Sunday, January 22, 2012

foster care

So, I put my new relationship with Oscar to its first test last night - I went out for the night and left him to his own devices for about twelve hours.  Well, here's the list of damages:
  1. Front Closet: annihilated.  Every hanger was on the floor and every shoe was thoroughly investigated.  The fact that he can open the closet door is pretty incredible in and of itself.
  2. Plants: they were the true casualties...
    • Bamboo plant: a housewarming gift from Senator.  Now mulch.
    • Spider plant: her babies didn't survive the first afternoon; she was mauled last night.  She's recovering in the bedroom; I cannot guarantee her safety when I'm not home though.  More on that later.
  3. My couch clearly lost a wrestling match.  I even covered it with a blanket that Oscar slept on, but no dice.  Blanket on floor; lots of new scratches on the couch
Sigh.
We went to bed at 0200, after cleaning up.  Oscar was clearly unimpressed with me, because he scratched me while I tried to refresh his water bowl and tried to bite me during good night pets.  The next morning, I also learned that he has learned three new tricks.
  1. Opening the bottom drawer in the kitchen.  Oh yes.  And then crawling into the nook it makes when pulled out.  I saw it this morning and thought I must have kept it open by accident; when I tried to push it closed, I encountered soft resistance and meows. 
  2. He can climb to the top of my 72-inch bookshelves; not only that, he uses the flat screen wall-mounted TV as a bridge between the two of them.  I still don't know how he gets up there!
  3. He has mastered the bedroom door.  Using his favourite weapon - his butt - he bumps into it until it gives way and open up to a wonderland.  I can barricade myself in (which I had to do after one Oscar wake-up call around 0400) but I can't keep him out when I'm not here.  Hopefully the spider plant gets lucky.
As much as I adore Oscar - who is, bar none, the cutest cat I've ever encountered! - I can't give him the kind of attention a one-year-old kitten needs.  He gets bored and then finds mischief.  Thankfully, Cyn has offered to foster Oscar until he's old and fat and then he can come and live with me again.  Maybe by then I'll have a bigger place for him to roam or at least a space for an elaborate, catnip-laden, cat tree.

Right now, he's curled up on his baby towel on the coffee table, being as calm and and as loveable as can be.  He's actually quite zen when I'm around, playing quietly with his ribbon or sitting in the foyer chair.  It's only when I'm out of sight for a few hours that he gets all worked up.  Wake up time has moved up to 0600 and not for any reason but to get some pets and then return to the towel.  If only he would get used to the idea of being alone, we could be roomies.  What does this say for my living habits?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Yes, scratched furniture and eaten plants ... that I do not miss. I'm sorry it did not work out with Oscar, but it's totally okay to give him up to a home better suited with more space. My cat was the same way and to be honest, when I had to give him up b/c of Mario's allergies, I was a little relieved. You learn something about yourself, don't you? LOL I had saved up for two years to furnish my first appartment and within a week he had destroyed most of it! Everyone else's cats I'd known were always so calm and lazy ... that's what I was hoping for!

With Cynthia he'll have playmates, so he won't be as keen on attacking plants and furniture.

Erin D said...

Oh my! He's a crafty one! Sorry to hear that things aren't working out with Oscar. I've cat sat a couple of times and spirited cats/kittens can be challenging. I remember the abuse my arm (lots of scratches) and my stuff took. Glad to hear that Cynthia is taking him - wonder what Maya and Daphne will make of him :D

Malecasta said...

I love him dearly - he honestly didn't take long to wiggle his furry self into my affections. I want him to be happy and loved and not feel lonely or abandoned. I fully blame myself for his actions on Saturday - he was bored and lonely and was only looking for me. I think Cynthia's is an ideal foster home - Daphne and Maya can provide him with company and their home is nice and big for him to prowl (his "prowling" has to be thing I enjoy (and will miss) the most). And I really hope to have him come back to me when he's older and won't feel the need to expound tonnes of energy.