Oliver's new digs are completed and he's enjoying them. We're still having a little bit of a debate about the litter pan but I'm being patient and the new configuration is much easier to clean :-) My patience is partly due to the fact that I still don't know if he's been neutered. If not, some of this may be marking his territory and quite understandable since I keep reorganizing his world on him.

A couple of days ago I barricaded the kitchen area and let him out for some exercise. My new neighbour was here and we all had a great time -- the humans sitting on the floor and Oliver being his inquisitive and hilarious self, running and jumping and doing his cute little sideways hop skip and jump thing.

Yesterday was a long and tiring day and poor Oliver didn't get any time with me outside the cage, so this morning, I barricaded the place again and let him out. This time Dixie stayed in the kitchen instead of hiding out in the bedroom (such a scaredy cat!). It was fun watching them together. Mr. Curious kept approaching Ms. Cautious to find out who she was and Dixie was moving from corner to corner of the space.

I was happily surprised to hear no growling or hissing and see no hair raising on the part of Dixie, even when Oliver came slowly close enough to sniff her. When she got surprised by his jumping and landing right beside her, she gave him a little swat with her paw. Nothing that could have hurt him -- she keeps her claws in, really, she's a nutcase as far as cats go -- but I told her off anyway and put her in the bedroom.

Cat's curiousity finally got the better of her and she made her way over the barricades to join us again. This time when Oliver was getting too rambunctious for her she knew she wasn't to even pretend to smack him, so she leaped to get up on a bookcase, in the process knocking a box and a small dish full of screws and such over with much clattering. So surprised and alarmed were both of my furry friends that they both ran straight into the rabbit house.

Dixie got there first and found herself being told by me to get out and her exit made problematic (to her at least) by Oliver being right behind and between her and the door opening. Oliver was persistent about following her and finally she made her way out. He was upset enough to stay inside his (open) cage and rest and/or guard his space.

The desk is outside the barricades, naturally. While typing this little story I have been watching to see how they are without me sitting in the middle ready to referee. They were both in and out of the rabbit house independently and together, so I think they are going to be buddies in a few more weeks. At this very moment, however, Dixie is resting on her window shelf in the bedroom where she is looking out of the window at the birds some of the time and into this room to watch the rabbit (and I?).

I think she'll be in great in shape after a month or so of the Oliver Exercise Program!