Hollywood would have us believe not everyone is enamored of Tucson.
Hamlet 2 is a damned entertaining movie, obviously, but it's possible not everyone agrees with this particular sentiment. And Catalina, for one, is still not quite sure the move from Arizona was worth it. Oh, she's ok in the new apartment. It's got a lot more space for her zoomies, and the front-and-back windows will, especially in the spring, give her a lot of people, dogs, cars, and birds to watch during the day. She's ok.
But the poor thing clearly hasn't quite put the trauma of her move away from her desert birthplace — six different homes, two long airplane flights (and accompanying airport experiences, including security lines and checks, long walks, and lots and lots of people/noise), a long train trip, and various taxis, not to mention unhappy interactions with the host cat in temporary Vienna apartment — behind her.
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| Jeneroo introducing herself to a trapped Catalina in Vienna at the end of November 2024 |
(Just for the record, don't feel too bad about that photo — for some reason Catalina was consistently the conflict-initiator and trouble-maker in that particular relationship).
For a couple days once she and I moved into our new Prague home she was understandably a bit skittish, but I thought we were past the deep imbedded trauma.
I guess not ... or not completely, or not yet. Friday morning I got all my stuff ready — laptop in bag, shoes on, and coat on — before feeding her, as I like to have her eating as I slip out the door to the coffee shop, so I don't feel so bad about leaving a kitten staring at me. It's selfish, but I'd rather she be distracted and happy as I slip out, so I try to have everything ready so I can put her food down and ease out the door.
But I normally don't achieve this complete degree of readiness — in fact, this may have been the first time I managed to have shoes and coat on before I fed her. She saw me preparing the food, bending down to feed her with coat on ... and ran away. I shrugged and left, and when I came back two hours later came to greet her, still wearing the coat, and she again hid from me.
I think I know why. Several times during that turbulent (hah!) and stressful fortnight, I put off putting her in her carrying case as long as possible — often for her sake as much as mine, so she didn't have to spend extra time closed up while I cleaned, organized, packed, and got ready to go. But she, when that happened, and using her cat-sense, would recognize that something was up, forcing me to tempt her with treats or food to get her into her case.
I think that's what triggered her response this time: She's come to associate me feeding her while wearing a coat and shoes with being swept up, put in a carrying case, and moved to yet another new and scary place. And she's not having it.
A real part of me loves her even more for that, of course. She's a smart little roommate. What's that old saying in Tennessee?
So I feel for her. But it does mean that, at least for now, it appears at least one Prague resident would still rather be in Tucson.
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Which is not to say we're not doing well overall (at least when I'm not wearing a coat). 😃
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One last thing. This morning I went to play a friendly tennis match with Filip, and on the way out I stopped at the gym in the complex to watch a couple minutes of the Sunday competition going on there. Looks like a lot of fun, though the absence of fans, parents, or spectators is a bit weird.
Afterwards, walking home, I stopped at a new coffee shop near my flat, run by a young woman who apologized that they would be closing soon because — gesturing at her clearly pregnant self — she needed to show her family. I don't think she meant they didn't know — I got the impression this was a traditional Sunday Czech family meal. Still, she was really friendly and nice, and I liked the sense of humor reflected on the sign outdoors, so ...
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| Yeah, why risk it? |
Happy Sunday, y'all.
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C
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