Delta has been doing so well lately I decided to introduce some very controllable, very intentional stress. As our ultimate goal is to have her integrated into the entire house and not just the bedroom there are some specific activities that need to be accepted as normal and non threatening. Enter Housework. Don't misunderstand, I clean my room, but I clean in stages and very slowly. One day tidy, another to sweep etc. Today I did it all, including a little furniture moving. Just a mirror but it's a change.
If you take a moment and think about all the movements you make when doing your housework. There's a lot of them. You're up and down, moving side to side. Opening drawers, doors, closets. Your body gets bigger as you reach to grab something or put something away. Maybe you're using props. A broom, a cloth, or...gasp... a noisy vacuum. For Delta, and other semi feral cats these human movements can be terrifying when first introduced. Especially when happening all at once.
Her response was better that I hoped. While I was bustling around the room, opening and closing the bedroom door as I moved things in and out she hid in the window sill. This is one of her safe spaces. However once I was done she moved into her other safe space, as you can see in the photo above. Yes, she hissed at me as I walked past but she didn't spit and currently she is napping.
Next stress.... Ironing.