A Giant Step For Annie

Bringing Max home was such a happy day for me. I realize by going over to the apartment building every day to visit him, I shouldn't have missed him so much, but I really did. My cat family was just so incomplete without him.
Of course, I knew that bringing him home would be a challange, especially for Annie, who had grown so fearful she wouldn't leave the linen closet. I'm happy to report that she hasn't let him drive her into hiding. At first, she was staying in the hall in front of the bathroom door. I guess this was so she would have easy access to her closet, should he decide to chase. I just want to stop here a minute to clarify something. I've been watching him closely when he encounters her, and he's only interested in chasing her if he's in play mode. She, of course, wants to be left alone, so she hisses and growls, then she runs away. This is when he chases her. He doesn't see her, fuzz up, and aggressively persue her. And, even more important...he doesn't chase her everytime he sees her out. Now, back to Annie...
Shortly after Max started going outside for short visits, Annie started coming out of the hallway, and into my craft room. I'd fixed a basket with a blanket in it, and put it on my quilt trunk, Where she loves to lay and look out the window. Max hardly ever goes in there, so she's pretty much left alone. I guess she's beginning to get braver, because last week, she came into the living room (with Max in the house, mind you), jumped up onto the window perch, and took a nap. I was overjoyed, when she did the same thing the next day...then the next...
I'm happy to say that she has taken her afternoon naps (and some evening ones, too) on that perch in the living room, for the last two and a half weeks. The happiest surprise is that she doesn't jump down and go running to the linen closet when Max enters the room, and guess what? He doesn't chase her when he sees her up there.
So it looks like my Annie is taking her life back. I'm so proud of her. I still desire your prayers, because she's still scared when Max is in play mode, and he still will chase her if she runs. So even thought things aren't perfect, she at least hasn't let it send her back into hiding.