Autumn is on the way, and the school buses have started their usual routes. Adam is enjoying the change of seasons and hopes you are as well.
Adam is still doing really well in terms of his behavior with people. I’ve found him to be very friendly. On each of my recent visits, I have been greeted by an enthusiastic yet calm Adam. He is enjoying being petted enough to not get overly stimulated. This is still new, so I’m never sure what to expect, but the consistency is starting to give me some confidence that this is the “new Adam.”
Adam has been doing well in the health department as well. We’re faced with a Goldilocks situation when it comes to Adam’s stool. We certainly don’t want him to have diarrhea, nor do we want things to be too firm, which would cause constipation. Simply stated, Adam’s poop needs to be “just right.” Fortunately, that’s been the case this month, as he’s had soft-but-not-liquid stools.
When I last visited Adam, he was inside the suite. This is rather unusual for Adam in the summertime. Usually, he is out in the solarium with his buddies Rose and Pepita. On this particular day, he was skulking around in the suite. This is often a bad sign. Adam tends to be more wound up when he is inside, and much more mellow when he is out. I walked into the room and called softly to Adam. He came over to me and asked to be petted.
The wonderful thing is that Adam no longer asks to be petted in an inappropriate fashion. He used to put his paws up on my legs and insert his claws into my pants. This was often a very unpleasant encounter, because Adam didn’t know how to show his love without causing pain. Now Adam just walks over to me and I reach down and rub his head and back. He loves it! He also doesn’t get over-stimulated by the attention anymore. I have been waiting for this for ages! I had thought that perhaps working with him in the solarium had brought about this change, but now it has happened inside as well.
Of course, the visit couldn’t finish without Adam resorting to being Adam. Just when I think he is acting like a “normal” cat, he proves me wrong. First, he decided that beating up on Frank was a good idea. Poor Frank did nothing to cause this wrath. Adam managed to corner Frank under a shelf. Luckily for Frank, the shelf was open in the back, and he was able to wiggle up and out of the standoff with Adam. I distracted Adam so that Frank could get away.
Then Adam did a strange thing. He went and tried to use the litter box. Now, I know that Adam does use the box on occasion. He isn’t an inappropriate eliminator; he just can’t always control his bladder and bowels. This time, Adam tried to use the box to poop, but nothing happened. Then he went and hid under the closet. It was weird. But it was Adam. I tried to get him to come out to say goodbye, but he was happy under the closet, so I left him to his own devices. When it comes to Adam, there is no “normal”; there is just Adam, which is just fine with me.
Adam would like to thank you for all that you do for him each month. He knows that you are special to him, and he sends you a calm, collected cuddle. He wants you to know that if you come and visit him, he will allow you to pet him without his claws getting involved. That’s how much he loves you!