It's a kitty!
Sep. 25th, 2008 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missroseroseI'd like to introduce the newest member of the family: Miss Adora Belle.
Adora Belle came to us from the shelter with a different name and a rather sad past. While we don't know the details, we do know that she'd been adopted out multiple times and abandoned at least once, and her skittishness makes us believe that she may have been mistreated at one of her previous homes. Thanks to some efforts from a kindly shelter employee, she has recovered somewhat, and while she still startles easily, she is very affectionate once she gets used to your presence.
We spent some time debating what to call her before settling on "Adora Belle". It's a bit twee, but there's a character in a book series Brian and I like named "Adora Belle" who's a chain-smoking tough-as-nails kind of dame. So we're hoping some of the assertiveness will rub off on her. And for all that the name itself is cutesy, she is an adorable cat.
She spent the first week in the library (which we had prepared to be her room), alternately spending most of her time in the corner, in the kitty condo, and behind a painting. She would occasionally come out, and although she wouldn't approach us, she would let us come forward slowly and pet her.
Introductions with Dexter have gone remarkably well. We had a gate between them for a few days before introducing them properly, and they've not been hostile to each other at all aside from a bit of posturing. I have heard them tearing around the house at night, but I haven't heard them fight at all. Which makes for a nice change. And Brian's seen them grooming each other, definitely a good sign.
After about a week of her being in the library, Brian and I came home to find the lower part of the gate pushed out and Adora Belle under the bed in the bedroom. (We'd been trying to decide when to let her explore the rest of the house, but it seemed that she had made the decision for us.) And this morning, for the first time, she jumped up on the bed with us for cuddles. She seems to be acclimating rather faster than we expected, which makes us both quite happy. Hopefully soon she will get used to our comings and goings, and not flinch away when we raise a hand to pet her.
Adora Belle came to us from the shelter with a different name and a rather sad past. While we don't know the details, we do know that she'd been adopted out multiple times and abandoned at least once, and her skittishness makes us believe that she may have been mistreated at one of her previous homes. Thanks to some efforts from a kindly shelter employee, she has recovered somewhat, and while she still startles easily, she is very affectionate once she gets used to your presence.
We spent some time debating what to call her before settling on "Adora Belle". It's a bit twee, but there's a character in a book series Brian and I like named "Adora Belle" who's a chain-smoking tough-as-nails kind of dame. So we're hoping some of the assertiveness will rub off on her. And for all that the name itself is cutesy, she is an adorable cat.
She spent the first week in the library (which we had prepared to be her room), alternately spending most of her time in the corner, in the kitty condo, and behind a painting. She would occasionally come out, and although she wouldn't approach us, she would let us come forward slowly and pet her.
Introductions with Dexter have gone remarkably well. We had a gate between them for a few days before introducing them properly, and they've not been hostile to each other at all aside from a bit of posturing. I have heard them tearing around the house at night, but I haven't heard them fight at all. Which makes for a nice change. And Brian's seen them grooming each other, definitely a good sign.
After about a week of her being in the library, Brian and I came home to find the lower part of the gate pushed out and Adora Belle under the bed in the bedroom. (We'd been trying to decide when to let her explore the rest of the house, but it seemed that she had made the decision for us.) And this morning, for the first time, she jumped up on the bed with us for cuddles. She seems to be acclimating rather faster than we expected, which makes us both quite happy. Hopefully soon she will get used to our comings and goings, and not flinch away when we raise a hand to pet her.
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Date: 2008-09-26 01:47 am (UTC)Que the "aawwwww". Cute fluffy kitty!
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Date: 2008-09-26 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2008-09-26 03:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 03:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 06:14 am (UTC)And progressing so well!
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Date: 2008-09-26 02:00 pm (UTC)Congrats on your new addition!
L.
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Date: 2008-09-26 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-28 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2008-09-30 07:03 am (UTC)