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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.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by JayBarti on July 27, 2009 at 1:49pm

I had a similar problem when one of my two (Potato and Kooney) passed before the other. Potato was left behind without his companion. It was noticeable after a few days that he and I missed kooney, I waited about two months before I decided it was time to get a second cat.

I had two choices an older companion he could live out the rest of his life with or a younger companion that might not be so relaxed around him.

I picked option two, but I got two kittens instead of one so that when Potato wanted to be by himself the cats would at least have each other to play with.

I introduced him and them slowly to each other, I knew his habits very well so I make sure his areas of the apartment were protected for him. I also made sure the other two had their own space.

Lucky for me he wasn't a climber but the two new ones where, so he got the couch... and they got the couch back and hi-shelves. I made sure his special food was protected from the other two, and that his blanket wasn't ever claimed by any other cat then him. I also got the other two their own blankets and baskets so they would have something that was their space.

I had the pleasure of Potato's company for about another year and a half so before the diabetes claimed him. Most of the time he got along well with the other two, lucky for him one was a cuddle cat (like kooney) so he had another cat to curl up with since he wasn't a lap or lay on you kinda cat.

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on July 28, 2009 at 12:50pm

"Potato." What a neat name!

Permalink Reply by Kitty on July 27, 2009 at 2:04pm

looks like you're doing everything right.
I've found hissing when they start toward Cinco's food or Cinco's anything is good... yea I mean you should hiss... it works!
Good on ya~

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on July 28, 2009 at 11:25am

Yeah, in a perfect world I'd have separate rooms and such for optimum getting-to-know-you/give-me-my-own-space-dammit. My tiny RV is quite cluttered though, so lots of hiding spaces. And I do make a point that Cinco gets first dibs on the bed with me. She doesn't always take it, but again it seems to make a strong statement to the other two.

Good tip Kitty. I started out just ignoring them when the hissing started. Sweet behavior gets you attention from the human, hiss, and the human suddenly turns away from you. But in the last day or two I've gotten a little more assertive about hissing back when one is being exceptionally bratty to another. When in sweet mode however, they all get LOTS of cuddling and attention!

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on July 28, 2009 at 12:17pm

I'm really sorry to hear that Seis hasn't reappeared.

Had Diablo and Puma been together before you brought them, or are they also meeting each other for the first time?

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on July 28, 2009 at 12:35pm

Diablo and Puma (Sumo? Hmmm) were in the same cage at the pound. I'm told they were fine together until I showed up and started giving Puma (Sumo ... Bear ... need a cool name for Bear) attention. Then Diablo's Siamese insane jealousy kicked in.

But the fact they'd been ok together for a while prompted me to adopt both. I figured Puma (Sabertooth. What language has a cool name for Sabertooth?) will take extremely little adapting. He had wandered into a city trap but his chubbyness (not to mention eagerness to be hugged) clearly indicates he had and is now missing his humans.

Diablo it turns out showed up on someone's doorstep as a stray and had kittens. The parents told the kids they could keep her or a kitten but not both. Obviously the kids went for the kitten. So Diablo was about to be executed for the mere 'crime' of getting knocked up. And I'm told for her Siamese vocal cords. Beautiful, cream-colored, firepoint Siamese. Really wonder how she ended up a stray in the first place!

Getting a little off subject here, but Obama lost serious points with me for not getting a shelter dog. Be patient and purebreds (like the ones Malia is not allergic to) do indeed show up at shelters. For all the interest in the breed they got from the Kennedys, imagine the renewed interest in getting shelter pets?

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on July 30, 2009 at 12:51pm

I was at a bit of a loss to offer any advice in your situation, as you've already introduced the Two to The One. If you can afford some Feliway, I'd suggest spraying it on their bedding.

Also, I've heard that scent mingling speeds up toleration, if not outright acceptance. Do you wear a scent, or use something non-toxic to cats in your cooking (like vanilla)? Basically, it should be something the cats associate with you. Gently rub the cats with a towel slightly dampened with it.

Giving them positive attention when they're not shouting imprecations at each other, like you're doing, is good.

If they end up in different areas each night, if its possible to switch their bedding around (so they end up sleeping on someone else's towel, or whatever), that can also help with scent mingling.

"Sabertooth" is not a word I'm familiar with in any other language. You could plug it into the Google language gizmo, or maybe even Babelfish.

Yeah, I think the Obamas really should have got a shelter pet. I suppose you can't do much about it, though, when the dog was a gift. I'd have been even more pleased if they'd adopted a shelter cat. Cats still don't quite have the status of dogs, even though more people live with cats than dogs now in the US.

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on July 30, 2009 at 9:29pm

Before even going to the shelter to look I got lots of cheek rub off Cinco onto my T-shirt. Then did the same with each cat when I visited them at the shelter and put the t-shirt on the bed for the rest of the day. Cinco could definitely smell that I'd been close to a couple of new cats.

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on August 1, 2009 at 10:11am

Cinco could definitely smell that I'd been close to a couple of new cats.

Hussy!

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on August 3, 2009 at 2:49pm

Oh, should have seen her after I spent a day with an un-neutered male kitty. Cinco's nose was about glued to my shirt; ears up, tail twitching, eyes wide. And she's spayed even!

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on August 4, 2009 at 1:55am

I think they still get stimulated, even after they are spayed and neutered. When I came in from a very sweaty day in the yard, the Elder Cat seemed very intent on rolling around in my armpit.

Permalink Reply by JayBarti on August 4, 2009 at 10:34am

My cat Blackjack sleeps with his head tucked up my armpit... I am not sure what that says about me or him.