Babbage has always been nervous, one to run and hide when the door bell rang, or even worse, when my friend and his little lad come over - when he is the cat version of Usain Bolt. You might see a flash of brown go past as he breaks the speed of sound to go and hide under the furthest corner of my bed. It is not that the lad has ever done anything to upset Babbage, but Babbage has got it into his mind that he is some sort of devil monster. Every encounter has been one of fear and running and hiding, only ever coming out when the child-beast is certainly gone.
Today, I met up with my friend and his boy and came back to mine for a cup of tea. They sit down and I am sorting out the drinks when I see that Babbage has come out from under the bed and is in the hallway, then almost in the living room, then hallway, looks to me for reassurance, bedroo... no, stay in the hallway.
Over the course of 40 minutes or so, more than 2 years of behaviour is reversed, still decidedly wary, he came into the living room, skirted around the back of the furniture, came ever closer and ended up getting treats from the lad and ever-so-nearly playing with him.
I am so happy to see this. If you'd told me that this would happen today I would have never have believed it.
And now he is between me and the keyboard, head snuggled in, padding away at me and purring and wanting his tummy to be rubbed.
It has been a great day.
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