BC

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It's been a while since I've given an update on our basement cat... and slow but steady progress continues.

If you ask Tim, he'd probably say she hasn't made many strides forward, but that's not true. Sure, she's not jumping onto our laps for a nap, climbing into bed to sleep with us, or even venturing into a room with the television on. But when I think back to the months she spent hidden behind our water heater, afraid to even peek out, her progress has actually been remarkable.

She now roams the house, explores every room, and no longer runs when we walk by. If we're sitting quietly, she'll even come over to us and happily accept pets. The moment we start scratching her head or rubbing her back, she leans into our hands as if she can't get enough attention... as long as it's on her terms, of course.

I've had to remind Tim that she hasn't even been with us for a full year yet, so according to my predictions, she's actually ahead of schedule! Maybe by next winter, when it's cold and snowy outside, a warm lap will start looking a lot more appealing. Time will tell.

Either way, it fills me with happiness to see her finally relaxing and slowly realizing she's safe here. I can't imagine what she survived during her years on the streets, and even spending nine months confined to a cage at the shelter had to leave its mark. It doesn't seem unreasonable to think she might need a year, or even longer, to fully trust that this is home.

Until then, we'll keep celebrating the little victories. One day she may surprise us by curling up beside us on the couch... and who knows, maybe by then we'll finally have to retire the name "Basement Cat."

"Cats choose us; we don't own them." — Kristin Cast