I am on team keep the updates coming! 😻

Ollie is under the bed. He has a towel with pheromone spray and has had some cat whispering. Violet has been fed three times, has been on my lap during morning tea, had a workout with her new toy I bought yesterday (which she loves btw) joined me for a very late lunch and is now flattening the couch cushions while I rest.

Yes keep the updates coming so you must not covered it under the bed? If the cat's under the bed that's nice the other cat is so at peace in your home that's a blessing!

Alice what is wrong with your washing machine is it a plugged drain or has the washing machine not able to drain itself then you don't need a plumber you need a repair machine man

Yes…pencil portrait of YS age 14? Done by my ex.

The last of the goods from the other house was dropped off and the Sister brought me two new containers of cat grass which of course Violet will probably have no interest in eating ha ha ha

That’s a nice drawing of your son Lia. I had one of my daughter done when she was about five perhaps? An artist had come to the school to do portraits and I paid to have hers done and in her infamous braid and red and black chequered turtleneck that she wore all the time, LOL. I’ve tried the cat grass, but I didn’t have much luck. When I went to buy some the plants themselves were more expensive than you would think but of course I was at like a Petco but they did have one on clearance that was still alive and she sold it to me at a discount. My concern was Karma because she is the one that would want to go outside and nibble on some to help her tummy. OH would pick some thicker blades off of our Saint Augustine grass and bring it in to her for her to munch on which actually helped. She would then vomit and rest 🤪 and another btw I love the path there by your sliding door. Overgrown is my cup of tea. I’m not sure if I posted it here or on my thread but I have two small crêpe myrtle trees coming that I’m going to try in my backyard and they should give me some shade and coverage of course in a few years to come. The gardening site said they grow or can grow 4 to 5 feet a year so my fingers are crossed that this can help me out in the backyard. I’ve got an exact spot for one to be planted but still undecided about the second one. I would like them to create some sort of canopy in a certain few areas.

lia, did you get more details about Ollie from her? Was he in hiding at his old house when she was there?

My understanding is that he would come out for food. But of course he was in an environment that he was used to. She said that she actually got to pat him towards the end of the month. Other people have said that he did spend a lot of of his time hiding…regardless. I’m not totally convinced that he shouldn’t be in a one cat household but we shall see. It’s highly unlikely that I would be able to find anybody to give him to anyway even if I wanted to. It’s early days.

Hmmm.... It sounds like the bonding is going pretty well with Violet. She was in your lap this morning. Maybe Ollie will warm up as time goes on. Who knows?

Give the cat a perch on top of a dresser. Ollie will fill in charge & safe.

I’m hoping that keeping Ollie there with his sister can be possible for you. If he’s not causing much trouble and just like “there”, I would think that wouldn’t be too much of a problem for you hopefully? It seems with his timid and introvert personality that he’d be happy staying there with you and his sister regardless. Some are just that way and with his age it would be awful to think of him being placed in an unfamiliar yet again place that was perhaps loud and unruly and alone. I still deep down believe that there is one cat here named Roxy, that I rarely ever see? Everyone else seems to be always under my feet and asking for attention and or treats but she seems to be off in her own little world, but content. I guess she knows that her siblings are here if she needs them and her bowl is always full and a place to potty that is comfortable for her.

I must say, I was absent for a couple of days so the cat saga was fascinating to read! Will they adapt, is she really a bully, why is Oliver a scardy cat, will they have a good BM? Stay tuned! Then run over to Alice’s for more kitty sagas! 😆😹😻🙀

Thank you, gls!! That made me laugh out loud.

Lia, it's possible he took the loss of his prior owner really hard and he is just depressed for the time. He has had a lot to adjust to and may have trust issues. Violet, on the other hand, may be the type who says, "love the one you are with and be happy." He is going to be cautious before he invests. Neither right or wrong, just different. Some animals, like people, feel things deeper than others. I love that you are letting him adapt to his new surroundings with no expectations. I think he will be a delightful surprise. He's just not wanting to invest quickly, to protect from being disappointed. Lord knows life up to now has not gone well for them.

Whatever the others have experienced with him, is nice background info. But you 3 are now a family, where it wasn't that way with the others. You, and your home, is his forever home and the energy he senses from you is different and new compared to the other situations. They didn't offered him permanence. He hasn't felt that since his owner died. So it may take him a little longer to understand that. I think this will work out great for each of you. At least that is what my intuition is telling me. Enjoy every moment.

Morning, peeps…dark, wet and windy at 9 AM…violet is curled up on the bed here…Ollie is…downstairs? Good point, Alice…on personality differences. He may always be reclusive. And still be okay. Just because I think he would be better off out and about, doesn’t make it so…but I think Tiffany is right, life has been tough recently. I think these cats have always had anxiety…the rest of the gear showed up. Anxiety treats, a thirty dollar bag…🤪and Feliway diffuser oil…pheromones you put in a diffuser…the number one expensive brand. My neighbor uses it, and I think she has on extra diffuser. The oils are the expensive part, so I can try this. The downside is having a good outlet to plug them in. Old house, very limited outlets. Most are behind furniture which also reduces effectiveness. As Gls says, “stay tuned…”

On other cat news, good action on the pee and poop end of things yesterday. Ollie must be eating, somehow, because two small logs were the result…and, I 🙄

Know it was him as I heard the vigorous cat box scratching upstairs. Small house, stairs creak, and box two is at top of stairs. She was with me, downstairs, which is the routine now. One up, one down. Or, she is, where I am. Other than at night. Amanda, I think you are right…this is their longstanding dynamic, but I hope he gets less frightened of me! I have thoughts of buying a cat tree, Happy…Linen Chest has a sale on them right now. Some with hiding places. I could put it by the patio door window. She is a hunter for sure…on high alert all the time. Yesterday a mourning dove was browsing (do birds browse???) and she charged right up to the glass, salivating…

Noticing she has this over groomed belly…hair groomed off, bottom half. ☹️it’s been her way of dealing. Just this spot. Not sure if I need to do anything as this might get better as time passes. Tea time, and household tasks await, though it is tempting to lie here and enjoy the wind, rain, and cat companionship ❤️

You have no one to ask for a definitive answer but these two cats, who have lived together for years, might never have been buddies. Just residents in the same household. Violet seems to feel comfortable sleeping in different places like the back of the sofa so she doesn't really need a cat tree but would probably enjoy one. Ollie might not go near one if Violet is anywhere near. Cat trees come in various levels of stability - bigger cats need stronger ones - because they can become wobbly quickly with larger cats. If it would make you happy to give Violet another way to 'view the outside world' since she is going to be an indoor cat then go ahead and consider it but for now I think Ollie will avoid it. You are doing a great job of letting them adapt to their new home at their own pace. It's almost as if you have the feline equivalent of "The Odd Couple". The out-going and the neurotic, the bold and the timid. 😸

Totally agree with jay, I don't know who used the term "bonded pair" but just because they lived in the house together for 10 years and are brother and sister doesn't make them bonded. We had that with ours as well.

Look at how you won over Shadow over time, same could happen with Ollie. If not, he still has a safe, loving home.

Our neighbor has a feral she brought in who after the TNR, did not want to go back outside. She still can't touch her but the cat lives a good, safe life and has another cat companion in the house.

I laughed at myself a little when it occured to me that I’d probably behave more like an Ollie than a Violet

So true, Michele. Coralie was happy and loved us right "out of the box", literally, when we brought her home from the shelter. She loves service people: plumbers, handymen, etc. She rolls on her back and wants her belly rrubbed. She is outgoing and affectionate.

I think I am more of an Ollie myself.

Michele… Violet is already Vi in my mind…💕and Ollie might get to be Oboy…when he gets to be comfy. Yes, peeps…I’m already thinking of the places where I don’t want them to go. I need a board or something across so they don’t crawl under this desk where the electrical cords are. I found a green mat that I use at Christmas time (which is covered with Moozie cat hairs🙄), which will get thoroughly vacuumed along with a touchup vacuuming in here. I’ll use it for catching the cat litter which inevitably gets tracked on paws… I’m currently putting away things in these carts that I use for my jewelry.

Ugh…Houzzzzzz….grrrrrrr… ignore that old post. I don’t know why it can’t just let go of an old post but they pop back up in my feed.

My neighbour (who has always helped out with my cats), came over today to loan me two cat pheromones diffusers… the paraffin oil to put in a diffuser showed up yesterday… along with some of the other gear from the owner’s house. I think I made a post about my electrical connections in this house and the difficulties in terms of finding a spot for these? And who walked right over to the Neighbour and gave her a feline sniff? Violet, of course. Completely unconcerned in EVERY WAY about a new person coming into the house. 🙄🤣That’s good to know because in about a month, I will be in town for a couple of nights through the week to help with the grandkids. My older son has to travel for his job.

That’s very good advice on the cat tree…. she’s definitely a climber. She’s also a door opener. It will be a miracle if she does not get outside and that’s my current worry is if I should put some kind of fencing around my door on the outside. She’s a very determined and wilful cat.

L y a when I babysat the that cat and they would have a footstool up at the door that the cat couldn't pull the door open to go out because their door didn't have a boat lock on it to the patio but you can lock yourself out it was a special kind of door that it was locked inside but you could turn the handle to get out in case of a fire quickly and Tiffany really could be right that only is suffering from depression of losing its owner but he'll take longer to come around

Jay, the more I hear from somebody who actually knew these cats the more I think you are correct… They were never bonded. They just lived together as brother and sister. And she’s the boss cat.

Well, I guess the question is : Is Ollie hiding from his sister or you, or both?

Both, at the moment, Amanda…😔When I put my hand out to him he backs away. Under the bed or any place else. It will be a big step forward when he actually sniffs my fingers. I installed the diffuser behind the woodstove. One of the few outlets in the house where it will work. I won’t be leaving it there in the winter obviously…but it’s a good location for now. I have almost no good locations for these in the house this comes pretty close to being the only one and possibly an outlet in the hallway. These are definitely not designed for older homes. You can’t see her right now but she’s in her new cat bed underneath the chair while I’m sitting in the green rocking chair. It’s been a long day of messing around with cat details.

And…lap. 🥰 guess who hadn’t moved.

Oh my goodness, she is in love with you! Well, that’s not a bad thing LOL.

lia, looks like kitty can go from floor to chair seat to window sill so I'd hold off on a cat tree for now unless there's a better view from a different window somewhere in the house. What beautiful wide window sills you have - definitely a sign that yours is an older home and perfect for cat sitting. P.S. Check your email when you get a chance.

I love them both. Vi is wearing her heart on her paw, and poor Ollie is so hesitant.

They are lucky they’re with you now, after everything they’ve endured.

Most cats do like height, so if cat tree is sturdy and reasonably priced, could be worth it.

Indulge me for a moment…

Twenty-five years ago, it was a beautiful TUESDAY morning. If it had been a Monday, my brother, a young man that worked for us, and I would have been right across the street. Monday was a big corporate delivery day for us. A big client was at One Liberty plaza. Several floors. We’d line up in the queue in the van waiting to enter into their commercial parking in the basement.

However, I was home rushing to get to work. My husband had dropped our daughters off at school already, so he was back home. Our son was just 9 months old. My brother called me. He caught me before I left. I had no cell. If I had left I would have been heading in.

Our shop was right next to Ladder Twenty. They lost seven men….

When they saw my brother, (He was there at the shop already with the worker) they told him ”leave, get the f**k out of here as fast as you can”.

We went to the roof of the building where we used to live, where we could see the buildings. So many people on the block were doing the same. To this day, I can’t process what I saw.

We put our son in the stroller and went to get our girls….

We went back to work about a week later. It was dreadful.

We were very friendly with one of the firemen that died and his wife. We did the flowers for their wedding. They had a little boy, and she was pregnant…. I knew an older woman who lost one of her sons. Both of their last names start with M. I try and catch the reading of their names each year.

Michele thanks…twenty five years later, it still is engraved on our hearts…where we were, what we were doing, when the towers fell.

Michele, being there, so close, must have been unreal..we all remember where we were and what we were doing, even if we were far from it..

So true, OH and I were just saying this. He was at work and called me and said "put the TV on, something is going on in NY". We remember his exact words.

I was teaching middle school on Long Island, about 50 miles from NYC. I found about the towers from teachers who who sobbing in the hallway. We were instructed by email not to mention anything to the students... Many of the parents worked in the City.

I was split between 2 schools and went to my car. I looked up and saw the bluest sky I had ever seen. Not a cloud in the sky. Then I heard on my car radio that both towers were down. I couldn't imagine it. That day is etched in my mind. For days afterwards we heard the sound of fighter jets overhead.

I happen to be home sick that day from school and was on the computer and a notice came in from somebody in the Buddhist community to turn on the TV. My youngest son who was 14 at the time was also home from school that day perhaps because I was sick and usually drove him. We watched it in disbelief as it was happening.

There’s a very moving video online if you can find it, they released almost 3000 drones into the air in Manhattan, one for each person that lost their lives… That went up and formed the structure of the two towers at the exact height. And then dissolved. I’m sure you can find it on YouTube.

Here’s another good one, that has an interview with the artist that worked on this project. A remarkable work of art, very moving.

https://youtu.be/Lbg8urmqeJ8?si=_JDxfvvKMos7rOYd

I was in real estate at the time here in Texas and every day we had to take on call of duty sitting at the front desk just taking incoming calls. Sometimes you caught a client sometimes you didn’t. One of my calls was a gentleman from Virginia, happened to have grown-up near here in Texas and was wanting to move back home and looking for some Land to build a new house on. Come to find out he was Kay Bailey Hutchinson’s top military liaison. He and his wife had just moved into their new office two weeks prior at the Pentagon. They were both out sick that day for reasons unknown but more than fortunate to say the least. He flew to Texas the next week and as I was a new agent he was at first sceptical of my sales skills. But he endured a whole day in August in my old Ford explorer with no air-conditioning, bought my lunch at a favourite barbecue spot and signed a contract that very next day for a 3 acre plot in a new development. I remember him saying he was glad he didn’t get a seasoned realtor because they would’ve only showed him what they thought he wanted, I showed him every piece of property on the map LOL. Two months later he and his wife and his daughter showed up at our office and gifted me a United States flag that had flown above the White House perhaps on that day? He didn’t say.

Actually, another true story is that my daughter and I were boarding a plane at DFW the very next morning to go visit my mother in Florida. I remember as we were driving to the airport we were scoping out the sky and quite paranoid! I remember security being more than top-notch at check-in, but I honestly don’t think the event had sunk in yet.

I was driving the children to school at the high school and I almost stopped the car in the middle of the road but I was on this busy road so I had to keep going and dropped them off at school I was in a State of Shock and so were they I'm shocked they didn't cancel school

I had the day off, and had The Today show on, so saw the initial coverage. I had a dentist appointment that morning, and they had no idea what was happening. I did my list of errands, and came home to meet my neighbor as she was putting her kindergartener on the bus. Her Ex husband was supposed to be on one of the Boston planes, but his trip was canceled the day before. One of Mr’s college friends worked in the towers, and lost his life. Michele. I can’t even begin to imagine what being in the city, so close must have been like.
It’s interesting that everyone’s first memory of the day was how blue the sky was that morning

Two of the hijackers spent their last night on earth at my local Wally World. They slept in the cheap motel behind Beloved’s office. They were checked in at the Jetport by my
neighbor. Evil wandered amongst us and we did not realize it. Today has been eerily beautiful, just like that day.

So many memories and stories, and lots that will never be told. I have spent a lot of today, just taking it all in…Fiss, how surreal is that? Like a dark shadow, passing, that no one saw. That no one could see.