Comforting Spaces, Part 1

Over the past eight months, I have had the pleasure of hosting three different friends from across the country in my home. This is always a bit of a challenge in my house since cats are not known for being the most accepting of strangers.

Cooper, of course, doesn’t have a problem with strangers … never has.

And Zoey … well … Zoey acts more like a dog, so she has been fairly accepting of strangers. She even greets them at the door. And thoroughly sniffs them. Yes … you heard me … she sniffs them. Like a dog.

But the others have been far more reticent.

After I opened my door this past week to the third visitor, I realized my cats have become more and more accepting of new people. Their transition from contempt-filled, stranger-danger, little snots that are just as likely to smack you as to love on you into practically disinterested, semi-polite, little snots that are slightly less likely to smack you as to love on you might have been missed by some. But I recognized the distinct signs.

Chief among them is how they have acted as the last two visitors have left the house. Each time, I have found the beasties seeking out the comfort of each other when the house grew quiet. Below are the photos from the animal snuggle-fest following our late April visitor (sorry about the quality, but they were taken with my iPhone).

Yes, that IS my dog … snuggled between my pillows. His life is rough, right?

Pictures from the late May visitor will follow …