Maybe this is too much anthropomorphism

[golfdiva]

Hershey - 2 yo neutered male that I have had since he was a baby. He lives in the basement, no cage. Whenever I'd come downstairs, he would do a few circles around my feet then bow down and let me pick him up for a few minutes. Often in the evening I'd bring him up to our bedroom where we (DH and I) watch t.v. I would sit on the floor and play/groom Hershey, or just sit w/ him for a few hours, then put him back downstairs.

Now, (last couple of months) when I come downstairs, he acts happy to see me. He sometimes runs around, then runs into his safe place. Or he'll get up and stretch and wander into his safe place as I'm walking down the stairs. If I sit for 10-20 minutes he will come out and eat, drink, use the litter box. But if I move toward him he's right back in his safe place.

Often if I stay put, he'll come over to me and bow and let me pet him, but if any other part of my body moves, he's back in his safe place. He's even given me nose bumps, then goes into his safe place.

When he goes into his safe place he doesn't appear to be scared. He often is doing little binkies and/or shaking his head! He sits right by the entrance, and allows me to put my hand in and scratch him. If I don't scratch him, he will chew on the box, pick it up and shake it, and do other things to attract my attention!

So, it doesn't look like he's trying to get rid of me. I'm wondering if he's trying to get me to come visit him in his home, instead of him always coming up to "my place"? Am I giving him too much credit? Too human? Is something else going on here?

 

[Maureen Las]

it just might be "growing up " behavior; he sounds like he is very comfortable with you and his surroundings.

 

[naturestee]

I know that when I pet Fey in the living room, she runs back to her pen and then waits for me to join her to continue the petting session. Loki doesn't run back but won't sit for very long unless he's in his pen, and if he sees me going for his pen he runs to join me. MaybeHershey wants you to join him in his area, instead of him joining you in yours.

 

[golfdiva]

Yes to both of you! He does seem to be very comfortable w/ me. On the rare instances (these days anyway) he allows me to bring him upstairs, he seems very happy.

I too was thinking that maybe he wants me in his "safe box" rather than always coming upstairs to my home. Unfortunately, I don't fit in his box, and it's cold and boring there! lol!

So, let's think. Is there some way I can entice him back into our bedroom? Maybe I can figure out a way to give him a safe box in our bed room he'd feel like the bedroom was his home too?

 

[ec]

Maybe I can figure out a way to give him a safe box in our bed room he'd feel like the bedroom was his home too?

I'm sure you can... you might have to experiment a bit with different setups, to see what he prefers.

As far as wanting you in his space, that doesn't surprise me. My bun has a large ex-pen in my LR and the door is open for her to come and go whenever I'm around to supervise. She often goes back in "her" part of the room to hang out, and if I walk into the pen, she takes that as an invitation to come into "my" part.

 

[Little Bay Poo]

Billy does this to me sometimes. He's fussy about coming out of his cage and a couple of times acted as if he wanted me to come in there with him. Coming out and then leading me back to his cage type thing. I'll stick my head in as far as it will go and he will binky and come over to see me. Now, Billy binkies a lot outside of the cage, but never binkies inside his cage. So when I see him binky inside the cage upon me sticking my head in, I assume that means he is happy to have a visitor

 

[golfdiva]

Thanks for the replies! This is starting to make more sense!

His safe place downstairs is just a couple of cardboard boxes. I'll see if I can get a refrigerator box or something like that so I will be able to come into his home.

Our bedroom is pretty small, but I think I should be able to put a small box somewhere so Hershey can have some ownership here too!

 

[ec]

Some friends recently created an under-the-bed run/hidey place for their bun, and now she hangs out with them all night. Might not be the *exact* thing Hershey needs, but I'm sure you can modify to suit.