May 23, 2000 Tuesday

Well, Maya is a bit more relaxed with me now. Instead of hiding in her closet, she will come up to the head of the stairs when she hears me call her. She is so into head-rubs and chin tickles and she will lay her chest down on her pillow, with her rear high in the air and beg me for the Elevator Butt Maneuver Rub. If I sit completely in her closet, she will jump over my legs and go out, then come back and rub up against me. She is eating dry food, will eat wet when I am in the vicinity, but the moment I leave, she turns up her nose at it. I think she is exploring more the upstairs- "Her Domain." Mike saw her for the first time on Sunday, and she was very nervous when he came towards her. But she is a very neat cat and I will keep working with her in bits and spurts.

May 24, 2000 Wednesday

This evening I went upstairs and looking down at me was of course, those big old yellow cat eyes. I had been outside most of the day, so she was pretty much left alone for the most part. She must be unhappy with the decor, because while I was away, she rearranged things! The pillows from the sofa bed were scattered all over the floor. There was a flat plastic container- the kind that goes under a bed, and it had all our winter clothes in it- well most of them anyway. All the clothes were scattered about, and it looked like she had decided it would make a great swimming pool, because all the articles of clothing were strewn about the floor. Books were knocked over on the shelves almost to floor level in the reading room. That room is right across from her room. I thought maybe in my absence all 15 grandkids had visited and they played hide and seek or something! LOL What a mess! I couldn't scold her- could you? I figured all the closet doors open and cupboard contents ravaged meant she was very bored and comfortable in her place to put her touch on it. Plus, she has a new *thing* she does, and it totally cracks me up. She places her chest on the floor, and cranks her rear straight up in the air- begging me to rub her so she can begin her EBM in fine style! However, she didn't do this, maybe she knew (I thought anyway) that I wasn't really pleased with the mess, because suddenly, she darted into her closet, and dove headfirst into her cardboard box. As I finally turned on the light, she emerged, quite triumphant with a dead mouse in her mouth........EEEK! Somehow, the intruder must of come out of the attic and she had a merry chase with it, back and forth in boxes and out of boxes. It explained the mess as everything that was displaced, was floor level. She walked over and laid her trophy at my feet- and as I bent to praise and pet her, THEN she placed her chest on the floor and raised her butt and tail high in the air. LOL She is such a Goofy Gus!

May 25, 2000 Thursday

She thinks she is so sneaky now. She will wait at the bottom of the landing for me to come upstairs, and when I approach she darts real quick up the stairs, turns tail into her closet and lies there looking so innocently at me when I arrive. As if I do not have eyes in my head to see her do this. She is still a picky eater, and appears to still have phantom terrors when I stand above her and reach down to her. I would imagine, that someone in her past used to pick her up and then hurt her, for she cringes when she sees it coming. Poor kitten, I am trying to get her to the point that I will be able to pick her up, without her struggling to get away, and once put back down on the ground, to not cringe and duck her head in terror. She is a long way from being able to be introduced to the rest of the family, but that day will come. She loves to be brushed, and her fur is so soft and long. She is a beautiful cat.

May 26, 2000 Friday (UFO Sighting) Unapproachable Feline Object

She waits on the landing now. Not just before she knows I am scheduled to appear, but most of the time now you can see her either on the landing or the third step from the bottom.

If you bust her, if you *notice* her, she peals out and frantically rushes up the stairs to her private place. Last night as we prepared for bed, Mike walked by the door and was startled to see Maya there. This time, she did not flee, and he was able to poke on finger through the wire and touch her nose! Elated, he went to open the door and visit more, and she fled.

Now when I visit (we are on Chapter Six in the book now) She lays with her whole body pressed against my leg. She purrs, kneads her claws, head bumps and demands the most thorough scratching rubbing and petting procedure I can muster. Her eyes still hold some fear, and she will go ballistic if I stand above her and try to scoop her into my arms. However; if I kneel or sit, I am able to pick her up, pet her a few times and release her. I am sure if I picked her up and carried her to another room- she would fight to the death this type of action.

Although, she is down at the door much more often, I am still not going to rush her. She has her own timetable, and I had to laugh last night as I was reading aloud to her. I fell silent while reading to her in her closet. She was lying in her box, and when my voice stopped- her eyes snapped open, and I heard the tiniest meow issue from her mouth. It was as if she was saying- "Hey! I am interested in this story- do NOT stop reading it to me!" So I continued.

Last night, Kahuna discovered her through the mesh wire, and I watched as he stood slowly on his hind feet, and using the chicken wire to anchor him, he slowly climbed up to the entire length of his long body and sniffed her nose! Then he backed away, and looked at me puzzled, as if to say- "Why can't she come out and play with us?" I stroked his sleek back, and told him the time would come when I would release her- but for right now, she was still inside the enclosure where at last, (I think) she is finally feeling safe.