We love getting updates from our pets! Here is one that came in, giving us an update on lovely Lady’s awesome transition! Thank you Julianna for all you are doing!!!

Hi Adryan,

I’m betting that you and everyone else at RASKC is curious about how Lady is transitioning to home life. 

To sum it up briefly, I’d say, “about as expected, maybe even a bit better.”

She and Coach get along remarkably well, though poor Coach is being run a bit ragged. Fortunately, he pretty much just ignores her when she tries to play and he doesn’t feel like it. We’ve also discovered that in her mind, rope toys are the BEST THINGS EVER, and she is capable of a fair game of fetch. She even gives up the rope pretty well when we calmly tell her to so that we can throw it for her.  Makes for nice relief for Coach.

Also, we changed her name to Cassie, aka Cassiopeia. Long story behind it, but we liked the alliteration of Cassie and Coach. She’s already responding to it. She is really quite smart.

Other experiences so far:

• She goes willingly into her crate without a fuss. As long as treats are involved. She has yet to attempt to break out of it.
• She truly is a copycat and a 90 lb shadow. Whomever is walking around, she’s curiously following and investigating whatever they are doing. 
• She has yet to show any food aggression, though she may be a little possessive about rawhides. No growling/biting, but when Coach went to investigate a rawhide she’d been chewing on and walked away from, she ran urgently back to grab it, and subsequently tried to hide it. We’ll be monitoring that closely.
• She plays a little dirty – tends to go for Coach’s legs. She will also just flop her head/chest on Coach’s head and pins him down. Meanwhile, he tries to bite her chest, and she’ll gnaw on his back legs. “Ha, ha, I win!” Jerk. 
• Walks are a challenge, of course, but she re-directs well with treats. We’ve already seen improvement in the past few days. She doesn’t seem very nervous when new people walk by, surprisingly.
• I am apparently her security blanket. She doesn’t really like it when either of us leave, but she whines more and pines at doorways when I’m the one who goes somewhere.
• She has yet to have an accident in the house. I know, I didn’t believe it either. We’re still keeping vigilant, because we know that won’t last forever.
• She is surprisingly unafraid of loud noises in the distance. We’ve had fire trucks go by, planes flying close overhead, fireworks down the street, etc and she’ll look up and be curious, but does not appear stressed. None of these have been in really close proximity though. Overall, July 4 was a breeze.
• The cat is VERY interesting. She’s not quite sure what to make of him yet. When he has the high ground, she submits to him. Example: he was on the top of the stairs, which meant that she was trapped at the bottom and could not pass. However, when he’s on the ground, she’s much more daring and will chase him if he runs. He’s smacked her face plenty of times, but was declawed on the front before we got him, so it hasn’t made the mental impact it could. She even mouthed him a bit once – no teeth, and looked like in play. Whatever the case, we’re making it very clear that he’s not to be handled that way, and is best ignored. Everyone will stay physically separated, unless being closely monitored by us for now. And Malcolm gets free reign to exact any physical punishment on her if she’s invading his space. He may not have front claws, but he’s still got his rears and teeth. And I’ve got lots of gauze and neosporin. She’s starting to ignore him more and more. 
• She hasn’t been coughing at all so far, and her BM’s are firming up. 
• Pet beds are confusing. “What do you mean these aren’t just pillows for my butt?”

By the way, she whined pretty hard as you walked away from our car. D’aww.

All the best,

Julianna