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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / June 2004The best laid plans...
So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. As some of you may recall, I had a very well-planned introduction process mapped out. And here's the status... 1. Intercom rings; it is Jack and Natasha's owner, here with the new kitties. 2. I close the bedroom door where "old" kitties are. 3. "New" kitties are brought in and initially allowed to explore at will since the other cats are closed in the bedroom. 4. Natasha not only proceeds to check out the entire house, but acts as though she has been here her entire life. She even pees one of in the other cats' litterboxes. At one point, she takes a little snooze under the bed in the guest room, curled up and not at all afraid. 5. Jack stays in his carrier, 'cause he's vewy shy. 6. Chatting with old catmommy and her mother takes place, various cat accessories are brought up, etc. 7. Old catmommy leaves and I decide to round up the new cats to put them into the introduction room. Of course, since Jack is in his carrier, this means that I do nothing as far as he is concerned. 8. I go into the guest room to see if Natasha is in there. I look under the bed, and I see...*Camille*. Camille has been there the *entire time*. Nary a hiss, even when Natasha was under there right next to her. (I couldn't see Camille next to Natasha because there's an underbed storage thing under there and Camille is sleeping behind that.) 9. I decide to give Natasha a quick look-see at my bedroom since she has settled in with such equanimity so far. 10. Natasha checks out the bedroom. Jacob sees Natasha. Natasha sees Jacob. Natasha strolls into living room. 11. Jacob and Oscar come out of my bedroom, completely perky-eared with no hackles raised or big pupils. They walk directly up to Natasha and everybody sniffs noses for about thirty seconds. 12. Jacob and Oscar express no territorial behavior. None. Nada. Zero. Natasha gives a couple of brief hisses and then lies down on the floor in front of the boys. 13. The boys walk over to Jack's carrier one at a time and more nose sniffing ensues. No hissing from any parties. Current status: Natasha is strolling around cool as a cucumber. Jacob periodically goes over to mrrrp at her and she either lies there and looks at him or gives a tiny, half-hearted hiss and just lies there letting him sniff her anyway. Jacob is now over sniffing Jack. Oscar sniffed everybody and has gone to take a nap. Camille doesn't seem to give a rat's a$$, 'cause she's still snoozing in the guest room. How weird is this??? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Well, I did say that Jacob is mellow, but I didn't know the others would be, as well... :-) Laura  SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. As some of you > may recall, I had a very well-planned introduction process mapped [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > > Laura That's incredible! I've heard of some fairly easy introductions but this one really tops them all. Who can figure cats! Looks like you picked the right kitties. W circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 14:56:09 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Wendy (wendypart@nospam.com) said, > That's incredible! I've heard of some fairly easy introductions but this one > really tops them all. > > Who can figure cats! > > Looks like you picked the right kitties. All I know is, I'm crossing my fingers that it continues to go this well. Camille is a bit perturbed and is under my bed now, but everything perturbs Camille so I'm not yet sure how stressed she is. Jack is inside my couch, looking quite content- no big pupils. Jacob is sleeping on the couch, Natasha is making rounds of the house, and Oscar is snoring under the covers on my bed. So far, so good.. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 14:56:09 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Wendy (wendypart@nospam.com) said, [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Laura I wonder if maybe it helps that they came directly from another home. When I've introduced new guys they all had that kennel/shelter smell which may have added to the stress level. W circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 16:04:11 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Wendy (wendypart@nospam.com) said, > > > Who can figure cats! > > > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I've introduced new guys they all had that kennel/shelter smell which may > have added to the stress level. Interesting thought, now that you mention it. They were definitely very, very loved and secure in their old home. And an update: Jacob is sleeping on the love seat in the living room. Jack is sleeping under/inside the couch in the living room. Oscar is sleeping under the covers on my bed. Camille and Natasha are sleeping under my bed. Not a hiss to be heard. I'm just blown away right now. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 20:26:24 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Laura R. (UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com) said, > And an update: > > Jacob is sleeping on the love seat in the living room. Which is a normal sleeping place for him. > Jack is sleeping under/inside the couch in the living room. He's vewy shy. > Oscar is sleeping under the covers on my bed. Also a normal sleeping place. > Camille and Natasha are sleeping under my bed. For Camille, a normal sleeping place. Just in case all those sleeping places sounded like they were hiding. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > > circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 14:56:09 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > > Wendy (wendypart@nospam.com) said, [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > W Nah. Pearl came right from my brothers home (quite some distance). Personality is the key. Knock on wood this continues. Wow. How lucky are you if it does! Karen > So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. As some of you > may recall, I had a very well-planned introduction process mapped [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > > Laura circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 14:43:02 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Karen (kchuplis@nospamalltel.net) said, > Knock on wood this continues. Wow. How lucky are you if it does! No kidding!! SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde << > Knock on wood this continues. Wow. How lucky are you if it does! No kidding!! >> Yeah, she's so lucky she might be tempted to add another 2 to the mix:) Congrats, hope it continues or you all! Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail) See my cats: http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace "One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other than human." (Loren Eisely) circa 25 Jun 2004 02:51:02 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MacCandace (maccandace@aol.comlitter) said, > << > Knock on wood this continues. Wow. How lucky are you if it does! > > > No kidding!! >> > > Yeah, she's so lucky she might be tempted to add another 2 to the mix:) Shh! I've been trying not to let that little voice start in. ;-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. As some of you > may recall, I had a very well-planned introduction process mapped > out. And here's the status... Wow! Yay for all of you!! I hope it stays this easy. How to tell you picked the right kitties #4343... Signature-- ~kaeli~ Support your local medical examiner: die strangely! http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 15:05:24 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, kaeli (tiny_one@NOSPAM.comcast.net) said, > > So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. As some of you > > may recall, I had a very well-planned introduction process mapped [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Yay for all of you!! > I hope it stays this easy. Me too; keep your fingers crossed. :-) > How to tell you picked the right kitties #4343... I gotta say, it sure seems like this was meant to be... Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > I gotta say, it sure seems like this was meant to be... > > Laura What a wonderful outcome! I must admit, I was a bit worried from the subject but was pleasantly surprised to read the rest of the post! Put me on the waiting list for pictures.... :-) rona Signature***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!*** circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 22:24:02 +0900, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Rona Yuthasastrakosol (prasantrin@yahoo.com) said, > What a wonderful outcome! I must admit, I was a bit worried from the > subject but was pleasantly surprised to read the rest of the post! Well, they certainly did dump all of my plans out the window. <G> > Put me > on the waiting list for pictures.... :-) Will do. Once things are settled and everybody has worked out their relationships, I'll probably be following them around with a camera. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > Laura R. UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com writes: >How weird is this??? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Wow. I knew you got the right cats, but this is better than anyone could expect. Daria circa 24 Jun 2004 20:06:59 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, DG511 (dg511@aol.com.nospam) said, > > Laura R. UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > I knew you got the right cats, but this is better than anyone could expect. Yup, my mind is completely blown. The fact that Camille and Natasha are both sleeping under my bed is just *astounding*. And they've been there like that for probably close to an hour now. <boggle> Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 20:30:26 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Laura R. (UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com) said, > > I knew you got the right cats, but this is better than anyone could expect. > > > Yup, my mind is completely blown. The fact that Camille and Natasha > are both sleeping under my bed is just *astounding*. And they've been > there like that for probably close to an hour now. <boggle> BTW, this is a move from being under the guest room bed, which means it is entirely intentional on their parts. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 20:30:26 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Laura R. (UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com) said, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Laura Best buds in the making maybe :o) W circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 18:37:25 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Wendy (wendypart@nospam.com) said, > > > Yup, my mind is completely blown. The fact that Camille and Natasha > > > are both sleeping under my bed is just *astounding*. And they've been [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Laura > Best buds in the making maybe :o) They look quite a bit alike, so that would be cute. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 18:37:25 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Wendy (wendypart@nospam.com) said, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > > They look quite a bit alike, so that would be cute. :-) I thought that from the moment I saw Natasha. circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 05:53:45 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > > > Best buds in the making maybe :o) > > > > > They look quite a bit alike, so that would be cute. :-) > > > I thought that from the moment I saw Natasha. Me too, but in "person", Natasha resembles Camille even more than I thought she would. Their coloring is quite different, with Natasha's being primarily gold and black, Camille's being grey and buff. Natasha's fur is much longer and thicker; she is far lighter than Camille, but she looks larger because of all the fur. Camille's face is more delicate in the chin area, and Natasha has a much girlier voice than Camille (Camille is kinda the Lauren Hutton of cats). However, there's just something about them that I've not yet put my finger on that makes them look a bit alike. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde "Laura R." <UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com> wrote >Camille's face is more delicate in the chin area, and Natasha has a much girlier voice than Camille (Camille is kinda the Lauren Hutton of cats). This is a nice description, I can really hear this. circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 23:54:04 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > "Laura R." <UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com> wrote >Camille's > face is more delicate in the chin area, and Natasha has a much girlier voice > than Camille (Camille is kinda the Lauren Hutton of cats). > > This is a nice description, I can really hear this. My sister's puffypants calico has the deepest meow I've ever heard; if Camille is the Lauren Hutton of kitties, Roxanne is RuPaul- when RuPaul is out of drag. ;-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa 24 Jun 2004 20:06:59 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, DG511 > (dg511@aol.com.nospam) said, [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Laura 1 1/2 years later I can *barely* get Pearl to sleep on the bed with the other cats (opposite sides) and never together like say on the couch. They each have to have their own damn cat tree and THOSE were too close to Pearl until just recently. circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 16:10:28 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Karen (kchuplis@nospamalltel.net) said, > > > I knew you got the right cats, but this is better than anyone could > expect. > > > > > Yup, my mind is completely blown. The fact that Camille and Natasha > > are both sleeping under my bed is just *astounding*. And they've been > > there like that for probably close to an hour now. <boggle> > 1 1/2 years later I can *barely* get Pearl to sleep on the bed with the > other cats (opposite sides) and never together like say on the couch. They > each have to have their own damn cat tree and THOSE were too close to Pearl > until just recently. And that's more in line with what I would have expected; this whole "okay, whatever" equanimity is freaking me out. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. [snips} It sounds like it's going great! Good for you! Now get your camera ready ... circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 21:55:46 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > > So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. [snips} > > It sounds like it's going great! Good for you! Now get your camera ready > ... Oh, believe me, there will be a plethora of pics. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa Thu, 24 Jun 2004 21:55:46 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > > Oh, believe me, there will be a plethora of pics. :-) Good. All your cats are beautiful, but Jack just takes my breath away. circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 05:54:28 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > > > It sounds like it's going great! Good for you! Now get your camera > ready [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Good. All your cats are beautiful, but Jack just takes my > breath away. He is really lovely, and HEAVY! He is not really *fat*, and while he's not skinny, I'm not sure that he really needs to lose much weight. But he is *dense*; when I pick him up, I'm invariably shocked at how heavy he is. I'm guessing that he weighs at least 15-16 pounds, perhaps more. He's also quite a bit larger than I expected from the pictures. Once he's a little more used to being here (he's doing a lot of hiding right now), I'll get a weight on him, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was well over 15 pounds. In fact, in terms of his "feel" when I pick him up, he's reminiscent of how heavy Alex was before he got sick. I'm really curious as to how much he weighs, and whether he really is as heavy as he feels or whether he can just make himself into "dead weight". Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 05:54:28 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > he weighs, and whether he really is as heavy as he feels or whether > he can just make himself into "dead weight". My roommate in college had a siamese and I called him "Brick Kitty" because he was just like that too. Not a large cat, and not fat but just *packed* and as you say dense. I think that it is that they are very muscular. Probably what makes some of them super jumpers. circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 12:45:18 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Karen (kchuplis@nospamalltel.net) said, > My roommate in college had a siamese and I called him "Brick Kitty" because > he was just like that too. Not a large cat, and not fat but just *packed* > and as you say dense. I think that it is that they are very muscular. > Probably what makes some of them super jumpers. You know, I just spent a bit of time taking a good look at Jack as he was making one of his forays out from under the couch. He is *definitely* not overweight. He's just a heavy, heavy cat, and I think you're right- he must be very muscular. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 12:45:18 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Karen (kchuplis@nospamalltel.net) said, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Laura Sounds like a larger version of my Boots. Boots is a relatively small framed cat but he's over 10 lbs. at 9 mo. old. All muscle. He's got a short sleek coat so if there was any fat he couldn't hide it. W circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 20:00:56 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Wendy (wendypart@nospam.com) said, > > You know, I just spent a bit of time taking a good look at Jack as he > > was making one of his forays out from under the couch. He is [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > cat but he's over 10 lbs. at 9 mo. old. All muscle. He's got a short sleek > coat so if there was any fat he couldn't hide it. Jack's proportions make him look average-sized until you actually get a gander at him "live". He's just *big*. His head is probably almost as big as Alex's was, and Alex's head was the size of a softball. I like big kitties. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > > I like big kitties. :-) > > Laura *** I've been giggling/chuckling from all the posts here. Great job, Laura! And yes, when Ming *was* a little over 13 lbs. (sniffles), he was also density-packed. Ming is now merely a tad under 10 lbs. but I'm working still to get his weight up. At any rate, all this makes me want to take in a kitty for Ming, who has now developed separation anxiety. circa Sat, 26 Jun 2004 01:08:07 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Zaida (Z*Tandoc*@comcast.net) said, > > > > I like big kitties. :-) [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > still to get his weight up. At any rate, all this makes me want to take in > a kitty for Ming, who has now developed separation anxiety. Well, despite what your vets told you, I think that if you found the right mate for Ming, he'd welcome a partner. With one exception, every siamese I've ever known has bonded very, very strongly with a playmate. My sister's siamese would be absolutely lost without his girlfriend, and Jack is sooo attached to Natasha. Maybe after Ming has had a little time to adjust to his wobbliness, he might like to have a kitten to luuuuv. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > > > > > Well, despite what your vets told you, I think that if you found the > right mate for Ming, he'd welcome a partner. With one exception, > every siamese I've ever known has bonded very, very strongly with a > playmate. My sister's siamese would be absolutely lost without his > girlfriend, and Jack is sooo attached to Natasha. Maybe after Ming > has had a little time to adjust to his wobbliness, he might like to > have a kitten to luuuuv. :-) ** This is why I've warmed up so much to you. <S> There's a female cat that visits once in a while and this cat has been around longer than Ming. For a long time, I had no pets because my youngest son had an allergy (but not anymore since I adopted Ming <g>). To cut to the chase, this girl cat is the only cat that Ming likes. When she visits, he talks at her, though she doesn't like him much because she hisses at him. The other ones that come around are all males and he simply despises them. He hisses, growls and catterwail at them big time. So I know that if I'm going to get an addition, it's going to be a girl. :-) ** So now my question is how should I make the introduction? I like the way you did it, though I've been told that I should keep the new one in a room for a week before I swap places between her and Ming. I just want to let you know that Ming is a true-and-true Siamese ... very temperemental, feisty and ultra moody (sometimes I swear he's manic-depressive). He's just really affectionate now since his hearing loss. I want to take him into utmost account if I decide to bring in a new kitty for him. After all, I can see that he can be territorial, judging from his reaction towards the male cats. And should I get a less active personality? My brother thinks I should get one that would give her an equal fighting chance. <vbg circa Sat, 26 Jun 2004 16:14:59 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Zaida (Z*Tandoc*@comcast.net) said, > > > > > > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > and catterwail at them big time. So I know that if I'm going to get an > addition, it's going to be a girl. :-) Typical Siamese boy- has to have a pretty girlfriend. ;-) > ** So now my question is how should I make the introduction? I like the > way you did it, though I've been told that I should keep the new one in a > room for a week before I swap places between her and Ming. Believe me, if it weren't for the fact that the introductions here just kind of began on their own, I would have gone that route. I had the room set up, everything planned as far as how to let the new cats expand their territory, everything. Then they just went and did it their own way instead. :-) > I just want to > let you know that Ming is a true-and-true Siamese ... very temperemental, > feisty and ultra moody (sometimes I swear he's manic-depressive). Based on what I've seen so far, Jack is a lot like Ming. ;-) > He's just > really affectionate now since his hearing loss. Siamese cats are commonly "extra" affectionate and often bond with a single person. It sounds like Ming definitely has the capacity to be a typical Siamese loverboy. > I want to take him into > utmost account if I decide to bring in a new kitty for him. After all, I > can see that he can be territorial, judging from his reaction towards the > male cats. And should I get a less active personality? My brother thinks I > should get one that would give her an equal fighting chance. <vbg> Honestly, my first instinct would be to get a kitten for him so he could mommy it and mold it and fall in love with it. But then I look at Jack and Natasha, and Natasha was almost a year old when she went to live with Jack. My sister's cats were put together as kittens and act like littermates, although a chubby Siamese and a HUGELY fluffy calico clearly aren't the products of the same parents. I swear Roxanne has foot-long hair. She is just crazyfluffy. And Khayman...well, we like to say that Khayman rode the short bus to school, 'cause he's a little [lot] on the goofy side. He makes Oscar look like a brain surgeon. In any case, since Ming likes the girl kitty that you mentioned, I'd probably look for one that has a personality similar to hers; apparently Ming likes a strong female. ;-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > My sister's cats were put together as kittens and > act like littermates, although a chubby Siamese and a HUGELY fluffy > calico clearly aren't the products of the same parents. I swear > Roxanne has foot-long hair. She is just crazyfluffy. And > Khayman...well, we like to say that Khayman rode the short bus to > school, 'cause he's a little [lot] on the goofy side. He makes Oscar > look like a brain surgeon. ** LOL > apparently Ming likes a strong female. ;-) ** (clearing throat) ... why, thank you, Laura ;-D circa Sat, 26 Jun 2004 19:42:59 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Zaida (Z*Tandoc*@comcast.net) said, > > apparently Ming likes a strong female. ;-) > > ** (clearing throat) ... why, thank you, Laura ;-D Just get a cat like you and you're set. ;-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde "Laura R." <UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com> wrote > He is really lovely, and HEAVY! He is not really *fat*, >and while he's not skinny, I'm not sure that he really >needs to lose much weight. But he is *dense*; when I >pick him up, I'm invariably shocked at how heavy he is. >I'm guessing that he weighs at least 15-16 pounds, >perhaps more. I would never think that to look at the photos. I have never had a boy cat, but I wonder if, like humans, the males have more muscle tissue and the females more fat? I felt a pang of jealousy that you get to pick them up! How are they doing with eating? circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 23:52:02 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > "Laura R." <UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com> wrote > He is > really lovely, and HEAVY! He is not really *fat*, >and while he's not [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > but I wonder if, like humans, the males have more muscle tissue and the > females more fat? I've never noticed a specific gender difference, but then again, my cats always have their sex organs removed, which certainly affects their hormones. > I felt a pang of jealousy that you get to pick them up! Natasha just loves to be held. She also has bonded eerily quickly with me- she woke me up at least four times last night by head- butting my face and hands- she wanted to be petted. She has also let me brush her tummy and her pantaloons, and follows me around chirping at me. She figured out after just three jumps on the counter that I don't let the cats onto the kitchen counters, so her solution is to jump on top of the refrigerator (she jumps onto the wine cooler first and then onto the fridge) and watch what I'm doing from there. <G> She seems to be quite a smart little thing. All I had to do to get her to stop jumping on the counters was to put her down on the floor and tell her "no". Three times and that was it. Remarkable. > How are they doing with eating? They're eating a little on the light side, but they are eating, and they're definitely drinking. Jacob chows down as if nothing has changed. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde "Laura R." <UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com> wrote ! > Natasha just loves to be held. She also has bonded eerily quickly with me- she woke me up at least four times last night by head-butting my face and hands- she wanted to be petted. She has also let me brush her tummy and her pantaloons, and follows me around chirping at me. God, Laura, tell me this was not destined to be! That is just amazing. I would have expected both new cats to be reticent for a while. Cats who react like Natasha are such a joy to have because they are so demonstrative, and show you that they are happy to be near you. >She figured out after just three jumps on the counter that I don't let the cats onto the kitchen counters, so her solution is to jump on top of the refrigerator (she jumps onto the wine cooler first and then onto the fridge) and watch what I'm doing from there. <G> I'm with you on the counter thing, I noticed that in the photo Nathasha's first mom sent you, and thought, "not in my house." I just don't want fur in my food and I'm not the kind of housekeeper who is going to wipe up the counter every few minutes. It's nice that there are other places she can get up on to be up high! circa Sat, 26 Jun 2004 16:57:18 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > "Laura R." <UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com> wrote ! > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > like Natasha are such a joy to have because they are so demonstrative, and > show you that they are happy to be near you. Well, it would certainly seem that my good deed is paying me back in spades. :-) Jack is still reticent, but he's slowly warming and I think he's probably going to turn out to be a big lover. Natasha is just so openly sweet that you can't help but love her. > >She figured out after just three jumps on the counter that I don't let the > cats onto the kitchen counters, so her solution is to jump on top of the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > counter every few minutes. It's nice that there are other places she can get > up on to be up high! Yup, the refrigerator is my compromise. Oscar goes up there occasionally, and since he has been very, very good about not getting up on the counters since we moved here, I let him have the fridge. I just wipe it down whenever I'm cleaning and count my blessings that I don't have dirty kitty feet on my counters. I think that Natasha has decided to make the same compromise that Oscar has- if she can't be on the counters, she's darned well gonna be as close to such as she can. :-) This morning as I was making coffee, Natasha was eyeing the countertop and looking like she was getting ready to jump up. I mildly said, "no, Natasha" and she immediately untensed her muscles. She's a smart little thing. And the whole wet-nosed lovey-dovey awakenings are just so endearing that I can't help but find her adorable. It would appear that Natasha and Camille may have worked out their pecking order. I was just petting Camille on the bed in the guest room, where Jacob is also snoozing. Natasha jumped up on the bed and sat a foot away from Camille while I petted both of them, and neither of them so much as flattened an ear, let alone hissed. I get the impression that Camille won the battle for dominance, because Natasha did make a little subservient moue towards Camille and Camille was utterly disinterested. Feeling them both in comparison to each other, I think Camille is actually the lighter of the two, although Natasha has *so* much fur that it's difficult to be sure. In any case, I'm off to the pet store for some better-quality food than the FF that came with Jack and Natasha, which should take me about two hours given my current walking pace. We'll see what happens when feeding time comes as far as their pecking order. :-) Interestingly, none of the cats except Jacob has expressed any interest in the Fancy Feast (which STINKS beyond belief- I gagged when I opened it and my house reeked for hours), so I suspect that Jack and Natasha aren't going to mind being switched to a higher quality food- Natasha "buries" the FF whenever I offer it to her and Jack ignores it. They were fed Iams dry and the FF in their previous household, and I feel awful going out to get something different as their former owner brought a *ton* of food with them, but Jacob expresses *far* too much interest in the Iams and FF for me to be comfortable feeding it to Jack and Natasha (nutrition concerns for Jack and Natasha aside). Camille and Oscar sniffed once at Jack and Natasha's foods and then turned their backs, so I guess I don't have to worry about them developing a taste for kitty fast food. Jacob, OTOH, is quite the gourmand when it comes to cat food- he'll eat *anything*. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde << I feel awful going out to get something different as their former owner brought a *ton* of food with them, but Jacob expresses *far* too much interest in the Iams and FF for me to be comfortable feeding it to Jack and Natasha >> Maybe you could donate that food to a shelter or to one of the groups that adopts out cats at your local PetsMart. I know it's not the best but I give FF to my cats as a treat and those groups will generally appreciate any kind of food. Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail) See my cats: http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace "One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other than human." (Loren Eisely) circa 26 Jun 2004 21:44:18 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, MacCandace (maccandace@aol.comlitter) said, > << I feel awful going out to get something different as > their former owner brought a *ton* of food with them, but Jacob [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > to my cats as a treat and those groups will generally appreciate any kind of > food. That's my plan once I'm more mobile. My little trek today was shockingly draining. I'll probably ping Arjun and see if they can use it at City Critters. Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > "Laura R." <UseFirstInitialPlusRobinson@technologist.com> wrote > He is > really lovely, and HEAVY! He is not really *fat*, >and while he's not [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > but I wonder if, like humans, the males have more muscle tissue and the > females more fat? Herrie is my first male cat, & I noticed immediately how much more _solid_ he is. His head, even - it's so... *there*. Big & heavy & solid. I don't know how old he was when I adopted him & he was neutered - anywhere from 7 - 11 months old, maybe. His pee already stank to high heaven, so he was at least well on his way to sexual maturity by then; I'd assume that the time of neutering might have something to do w/ how male cats physically turn out as adults. Otoh, Herrie's my one & only data point in this regard, so... Cathy > Herrie is my first male cat, & I noticed immediately how much more _solid_he is. His head, even - it's so... *there*. Big & heavy & solid. I babysit for a big boy named Fang, who is solid and heavy and has a muzzle like a dog! He fascinates me. Although I love them all, I gravitate toward the little girly cats. It tickles me how delicate their manners can be--it's downright funny when they are, say, washing their hineys. ;) circa Sat, 26 Jun 2004 17:26:27 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > > Herrie is my first male cat, & I noticed immediately how much more > _solid_he is. His head, even - it's so... *there*. Big & heavy & solid. > > I babysit for a big boy named Fang, who is solid and heavy and has a muzzle > like a dog! He fascinates me. Although I love them all, I gravitate toward > the little girly cats. I just loves me a big ol' monsner kitty. If they're dog-sized, I'm just instantly in love with 'em. And yet, of the five I now have, three are pretty delicate little things- Jacob most of all. Oh, he**, who am I kidding? I'm a kitty slut; I love 'em all. :-) > It tickles me how delicate their manners can be--it's > downright funny when they are, say, washing their hineys. ;) When Natasha is playing "hussy" and showing her tummy for a rub, she starts by lifting her rear leg as if she's about to play the cello, but instead of ducking her head down, she just keeps on rolling back until she's spread-eagled on the floor. She really is a little hussy, now that I think about it. <G> Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde circa Sat, 26 Jun 2004 10:07:09 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Cathy Friedmann (clfr@adelphia.net) said, > > but I wonder if, like humans, the males have more muscle tissue and the > > females more fat? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > of neutering might have something to do w/ how male cats physically turn out > as adults. Otoh, Herrie's my one & only data point in this regard, so... I've had 'em all over the board as far as build and gender, *but* they've all been desexed before maturity, so perhaps that has some effect. Then again, Jack was neutered young and he's a tank. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde Holy mackerel. If only Demelza'd had just half (jeez, I'd have settled for ?) of their laid-back attitudes when I adopted Herrie... Cathy > So, Jack and Natasha have now come to live with me. As some of you > may recall, I had a very well-planned introduction process mapped [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > > Laura circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 19:02:19 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Cathy Friedmann (clfr@adelphia.net) said, > Holy mackerel. If only Demelza'd had just half (jeez, I'd have settled for > ?) of their laid-back attitudes when I adopted Herrie... Amazing, isn't it? I'm still boggling, and the fact that the three "old" cats are now totally relaxed and acting perfectly normally is just bizarre. I mean, I would at least expect them to be a bit jumpy and nervous, but we had *massive* thunderstorms tonight and they didn't even flinch (except for Oscar, who immediately hauled a$$ under the covers on my bed- but he always does that). I don't know how I got so lucky as to have such mellow cats, but I'm not going to look this gift horse in the mouth. <G> Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde > circa Fri, 25 Jun 2004 19:02:19 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Cathy Friedmann (clfr@adelphia.net) said, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Laura You - & they - most definitely lucked out! And no, who would want to blow against the wind?! I was downstate yesterday & think I avoided the big thunderstorms; I was driving out of the rain as I was coming home. My present two cats aren't skittish about thunderstorms though (Demelza, I've had to haul of off open windowsills & the screened porch in order to shut windows & doors in thunderstorms), whereas my first two cats used to hide under the bed, ? la Oscar. Cathy circa Sat, 26 Jun 2004 13:34:01 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Cathy Friedmann (clfr@adelphia.net) said, > I was downstate yesterday & think I avoided the big thunderstorms; Did you ever! I nearly jumped out of my own skin whe the first thunderclap came out of nowhere, and there were car alarms going off all over the place. There were at least a half-dozen of those house- rattling thunderclaps during the time the storms were rolling through. I couldn't believe the cats weren't more freaked out. > I was > driving out of the rain as I was coming home. My present two cats aren't > skittish about thunderstorms though (Demelza, I've had to haul of off open > windowsills & the screened porch in order to shut windows & doors in > thunderstorms), A girl after my own heart; I *love* thunderstorms and will go outside to watch them if the weather is warm enough. > whereas my first two cats used to hide under the bed, ? la > Oscar. Gotta have a few chickens**t kitties to make the others look extra brave. :-) Laura SignatureExperience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. -Oscar Wilde |
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