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Resident cat, rescue cats, and socialization.
One of my 2 twisted sisters went MIA 5 weeks ago. While miracles do happen - even more so it seems with cats - I've faced the likelihood of not seeing Gatito Seis again.
Gatito Cinco remains however. 2 year old spayed female and having always been the Alpha, I'm making extra sure she retains that status even a I torture her by bringing 2 new rescue kitties into my (literally) tiny household:
Diablo - 1 year old female Siamese. Just got her spayed. Voice and attitude indirectly proportional to her very tiny physical size. Very sweet and playful on her own but will definitely be the hardest to make nice with the other cats.
Puma(?) - 7-ish year old neutered male. Haven't quite settled on a name but I haven't yet figured out how to say My-Lord-you-are-huge-and-could-swallow-Diablo-whole-with-those-Sabretooth-jaws-of-yours in 1 or 2 cool sounding Spanish words. He's a big, lovable lug a little miffed at being trapped in a tiny RV with all these crazy girls, but mostly just wants to play and be pet by human hands.
Any and all advice is welcome. I know the biggest statement of who-is-alpha is that Cinco eats first, and that statement is well understood (if not well liked) by the other two. In a few days they've progressed from hissing and unearthly yowling whenever one gets within 10 feet of the other (most entertaining in a 20' RV), to allowing each other to get within 2-3 feet before the yowling starts.
Eventually, they'll all be indoor-outdoor.
Gatito Cinco remains however. 2 year old spayed female and having always been the Alpha, I'm making extra sure she retains that status even a I torture her by bringing 2 new rescue kitties into my (literally) tiny household:
Diablo - 1 year old female Siamese. Just got her spayed. Voice and attitude indirectly proportional to her very tiny physical size. Very sweet and playful on her own but will definitely be the hardest to make nice with the other cats.
Puma(?) - 7-ish year old neutered male. Haven't quite settled on a name but I haven't yet figured out how to say My-Lord-you-are-huge-and-could-swallow-Diablo-whole-with-those-Sabretooth-jaws-of-yours in 1 or 2 cool sounding Spanish words. He's a big, lovable lug a little miffed at being trapped in a tiny RV with all these crazy girls, but mostly just wants to play and be pet by human hands.
Any and all advice is welcome. I know the biggest statement of who-is-alpha is that Cinco eats first, and that statement is well understood (if not well liked) by the other two. In a few days they've progressed from hissing and unearthly yowling whenever one gets within 10 feet of the other (most entertaining in a 20' RV), to allowing each other to get within 2-3 feet before the yowling starts.
Eventually, they'll all be indoor-outdoor.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on -
Maybe you both find it comforting/confortable? Cats are incredibly scent oriented, and can detect all sorts of things we can't.
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Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on -
Progress!
Today - a week after bringing the 2 rescue cats home - I let them all outside for the first time. Within a minute, the two females who had been the most at-each-other's-throats were nose to nose.
Still not the best of friends by a long shot. But while confining them to the indoors seemed to help each to begrudgingly accept the presence of roommates, allowing them elbow room outdoors made each cat exponentially happier and might be the breathing room they need to now get to know each other on their own terms.
Both shelter cats in fact have opted to spend way more time indoors than out. For all that Puma (Grizzly Bear, Mammoth, Gato Oso, still need a cooler name...) has been begging to go outside all week, it seems he just wanted the option to do so - not necessarily to stay there.
How does the line go in "Cats?" "Always on the wrong side of every door."
;-) -
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Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on
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Congratulations!
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Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on
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Major Progress!
While socialization has been painfully slow, it has at least moved forward. Feeding time seems to be the best opportunity; putting their dishes close together whereas Diablo especially decides, "I still hate the both of you, but I'm hungry. So I'll tolerate being this close to you for now while I eat.
The really major progress though; as we all gradually woke up this morning, Cinco jumped onto the bed and greeted a sleepy Puma with a few licks on his face.
Woo-hoo! -
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Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on
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Yet more progress!
Puma and Cinco are now kinda/sorta friends. They groom each other regularly, though quite often, the grooming turns into rough grooming, then turns into an inexplicable throat-in-clenched-jaw and a one second howling spat as they separate fast. I think this is normal though for cats?
Then there was a day where both of them were on the dashboard while I was driving. Puma edged up slowly behind Cinco, and proceeded to bite her on the ass. She turned around and hissed and swatted at Puma, now cringing back with a very, "What? Me? What did I do? Why on Earth are you hissing at me?" look. They calmed down, and once more, Puma slowly edges up on Cinco, and bites her on the ass. Repeated this three or four times. I can only assume he's caught on to my torture-the-kittehs dark sense of humor.
But I digress. The real progress...
Diablo.
Just as I'm thinking her tolerating the presence of the other two but they'd better not dare touch her is as close as she's ever going to get ... We all woke up this morning, Diablo and Cinco went nose-to-nose, and Cinco started licking Diablo's face! With Diablo even letting her and looking like she enjoyed it!
Of course, this moment of peace lasted about 2 1/2 seconds. Then Diablo went into hissy-swat mode and back to "I'll tolerate you but don't dare touch me."
Diablo and Cinco have been sleeping under the covers on opposite sides of me for a while, so I think that's helping.
But... Progress! -
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Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on
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They groom each other regularly, though quite often, the grooming turns into rough grooming, then turns into an inexplicable throat-in-clenched-jaw and a one second howling spat as they separate fast. I think this is normal though for cats?
I don't know about cats from the same litter, or cats who grew up together as kittens, but something similar seems the norm with my both-want-to-be-alpha girls. -
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Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on
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The Twisted Sisters used to get like that, though not as often as Cinco and Puma. Observing them closely, I think Puma just has a really strange sense of play/humor. There have since been a couple more biting-on-the-ass incidents, complete with that same, innocent, "Who, me?" look.
;-) -
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Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on
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One small step for cats, one giant leap for humankind.
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