Way to go on the cats!!! That's what you need to do...make sure there are no distractions, this is about the two of you just as you said. You handled this perfectly IMPO.
Also, I'm glad you didn't wait until Oct was here to bring up the plan to her...I also believe she needed to know you remembered that you two had made a deal, time was approaching....and you expect her to hold up her end of that deal. Right off the bat you are letting her know she's not wriggling out of it....wriggling up to you sure, but not out of the deal
