Reclaiming my own(?)

What a lark for Kitty, the two weeks I was away. She led all her "keepers" on a merry chase. Kitty did not behave in any unusual way; but like the tortie she is. If cornered, with no apparent escape route, she will submit to most anything. But her eye always searches for an escape, and given opportunity, she is gone!

Kitty appears for treats, but that is the only time she appears when "called". Saying "Kitty, Kitty, Kitty" does not move her. No special food, except the rattle of the treat can, moves her.

Cats with overall markings of black and red are tortoise shell cats, or Torties. Most have been observed to have an attitude, or Tortitude. If that includes the "meow", I do not know. I've never heard even a squeak from Kitty. Neither have I heard her purr.

Kitty has a completely unknown history, some of which can be deduced. When found on the street and turned over to the Akron Animal Protective League, she was both chipped and neutered. My guess is that spunky kitten she must have been, on returning from a vet after that experience, she took advantage of an open door and bolted.

She may have lived on and off with people who did not know she was "fixed". She was found on the street, injured. She was captured, taken to a vet hospital where she was treated, and then turned over to the APL in Akron, from which I adopted her and registered her chip.

You'll remember I reported her extremely reclusive. I barely had sight of her, and except for changes in the food bowl, had no idea she lived here. I came to terms with interactions solely over the treat can and decided I could wait her out.

Then real life interfered and I went away for two weeks. Ever so many kind people stepped in to interact with Kitty. My sister. My grandson. The staff here at the Atrium. At one point they feared she may have made an escape, and in the search pulled all the furniture out from the walls. There she was, easily captured and then passed from hand to hand, petted and cooed up, and happy to escape to under the bed at the first opportunity.

Eventually she took to "under the bed covers", and being  petted and released back under the covers. That was status quo when I returned, Tuesday afternoon. When I went to bed, she was in a tunnel by the wall. I did not disturb her, and watched and felt her slither to the end of the bed and disappear.

When I took a shower the next morning, she appeared in the bathroom and observed. Same place in bed that night, same disappearing act. Then last night, she was in the middle of the bed. Finally I had to actually disturb her for my place in bed! I felt all legs, and was amazed at how easily she slid closer to the edge of the bed. I cannot imagine Toby being displaced short of uncovering and lifting him bodily from the bed.

So, I slid in beside her. For sometime I could feel her against my side, at my waist. As I drifted off, she moved to the end of the bed and was gone. Then, with a great ring from the alarm, it was morning and up I came, to turn it off.

It will be interesting to see her "entitlement" tonight. She does not offend me, she is so easy to shift. And perhaps it's all part of testing me, to see if I have a limit.