Paul Update

(Yes, I am aware this is the same picture I keep posting of Paul but he is elusive, like a trying to photograph a snow leopard….)

We adopted Paul close to 3 weeks ago now. The first week was rough. He hid constantly. I had to beg him to eat. Our only signs of progress was when he would move a little towards my hand if I reached under the bed to pet him.

I was really worried because we were heading on vacation for the next week. I have a great pet sitting service that comes in but I didn’t want to upend his world all over again. They ended up setting him all up in the bedroom and keeping him closed in there because he was hiding from them and they weren’t sure he was eating. They gave him as much attention as he’d allow.

The night we came home I walked into the bathroom and saw movement behind me. I turned around and there was Paul, standing up like a normal cat. I had only ever seen him move in a crouch. Here he was walking around the bedroom like he owned the place. That night he jumped on the bed but bolted when he realized there were 2 humans, a dog, and a cat already on it. I figure he’d been sleeping on it all week and was quite put out that suddenly we were all sleeping on HIS bed!

Now he’s pretty darn brave. He comes out mostly at night and hides under something during the day. He’s jumping up on the bed at night to get petting. He doesn’t stay long but that seems to be because he loses interest more than him being too scared. He likes to sit with the husband on the couch in the morning for petting. I think he’s starting to eat out of the communal cat bowl. He still gets overwhelmed by Freckles’ love especially when she hits him in the head with her tail but he seems more exasperated than scared.

 

Jules

Jules is our parrot.  She’s been here for 5 years.  She doesn’t talk.  On the first morning after her adoption she said, “Hello” to me when I uncovered her cage.  She has said nothing since.  She vocalizes all the time but no words.

The other day the husband decided to open a few windows.  After a while a strong breeze blew through on and startled her.  She fell off her perch.  (She gets dramatic when startled.)  She climbed back up, looked at him, and said clear as day, “It’s cold.”  He stared at her and said, “Sorry.  I’ll close the window.”  He did and she was satisfied.

I wasn’t home and he was quite put out when he relayed this story.  He said that she had been holding out on us.  Not only can she talk but she talks in sentences.  It seems uncharitable that she breaks 5 years of silence just to complain though. 

I went out and opened the cage.  She’s been being a complete b!tch recently about coming out of her cage.  She hasn’t wanted too and a few times I forced her out because I didn’t want her to get in the habit of being cage-bound.  That night I just wanted to pet her but she strolled right out onto my arm like it was normal.  I have a working theory that the real Jules died while we were on vacation and the pet sitters got us a new bird.  I’m ok with that because this bird is much nicer.