Nothing has changed. Scamp (AKA Scampi) left this world six months ago, and not a day goes by that I don't think about him, and even cry a little. Yesterday, I enjoyed a frolic with a young Maltese across the street, and as he happily licked my cheek, I thought fondly of my own dear Maltese.
But now I'm fostering a cat. A cat! After nearly two months, Maggie allows me to brush her (at her request, and only at her request). She will let me gently stroke the top of her head with my fingers. On occasion, she will even jump onto our bed...but unlike Scampi, she simply perches at the corner and does not curl into my somnolent pajama'd body.
Can I expect Maggie to behave like Scampi? Pas du tout!
That would not be fair of me. At all.
So what keeps us together? We are both grieving...I lost my canine companion last December, and Maggie lost her human companion in March. I keep hoping that our losses will bring us closer together--although Maggie's constant hissing during her first month did not bode well for our relationship. Her whining meowing didn't help, either. Perhaps my frequent absences made her feel less than welcome. So, like any relationship, I decided that a commitment would be needed. I started spending more time at home, trying to lose my fear of her hissing. Now, when I brush her, Maggie will lick my hand if I pause for a few seconds. Cold comfort? Or the start of a possible, real friendship?
How long, I keep wondering, does it take to build up mutual trust with a cat?
