Loner

Cooper is a loner. He is happiest alone on the deck on sunny days, chasing shadow friends and falling leaves. Coop does not long for human companionship.

I cannot blame Coop for this behavior. After years of mistreatment, it makes sense that he would find happiness in warm sunlight, away from those who might harm him.

Sometimes, when I go to bed early, Coop will go upstairs with me. Coop will hop up on the bed and I hear a thump, thump, thump. Coop stares at me with big eyes that say pet me.

I will pet Coop for a few minutes. When I stop, his tail begins to wag again. As I pet Coop, he eventually relaxes and you can hear his breathing slow as he falls asleep.

It is then that I know Coop trusts us and some of the bad memories are being replaced with good ones.