I put off writing about this yesterday because I was still getting used to a couple of things about the topic at hand, but I guess now’s as good a time as any. I’ve never had a pet growing up, much as I wanted the responsibility and companionship. As soon as I moved to my own place I decided that I’d make it a point to get one. I considered adopting a dog, however, I knew that my situation and lifestyle wouldn’t be conducive to dog ownership. It just would be fair to the poor beast. As for cats, they were always an option, but I just never got around to adopting one. Also, I kind of feared for my leather couch. That’s pretty much how things have been for the past few months.

A few weeks ago I was chatting with a friend and offhand I suggested that I wanted to get a cat at some point. He jumped at the idea and suggested that I could take his cat if I wanted. He was having trouble keeping the cat at his place with his mother not getting along with pet. Well, I hesitated for a little while, but I decided that a trial run was in order. It just so happened that he was going away this long weekend, so this would be my chance. The deal is that if things go well this cat-sitting gig might turn into a permanent home.

Yesterday, my friend brought Gloria in with most of her things. In the carrier, you can tell that she was feeling awkward. When we opened the door, she slinked her way out before bolting for the kitchen. After assessing the situation, she jumped up on the counter and hid behind the blender. Apparently it gave her enough cover to be “hidden.” After a while, my friend got her down, and gave her a brief look at my condo. When he let her go, she dove under the couch. After my friend left, I was just left on my own to figure her out. Part of me was hoping to spend a little while getting to know Gloria and for her to get used to me, but I knew that she was kind of anxious and unsure of her new environment. I knew that she had to come out on her own terms and that I couldn’t force her to come and say hello. I couldn’t help myself though, every now and then I’d peek under the couch to see how she’s doing. She’d stare right back.

Knowing that she wouldn’t come out I ended up retreating to my room early in hopes that she’d just start exploring right away. I left out half a can of tuna for her to eat, and some fresh water to drink. The litter box was clump free and ready to go for her. I slept well. When I woke up I checked the state of things. She ate a fair bit of the tuna, and the litter box was used. The leather couch wasn’t scratched at all, but I saw a few paw prints here and there, indicating that indeed she did explore. I was wondering where she was, so I ducked under the couch, and yup, there she was.

I set out new food and water for her, so I was hoping that she’d go eat while I was awake. She was too timid for that. At one point I decided to just duck under the couch and say hi. I called her name out a few times and enticed her to come closer to me. She allowed me to start petting her and I obliged. I was relieved to hear her purring as I scratched her head. I tried to coax her out from under the couch, but when I did she scrambled back to the darkness. That tells me that she’s kind of comfortable with me, but still scared of the environment. I’ll take that. It means that she’ll definitely come around once she gets used to the place. Heck, I left my condo for an hour this evening and when I came back she moved the the darkness under my bed. When I greeted her, she just stared at me. When I sat on the bed she bolted back for the couch. Small progress, I guess. We’ll see how much progress she makes overnight.

So yes, this is the start of another journey for me, isn’t it? I’m sure that she’ll do well and eventually realize that I’m there for her. Meanwhile, all I can do is hope for the best.