Let's See Your Cats!!!

That’s why I seldom post my black cat. He turns into a black blob in most pics. Lmao

 

Separate them in different rooms. They’ll feel each other out at the door. Smell, noises etc. Do that for like 3-4 days. Then slowly start doing face to face time with them. Dogs are the same way. Experience............... Foster parent for 2 years at local Boxer Rescue and I’ve had lots of cats since I was a child.

 

Was in Sarasota last week and got to see my grandma’s kitty, aptly named Miss Kitty lol

 

We did that for about a week and it worked all right at first, but went downhill fast. We are going back to the separate rooms and and seeing each other at mealtimes in the hope that they positive experience of the food mellows them a bit. Each of them is being allowed to roam the house at different times, as well.

 

Harley and Mai Thai have never 100% gotten along with each other...it's hard with older cats that are settled into their ways. Harley always does well around dogs because the first house he lived in had roommates with them, so he's been around them since he was a kitten. But put him in a room with another cat and at best he won't care, at worst you're breaking up a cat fight lol.

He and Mai Thai will tolerate and sometimes even sleep up against one another, but as soon as I start to think "oh they're finally friends" I get woken up at 3am to one or both of them screaming bloody murder while the one is trying to kill the other

 

If it makes you feel any better, it took 2 months for my 3 year old rescue to get along with a new kitten.
Both had a designated spot, my cat was free roaming, and when the kitten was out, I would make sure he didn't go into my bedroom, where she could hide. She was allowed to come out when he was out. I had a baby gate set up in the guest bedroom door where he was, and I had to make sure to spend plenty of time with both, tried to feed both but my cat wouldn't eat within a few feet of him for the LONGEST time. she always hissed, I couldn't leave them alone forever. I started to feel like if I could get them to at least co-exist, then I'd be successful. The one thing that actually really helped accelerate the process was once I could get her close enough without hissing, I had a stick toy that I would pass back and fourth between sides of the gate for each to play. She'd get to close and run off sometimes, but it was progress.
But yeah, 2 months of solid juggling cats. It was a lot of work, but it paid off big time. I've never seen cats take this long to establish a good relationship; our older cat doesn't like other people, is scared by slight noises, if your hand gestures are too fast, etc. She's rough.
Our kitten is almost a year old now, and weighs over 2x more than her. He's a trouble maker, and she likes her space, so they don't spend all day together. He gives her the space she needs during the day, then at night they'll cuddle up sometimes, and of course at the ass crack of dawn they chase each-other around the house. Keep doing what you're doing! You can't really force them to like each-other any faster; you just have to ride the wave.

 

It is another cereal night, barely got the milk on the table and out came the cat.....

 

Speaking of oil and water. This is the closest these two have gotten. Dippy (the flamepoint) is a senior at almost 18. Junior is barely 3. Junior is a cool cat that wants to be friends with everyone and doesnt care about personal boundaries. Dippy, naturally, is the Princess who only ever got along with Simon who passed away a few years ago.

Shortly after I took this picture, Junior woke up and craned over to kiss Dippy on the head. She woke up and whapped him. Junior and Cash were quarantined for two weeks in my room. At this point I couldbt put them back in there to work a strategy to get these two to get along. Dippy has at least grown to tolerate Cash because he respects her space, but Junior flat out instigates Dippy at this point.

It's hard because Dip's vision, hearing and sense of smell have been going, so it's hard for her to even recognize when theyre around.

 

Sounds pretty similar to our situation. Our black cat, Jet, has a very different personality than Kink, our seal point does. He's super inquisitive, gets into trouble, friendly with people, etc. She's pretty lazy, never breaks rules, easily frightened, etc. She's never gotten along with any other cat except Jet. In my experience with breeding and working with rescue, a lot of Siamese cats tend to prefer their own breeds if they don't grow up alongside others. All cats are territorial in their own right, but Siamese just seem a little different about it in my experience. Some of the women I've worked with in the past say they feel the same way. Maybe we're crazy, but I definitely understand the oil and water dynamic, haha. Dippy looks very healthy for her age btw, beautiful cats

 

My neighbor's other cat, (don't know how well you can see it because of the reflections on the glass) is peering in the back door watching me fix supper. Hobbes is NOT happy. Things got very noisy there for a while til I spooked it with the camera.

 

are they both orange? (I took out some shadows and that’s what I see, I think?). Both adorable!!

 

Lazy bums.

 

Thursday night hangs

 

He looks purrist off

 

So, background information: Toni loves canvas & denim. Smokey is a polar fleece fiend, but Toni is all about Levi's & Carhartts. Her 'bed' under the TV stand is just my old Carhartt work jacket. She'll hop up on my lap for some attention, but she won't settle where I can reach her; she'll stretch down my legs and nuzzle up against my cuffs instead.


When I swap my 'gear' out in the mornings, she'll jump up on the bed and wrestle with the old pair of pants while I'm getting dressed. This morning she managed to worm her way down one of the legs, but was so excited about it that she wouldn't hold still for me to get a decent picture.

 

The orange is just the reflection of my cat on the glass. The neighbors cat is a Ragdoll, long haired with Siamese markings except for the white stripe on it's nose.

 

Sampson catching a snooze.

 

You really adopted yourself a snuggly little buddy there.