[Larenti]
I’m hidin’
Category Archives: Larenti Photos
First day, first night
Because Saturday went so well having al-Zill out and about for most of the day, yesterday I decided to leave him out as long as the situation warranted. From the moment I awoke, he scurried and scampered in a continuing investigation of his new home and family.
The occasional hiss from one of the other cats in response to an invasion of personal space did little to worry me.
Generally speaking, al-Zill has done marvelously under the circumstances. He knows to give Kako a wide berth; nevertheless, he continuously pushes her buttons in attempts to be friendly.
In that regard, he offers head butts and rubs to all of The Kids if he gets close enough. Sometimes these are accepted graciously; other times, they are rebutted with hisses and even a few swats.
No significant violence has ensued, however, and that’s a good thing.
While stripping the bed yesterday as part of my effort to complete chores, I had all the help I could ever want—including the newcomer.
Clockwise from left, that’s al-Zill, Kazon, Larenti, Vazra and Loki. You can see how much assistance I received with retrieving the sheets for washing.
I believe it took all but a few minutes outside the bathroom for al-Zill to realize the bed wasn’t off limits. And you know how cats love comfy beds…
As expected, he has spent some time pondering the patio from this new perspective. That has been his home for quite some time, so he, like Larenti before him and Vazra before that, sees the outside world as the home he left, the place where food and water and shelter and safety came unflaggingly, where affection and attention never failed to deliver.
In due time, like the others, those memories will give way as the longing to return to that world diminishes in light of new joys in a new home.
His antics are endearing. As a young cat, he’s as playful as he is charming—and mischievous. One consideration I must keep in mind stems from his neurological damage. Yesterday while dashing up and down the cat castle, hanging from it like a child on monkey bars, he slipped and fell. Any other feline would have caught a grip on the way down, but al-Zill’s limbs chose that time to become erratic…so down he plummeted.
No harm done, though. He rebounded and raced into the bedroom without a backward glance.
With one tipped ear and one torn ear, and scars from the tip of his nose to the base of his neck, he constantly sings testament to the dangers he faced and the certain death that awaited him. With such an amiable personality and delightful countenance, I sometimes weep for what might have been had I left him to his fate.
He still seeks comfort and rest in the cat carrier I’ve left in the bathroom. When he’s serious about taking a nap, that’s where he goes. But still he joined us in bed overnight for several hours of dreamy sleep.
Several times he woke me with investigative trouble, whether by clearing the bathroom counter (as he’s still figuring out mirrors…) or trying to climb the office blinds (another learning experience…). Then there was the crying, the touching call that echoed through the house as he moved about trying to find his place in the dark, trying to figure out precisely what to make of this new world. His voice remains childlike, a lamentable sound reminiscent of a moaning toddler too lonely to survive. I think his voice will never change following the brain damage he suffered (which marked its most dramatic transition from raspy feline to tearful baby).
He’s already found a new bed: the round, soft feline furniture next to the window in the bedroom. He’s played there, napped there, rested there. I’ve seen him in it many times just in the last 24 hours. His adaptation progresses as his ease grows.
Having been free to roam all day and all night, and given the lack of mayhem that ensued, I’m leaving the bathroom door open and allowing him to acclimate as he sees fit. I interfere only when he gets into trouble. So long as there are no major problems today, I’ll leave him out tomorrow while I go to the office. That will be the first true test.
Sleeping
[Larenti]
Weirdo
Larenti has some of the weirdest sleeping habits I’ve seen in a cat. Sure, he sleeps on his back from time to time, but so do Kako and Vazra. Lots of cats do that, which makes it anything but unusual.
I’m talking about positions that don’t even look comfortable, let alone restful, positions that seem accidental rather than intentional. You might remember seeing one such pose last November while he was still living outside.
I thought at the time that he looked as though he was taking a bath and fell asleep before he finished. Now I know that really happens. Like this:
And this:
I’ve seen him do that regularly all about the house. It starts innocently enough with normal feline hygienics, but somewhere in the middle of the process he grows tired and simply goes to sleep. Without lying down or changing position.
I can’t claim this Buddha Belly demonstration resulted from the same mid-bath unconsciousness, yet I do know he wound up propped against the bed rolled forward such that he had to hold himself up with his front paws—while he slept!
All I know is that this cat is a true weirdo. He certainly came to live in the right house…
The lion cut
I mentioned once after Larenti‘s rescue that I needed “to have him shaved to get rid of some knots.” Truth be told, even the vet recommended a full shave as the dozens of knots along his back were near the skin and impossible to brush out.
I knew these remnants of his medium hair and time outside without proper care needed remedy for him to be comfortable. One had only to see him stretch to understand how they pulled at him, hurt him, and interfered with his normal activities.
The solution? It’s called a lion cut. You’ve undoubtedly seen it before: when a cat is shaved all but for the head, the paws, and the tail. Thus would be Larenti’s fate.
Thankfully, the best groomers in town are about 30 minutes away, give or take traffic, and they can be trusted never to use muzzles, restraints, or other inhumane means on any cat they groom. So off we went on a Saturday morning, and by that afternoon Larenti returned home a new man. Or at least a naked yet more comfortable man.
Here’s the proof.
You can see where the knots pulled hair away from the skin. Like racing stripes on a car, Larenti’s hairless streaks mean something more than bravado; they mean pain as every bit of fur pulled out from the roots to leave a bald spot, one growing and stretching from stem to stern.
But afterward? Well, that’s a different story.
Remember that very same position under different circumstances?
Since the deed was done I’ve seen him be far more comfortable, far more playful and relaxed. Something in his movement, from stretching to sleeping, appears normal to a degree he could not attain before.
Regular brushing/combing will help inhibit this in the future. For now, however, he’s never enjoyed a back rub like this before!
[that’s Kako in the background of the second photo]