Fitting In

As I have written previously, Bear-Bear has had the easiest integration of any cat whom I have had under my care. This foster-cat continues to do well. He has not been accepted by his fellow felines, but they long ago decided to tolerate him, though he and Tucker seem subtly vying for second from the bottom in the hierarchy.

Bear-Bear appears to be making the most progress with Renn. My big boy and the new fellow remain the only ones to sniff noses, and though Renn will growl in a mild way at Bear-Bear, he will do likewise at Tucker, if the roly poly one bothers him.

Last night, I found evidence that Renn is a bit more complacent about Bear-Bear’s presence than are the other cats. Since Cammie has moved into the back parlour with her own cat-tree, the cat-tree that was there has been moved, at least temporarily, next to the one in the bedroom, giving extra platform space for looking out the window. I wondered if anyone would use it, since only a few pairings among the cats will allow two to be side by side at the same time. But then I saw this.

You’ll note that my big boy is as far away from the guest-cat as possible, while remaining on a platform. The pleasant surprise is that he jumped up there at all, with Bear-Bear already on the other cat-tree.

So the slow process of growing accustomed to new things goes on. Cats are more easily upset by changes than are humans, I think. Humans can rationalise why things have been altered; why they must be altered. Cats can only live with the results. But seeing these two viewing the outside world, at the same place and at the same time - if not quite together - is a result I can live with.