Thankful to see my little guy....

I got to spend the weekend with my little boy Kona this past weekend. I hadn't seen him in 4 months. Well, I did see him for a few hours but he's always really hard to bond with in very short sessions like that.
When I picked him up, he was pretty upset. He was hesitant to let me touch him and hissed every time I got close to him. I had to quickly grab him and hold him away from me as he threatened to snap at me. When I put him in the car, he was upset and spent the ride to the Duvall house on the rear deck behind the backseat.

After we came home, I left him in the car for a bit. He was so agitated by the experience that he was growling in that guttural way that said "I am really angry and don't bother me." Message received. I checked on him in about 30 minutes and he was ready to climb onto my left shoulder (his favorite one) and hunkered close, while we went into the house.

The first night was a little disappointing but not totally unexpected. I had prepared a cardboard box for him and placed a comforter on the bottom with its edges coming up the walls. I topped the comforter with a polar fleece blanket and then draped his favorite blue polar fleece over the top of the box to make a covered nest for him. A nice little nest.

At first, he ran around the house to smell and look at all the old haunts. The window in the guest bedroom with the view to the front yard. The edge of the box spring standing on its side in the smaller guest room near the window by the back door. The window by the master bathtub with the view of the sky. His old scratching post lovingly still in the same place by the heat vent. It was a bit of a rub that he wouldn't come to the master bed where I was sleeping. However, it was nice when I noticed that he was settling in the nesting box.

The next day, Kona spent his time sleeping and watching the goings on from the box. I could see his little orange nose poking out as he watched me go about my day. I could see him cleaning himself. He seemed fine but he still hissed at me except during breakfast and dinner. I went to bed that night after tucking him in and wishing him a good night.

On the second morning, I felt a little pad and pat on my chest. I woke up with a smile and found him standing on my chest, all four feet. He stood there looking at me and seemingly wanted to nudge me in the face. Ah... the old hint... I pulled my comforter down and Kona promptly placed his head on my shoulder and nestled on my chest. With the comforter pulled back over him, it was like holding a different boy altogether than that angry little cat from the day before. He purred me to sleep and we spent the next few days bonking heads in greeting and talking to each other with humming/purring.

I drove him back yesterday and I went to bed last night with a little space in my bed. Taiga seems a little sad too as she doesn't have anyone to check on. I really miss him and hope he's well.