.  In the evening, she joins us while we watch TV and lets me know in no uncertain terms that it is playtime. Ten minutes or so with the laser light mousy seems to satisfy that urge and then she moves into the other room – but near the doorway where she can keep a watchful eye on us.

Osa and the Laser Light

She is still talkative, though in a less accusative and demanding sort of way. It used to be that she would approach us with persistently unpleasant yowls day and night. Too, if we were gone, she seemed to know well in advance which door we would use to re-enter the house and there she would be scolding and accusing… but for what reason? Food, water, litter box, and toys were always at the ready and she certainly didn’t seem to be welcoming us back as if she had missed us. We could only conclude that she was chiding us in no uncertain terms for not bringing Gordon home with us.

In fact, I think she has been just plain angry at us, no doubt blaming us for Gordon’s disappearance and, quite understandably, for the huge changes in her living arrangements.  I’m pretty sure her behavior is punishment to us for ‘kidnapping’ her.  She just doesn’t get the ‘rescuing’ concept.  She has pointedly avoided any physical contact with Nyel and me, yet from the beginning she has been friendly with visiting neighbors. She allowed Betsy to pick her up from Week One, and within a few more weeks she actually climbed up on Tucker’s lap and sat there contentedly for quite some time. Not in a cuddly way, though. Not yet.

Sydney and Osa

But progress is occurring.  A few nights ago she allowed me to pick her up and snuggle… just a little bit. She has been coming to get Nyel when the alarm goes off and follows him into the kitchen only giving small bursts of advice as he makes the morning coffee. Occasionally, she sleeps for part of the night at the foot of our bed. (I have to say that I was just a bit miffed to learn that she had slept at the foot of our friend Te’s bed the one night when Te was ‘in residence’ recently. The words “fickle, disloyal cat” leaped to mind but that’s not quite fair. It’s not as if Osa has truly bonded with us yet.)

We try to cut her a little slack. We know she’s still grieving for dear old Gordon, as are we. Perhaps in the cat world, the five stages of loss and grief (Denial and Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance) are not in quite the same order as they are with us. But we do think that Osa is entering that final acceptance phase, at least with regard to her new two-legged housemates. We are hopeful that as B follows A, Bonding with follow Acceptance.