Savannah's Paw Tracks

An Update On My Progress

HIYA!!  MOM L HERE!!!

I have been wanting to share Savannah’s continuing progress with her readers for some time. But, I keep thinking I need to have photo verification of her progress and as much of it happens at night or when I have my hands full, that’s pretty hard to do!! You will understand what I mean when I describe how my precious feline gal pal Ms. Savvy Do continues to emerge, even after six years with me, as her REAL SELF.

Dad P and I more often than not call Savannah “Nana”. She knows all the renditions of her name from Savvy, Savvy Davvy, Savannah Banana to Nana. And while we know Nana’s silly funny side, most of you know her as a more serious lady cat. The photo above is truly what we call the “Savannah Look”. Serious and clearly not interested in hearing any excuses for whatever she just observed that caught her attention! That’s my girl, Nana.

And yet, after living with us for over six years, having come to us at approximately age five, Nana continues to allow herself to grow in confidence in herself and trust in us, her human guardians—and her human Mom L and Dad P.

Case in point, below you will see Nana resting peacefully on her latest favorite light weight blankie. This is something I have had for over fifty years. And Nana calls it “hers”. Talk about calling our “dibs, it’s mine!”  This is on the foot of the bed where I sleep every night, even in Summer. The amazing progress Nana has shown us over the last few weeks is that we can make the entire bed AROUND HER and she will never move! Nope! Not one whisker even flinches. Just one year ago, she would have be off the bed in a paw flick if we tried to make the bed around her like this.

And you already know how much Nana luvluvluvs her carpeted stairs, right? Well here is the awesome progress our brave Nana has made in just the last few months. We can literally walk over her, around her while she is chill’ax’in on her stairs and she never budges! Not even one whisker gets out of line! Just after we moved into our new home one year ago, Nana would flee if we stepped over, around her—especially if we had something like a load of laundry in our hands. Not now! She just stares at us, or eve better, just ignores us, and we have to move around her as best we can without tripping over her and our own feet!

As you know, Savvy has arty-right-us in her left knee in particular and also in her right, but not so bad. So she doesn’t use her “traditional” cat tree as much to play anymore. Her personal cat tree for play and relaxation is now the one and only thing carpeted in our home—her stairs.

And where do I begin to tell you about her progress in allowing me to touch her toes? In particular her hind toes, my most favorite toesies because she has such long individual toes. Yes, Nana allows me to not only touch, but to hold for brief moments now. All since coming to our own home last year.

Another major break through, for both me and Dad P, in the last few months has been the ability to truly give her not only tummy rubs, but to brush her tummy as well. Yes, that is correct, we can use her soft slicker brush to now brush her tummy furs. So sorry, but no photo allowed to date!

Savvy still comes to me in bed at night, now more than ever, to receive very intimate soft pets, face rubs and even gum rubs. Yup, that’s right, I said gum rubs. She enjoys having me rub her gums at night as well as her nose. She just pushed her nose into my finger and lets me softly massage, then she ends with a little lick…so special.

Alas, Nana has not yet ventured into my lap, but oh my she has come so close in the last few weeks as the weather gets warmer. I can only hope she will one day shock my world and make my life by climbing into my lap, if only for a few moments.

Her arthritis has been challenging, but she now uses the carpeted (of course carpeted!) steps we provide for both the bed and couch. Just look at her at the top of the steps in the bedroom…isn’t she calm and almost regal?

Given that Savvy is all too often serious, like when she is making her biscuits, it is such a joy to see her being carefree.

Savvy’s playfulness is still such an endearing activity. Her whiskers are so long and when she calls them to “Attention!” when it is time to pounce on the peacock feather, well, let’s just say it makes me grin from ear to ear.

As you know a cat always calls its whiskers to attention and forward when pursuing its “prey” and Nana goes that with great skill.

The message in this update on Nana’s continuing progress is this—never ever give up on an adult shelter rescue cat. Given patience, kindness, love and space—their REAL SELF will emerge, slowly, but it will just keep on coming. We can’t wait to see where Nana will be by end of 2018.

As you can tell, Nana rocks my world! She makes me and Dad P tickled and delighted to know that we were fortunate enough to get to adopt such a brave, resilient lady cat.

THANK YOU FOR READING, MOM L