 |
| This is pretty much all we saw of her for about 6 weeks |
So I worked out a plan.
Full disclosure: I'm making way more out of this than is strictly necessary. If you're here to read about her personality and socialization progress, this doesn't really fit that narrative, so tune in again next time!
OPERATION: SPINDLE PRICK
Step 1
Give her some gabapentin the night before. This is an important step!
Step 2
Tuck a large number of blankets and towels under the bed frame to make a corral, so when she comes out of the mats, her options are either run toward the human or toward the carrier (I knew she wasn't going to come toward me)
 |
| LEFT: Aurora is tucked into the folds of the brown mat with the white zipper CENTER: towels cover the opposite side of the bed, encompassing the carrier RIGHT: towel and blanket creating a hallway/corral |
Step 3
Realize a flaw in the plan and reevaluate
I had thought that the problem was going to be that she'd find a weakness in my blanket construction and she would run around the rest of the room in a panic and it would be terrible for everyone. The real problem was that she didn't want to come out of the mats. Should have seen that coming!
I wanted to avoid physically handling her if at all possible to minimize the risk of traumatizing her.
Step 4
Pull the mats out from under the bed
Rebuild the corral since the mats were one of the three walls
Open the mats like taking the top bun off a burger
See her dismay at being fully visible
Watch her speed-ooze (gabapentin slowed her down a touch) right to the carrier and go halfway inside (!!)
Step 5
This is where it could all go terribly wrong. Letting go of the mats and moving closer to the carrier means that one side of the corral is unguarded, and taking down the towel wall nearest the carrier in order to urge her further into the carrier means a second wall is gone. Cross fingers and hope for the best
Step 6
Gently urge her the rest of the way in to the carrier, close the door
Be amazed that she has shown no signs of grumpiness
Celebrate (quietly)
Cover the carrier with a towel and summon a Lyft
We got to the shelter right around the time the vet visited, she was given her booster without leaving the carrier, and we got home all without her making a sound. She napped for the rest of the day in the carrier, and I moved the futon mats into the closet where she can't hide in them anymore. In exchange, I kept up the blanket wall and added a few more hiding spots.
She woke up around 7pm and started eating, and that night she was out and about in the room, so we hadn't lost any progress! I wonder if she just chalked the vet visit up to a weird dream.
Aurora is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
