For obvious reasons, I haven’t been giving equal time to the two new additions. Where Anya has required multiple daily rounds of medication and came out of her shell fairly quickly, Cordy has remained largely reluctant and uncertain. Technically, she’s largely remained firmly tucked into the cardboard base of their inclined scratching platform.
If the paperwork is to be believed, Cordy went from living in a park to being trapped and hauled in to the shelter and then moved onward to my house all in a span of four or five days. For a three-month-old kitten brain, that’s got to be just about as much new experience as anyone would want to deal with. I’m not at all surprised she was mostly shut down for the first two weeks I had her.
She’s making slow progress – coming out at meal times and grudgingly playing with the business end of a feather wand, if only briefly before beating a hasty retreat back to the safety of her box.
For the last three nights, somewhat unexpectedly, Cordy has emerged from her safe space while I’m checking in with them before “lights out.” She’ll pad cautiously across the room, rub against my leg, and stand still for a few pets from ear to tail before losing her courage and jumping away. This morning, while I was doing a last check before leaving for the office, she did it again.
Even as I’m sitting here typing it out, it doesn’t sound like much… but it’s leaps and bounds of progress for a cat who was more or less shut down for the first two weeks she was here. It’s progress and I’ll take it. I’ll take as much progress as we can muster between now and the first week of April, when Anya’s scheduled for eye surgery. I’m fully expecting that to be a giant step backwards for all of us.
JEFFREYTHARP.COM 
It’s heartwarming to see the progress Cordy has made, despite her rough start. The author’s patience and care for both kittens is truly admirable. It’s important to give animals the time they need to adjust and feel safe in their new environment. Thank you, author, for providing a loving home for these furry friends.
It’s heartwarming to read about the progress that Cordy is making, even if it’s slow. It’s understandable that she’s still adjusting to her new environment and it’s great to see that the author is being patient and giving her the space she needs. It’s also interesting to learn about her background and the challenges she faced before coming to her new home. I hope Cordy continues to make progress and that she eventually feels comfortable enough to explore more of her surroundings. Thank you for sharing this update with us!
Thank you. She’s very slowly coming out of her shell, so I’m sure there will be more updates to come.
I really enjoyed reading about your experience with Anya and Cordy. It’s heartwarming to see the progress Cordy has made, despite her difficult past. Thank you for taking such good care of them both!
Thank you for your kind words. It definitely wasn’t the “kitten experience” I was planning on, and I certainly had my moments of doubt, but they’re coming along nicely. I’m hopeful we’re over the hump with the hardest parts of their transition from shelter cats to house cats.