Mr. Boo Radley, Cat

Your lap is now my lap.  That is all. 

I swear I will sparingly post about my cat Boo Radley. 1) because I don't want to become THAT friend.  The Cat Lady.  And 2) I hate when other people can only talk about their pets.

However, since adopting Boo on Saturday, he's turned out to be the biggest sweetheart. There are some behavioral adjustments that need to be addressed. For example, he's totally freaked out by the noises in the hallway.  You can't hear the neighbors next door through the walls, but you can hear noises from the front door.  Lots of noises.  The elevator.  The elevator door.  The barky dogs.  The loud families.  Now I can't really hear this, but he's a cat.  He hears everything and the noises are making him really anxious.  So he won't go to the front door.  Or sit in the hallway.  But he spends hours staring at the hallway, like a paranoid agoraphobic ringing his hands.

But I think overtime, he will get over this.  The noises will always be there.  I have turned on WNYC 820AM [Correction from Frynn who works at WNYC - I had the wrong station number] which seems to have calmed him a bit. I've left a catnip banana in the hallway near the door as an inticement to step into the hallway.

His anxiety manifests through clawing.  Now I don't mind him puncturing my couch.  It's canvas and from IKEA.  If he tears a real hole in the fabric I can get a new cover.  He hasn't show any interest in the leather recliners because they are covered with thick blankets and rugs.  So where is the real damage?  My rug...

On the left, normal carpet; on the right clawed carpet.

There are about 5-6 areas where this has take place.  Note I do have a scratching board and he seems to has moved his concentration to that.  but there are still moments when I wonder...

Otherwise, Boo is 95% lovebug, 4% neurotic agoraphobic and 1% rug demon.  I wonder whether he will get lonely and if I should get another cat, but I'll wait and see.  There was a beautiful Russian Blue at the ASPCA....

Let sleeping Boos lie