saucy_dryad

Handsome Tom lurks. Not so much as he used to, but he's still rather lurkful. The older kitties have always borne the brunt of his lurkiness; it wasn't that he didn't lurk around Esme, it's just that she wasn't terribly fussed. It's this very lurkitude, though, that's brought us to our current straights with the old ladies. Their every move was shadowed by an enormous, thickly muscled and endlessly playful tomcat trying to find his place in the hierarchy or the household. It took a toll on their delicate, elderly kitty nerves.

It's lovely, then, to see Isabeau step outside of her safety zone (otherwise known as the coat closet; Jilly still spends most of her time in the linen closet *sigh*). Of an evening, Isabeau will hang out on the couch with Don and I, or sprawl upon the hearth before the wood stove. Sometimes, she'll curl up in the bay window or plop herself down next to my computer. Inevitably, HT will take notice. To my delight, he's calmed down considerably. Where he used to launch himself at her, now he'll just as often curl up and go to sleep.

There are those moments, though, where Isabeau really puts herself out there. Where she feels utterly protected and safe, and where I'm certain she is. Where the coast is clear, no danger in sight, and then, suddenly... he looms.