Pru Coming Around...Again

Poor sweet Pru! We adopted a rescue Springer Spaniel 6 weeks ago. We have not seen Pru since. No more coming up to see us in the bedroom at night and cuddle with us. The dog, Fergus, is a sweet guy, but very energetic. He loves chasing the cats, which we are breaking him of. Sam and Clio are looking a bit slimmer, they are getting a bit more exercise with the dog in the house. Clio is grooming him and Sam likes to swat at him. Pru is street smart and has not shown her self since he's been here. It doesn't help that he puts his nose under the sofa where she hides and snorts and whines.
I hated not seeing her, so for several days, I have gotten her out of her hiding spot under the sofa. She and Fergus have had some face time and I have taken Pru upstairs to have a safe place to interact with me. Well, it worked. Last night I went to the bathroom and she came up the stairs and into the bathroom to be petted. She then came into the bedroom and jumped on the bed. Fergus is kept on the other side of the bed by the window and we have him gated in for the night. I think she has realized it can be safe to come up at night now.
I have my little tabby back and I missed her. We just need to work on having her out in the daytime again. she was just starting that when Fergus came in.
One step forward and two back.....
~Rhonda

That is wonderful news. Soon she will telling that dog to behave.

Pru

Awww, good for Pru.

I swear sometimes you have to give them their "status" back. A couple of years ago I had a single feral kitten. A couple of days later three more came, and they were hooligans! They completely dominated the first kitten, to the point where I found her hiding in the litterbox. I took her out of the litterbox, told her that she doesn't have to do that, and put her in the highest perch in the room. From that day forward she never hid in there again, and that high perch was hers! That's what you did for Pru...you showed her that she has the "right" to come out. Keep taking her out, and make sure she's physically higher than the dog when they meet. That will give her confidence.

Clixpix: Keep taking her out, and make sure she's physically higher than the dog when they meet.

Click to expand...

That's what I thought too, Fergus needs to see that he is last in the "pack", the cats have seniority!
Pru and I are continuing our nightly bathroom rendezvous. I get up around 1 or 3 usually and up comes Pru. She has to put her head under my hand and flips over on her back, stretching out for me to rub her tummy. She really gets into a routine. Last night after the bathroom session, she stopped at the bedroom door, she sensed that Fergus was not asleep and she decided to skip our bedroom petting. I would love to see her when I'm not so tired though. I just have to be patient.