Birdie Update #2

My last Birdie update was back in March.  Since then, there’s been gradual but steady progress in terms of her being more comfortable in our house, and more comfortable with Bonkers and Darwin.  She has ventured down to the floor many times, especially when she knows the boys are either sleeping or out in their catio:

      

      

      

       

She still spends most of her time in the living room alcove, where there’s always lots going on.  There’s fun with the laser dot:

      

Fun with the catnip sack [we toss it up there, she tosses it back down]:

       

“Crazy spells” where she goes nuts and chases invisible opponents – we always worry she might fall off:

      

And lots of time half asleep but still keeping an eye on the boys:

       

There are still random times when Darwin goes up for a visit, but Birdie always lets him know who’s boss:

       

And sends him packing pretty fast:

       

She also lets Darwin know who’s boss when they’re both on the downstairs hall cat platforms:

      

       

Then there was the debacle in late April / early May [while we were in Hawaii] when Bonkers taught himself to climb up the cat tree and get into the alcove:

      

We had to move the cat tree to the other side of the living room.  So he taught himself to jump up onto the TV platform and climb up the path of platforms into the alcove:

       

      

OMFG!!!

I had to nail up a temporary luan wall which Bonkers couldn’t get around or over:

       

It kept him on one side of the downstairs platforms and Birdie on the other:

While still giving Birdie access to the series of platforms leading up to HER alcove:

I have since removed the temporary wall and Bonkers hasn’t realized it yet… hopefully he never will!

Birdie’s other favorite hangout is the upstairs hall cat platforms.  She can snooze, watch birds out the window, and keep an eye on Bonkers:

       

        

There have been some altercations between her and Bonkers in the upstairs hall, when he has tried to get up on her platforms.  We think one was quite successful, on Birdie’s part, because for the past month he has gone out of his way to avoid her, which is incredible!  She can even walk down the stairs now, while he watches from the bottom.  As she approaches the bottom he backs up and she jumps up onto her downstairs hall platforms.  Considering he spent the first 11 months of her arrival at our house stalking and howling at her, his new approach is amazing.

Meanwhile, Darwin has spent the summer being Darwin:

      

       

We’ve had our pretty Birdie girl for just over a year now, and the progress she’s made in that year has been amazing.  I’m hoping that throughout the next year it continues to improve and she continues to amaze us!