Like early vegetarians returning from the kill

Koa has been improving by leaps and bounds. We still haven't picked her up, though we're doing some preliminary work to that end. This means that we still haven't gotten her into her carrier, so she's not yet ready to go to the vet or to boarding. I have been hiding toys and catnip in her carrier, so she is beginning to see it as a part of the landscape, or perhaps I should say, toyscape.

[You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.]


The "healing that goes in both directions" (with a tip o' the pin to KAH) continues, with some marvelous successes. Last week, I gave her an absurd toy -- a giant carrot with feathers sticking out of the top and a little pocket for catnip -- her weakness.


She still feels most secure around and under the bed. She loves the stairs we originally purchased for Juliet. She runs up and down them, hides behind them, pulls herself around them, and rubs on them.

Here she is, stalking,
chewing,

attacking,
and reigning victorious over the beast.

We've also been playing a lot with "interactive toys" -- toys on strings and sticks. She's a bundle of muscle as she winds up, plots her approach, and leaps, spins, and catches her toys.

The amazing thing is that all this play is providing the healing glue we've been trying to concoct. Koa is becoming ever more confident, allowing us to approach her more. She is becoming more courageous as she visits other parts of the house, even when we're in them. We're not all the way there yet, but the socialization therapy is working its magic.

Here's our pretty girl. What a far cry from the terrified mess we adopted three months ago.