Moving Ernesto

The other significant milestone for my commitment to moving, besides giving notice at PBNC, was to move my beautiful hefty cat Ernesto.  I laid awake one night obsessing about how to do it.  He is too big for a normal cat carrier.  I was thinking of maybe getting a small dog crate or not using any sort of carrier or crate.  I posted my dilemma on facebook and immediately got several responses saying "Do not try to drive with him loose in the car" citing examples of cars wrecked.  Then my band mom friend Diane told me the perfect solution - one laundry basket stacked on top of the other.  It worked out great.  He only meowed a short time, really.  I was playing the audiobook of Malcolm Gladwell's "What the Dog Saw" and his nice voice maybe also helped.  So moving him turned out to be no problem.

Integrating him with Gary's two dogs is another story.  He has made himself at home under the bed in the guest room.  I have put his food, water and litter box in that room, so at least I know his needs are met and he is safe.  I sleep in that room when I have worked a night shift and need to sleep during the day.  I really like having him with me when I sleep.  Sometimes I take him out and hold him in my lap to try to get him used to being around the dogs.  I learned that cats can growl!  Never knew that.  The dogs have been around cats before, and are not a danger to him, but they did chase him a couple of times so he really does not want to be anywhere near them.  Here are the dogs, Lola and Maybelle:

The neighbors, Kelly and Dana, also brought home a big cat to integrate with their two dogs.  Kelly says it will take a couple of months, but soon Ernesto will be the boss.  He said it just takes an encounter where the cat scratches the dogs' noses, and they will not bother him any more.  I really do not know if this will happen.  But Gary says he doesn't think it is right for Ernesto to "stay under the friggin bed".

I was in Beaverton/Portland the past two days and am excited to get back to Corvallis and have time with Ernesto.  Gary is very, very close to his dogs, so he understands about my being close to my cat.  That part is all OK.  He also likes cats and is trying to give Ernesto attention, too.

I will keep you all posted on this.  Here are photos of Ernesto in his new home: