I have to highlight something very special, which looks truly mundane: this photo.
Kipo was found as a stray in 2020, approximately 4 months old. No clue about anything of her history before coming to me. She was - and still is - extremely friendly with other humans; she didn't enjoy the company of my old girl and treats my boy Dax like a stuffed animal (I will interact with you on my terms but do NOT interact with me).
One day, a neighborhood cat got into the house and was unable to get out. Kipo was so scared of this other cat that she went into Fight Mode and attempted to kill it - failing that, she redirected onto me and I wound up in the urgent care for the scratches. I know it was fear because she urinated and defecated all over herself following the incident.
This phobia only got worse with time and she has redirected her fear-aggression on me two other times, the cat sitter once, and Dax twice as well. The last blow out she had with Dax was about a year ago and I have been too scared to put them back together.... When I talk about "crate and rotate" with pet parents at work, I am speaking from experience!
Because of Kip's big personal space bubble, she finds dogs..... tolerable. If they respect her space, then she is fine. But she will defend herself if they get in her face. Since I brought Garrus home, I have been working on keeping him cat-safe and especially respectful of Kipo.
Last night, with Garrus on a tether, Kipo felt safe enough to curl up in the chair within arm's reach of him (but he could not touch her, and that was key.) She stayed there, safe and sound, for 3 hours.
We may never get to a place where she will play with him, but I have very high hopes that she will at least continue to be *this* comfortable.
I also need to shout out the behaviorist that we see and the magic of modern medicine! We couldn't get where we are today without behavior meds, household management, and persistence. Kipo's fear threshold is not as low as it used to be and she is much better equipped to handle her Big Feelings. Hopefully, as the bear's manners improve and she gets used to him just being around, we can integrate the whole household.
