Monday, February 8, 2016

Positive Energy for the Princess

The move to the new apartment has, as I have mentioned, been taken in stride by the cats. But I think it has been actually beneficial for at least one.

Cammie seems to be a little - a little - more tolerant of her roommates than she had been in the house. For the first few days after the move, she didn’t venture far from either the bedroom or the library, though she became ill soon after, and that undoubtedly had an effect. But now, she regularly comes out to the sitting room, even with the other cats present. She will likely never be sociable with them, but she is taking steps toward greater, if grudging, tolerance.

Last night, she was snoozing on the bed with Josie, who is as close to an arch-enemy as the princess has. They weren’t close, but they were on the same bed. There is less hissing when the boys pass her, too, though I still hear it now and then. (Once, on the weekend, Renn had to slip by Cammie in a straitened passage. He knew she disapproved of proximity and didn’t want to get hissed at or whapped, so he passed her at a run. Cammie thought she was under attack and Renn got the hiss and the raised paw he was hoping to avoid.)

An example of her slightly more out-going nature is her playing. She more often than not engages in a little fun at play-time, which is the opposite of how it used to be: previously, it was rarer for her to play than not. She is quite energetic for a ten year old cat.




As well, she will periodically zoom about the apartment. She did this in the house, as well, but her long claws (yes, time to get them cut, again) and the carpetting and rugs everywhere allows her to turn and stop suddenly, which I think she likes.

As Kari commented on an earlier article, the move may help Cammie feel like less of a new cat. I’d heard that such changes could have this effect, and I think that the new apartment is doing just that. The princess may always wish she were an only cat, but from now on having siblings may be a little easier to take.

16 comments:

  1. sudden neutral territory for everyone. had to laugh at the image of poor Renn trying to sneak by :)

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  2. I absolutely love your pictures! It sounds like your move to the new apartment was a positive change for the cats, especially for Cammie. I wonder if this is due to the fact that the apartment is new for everyone. Therefore, none of the cats has had a chance to establish his or her territory yet.

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    1. I think that's it. Everyone is starting on an equal basis, including me.

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  3. I was going to write the very same thing, that all the cats coming together into a new place at one time could make a difference. Cammie isn't an "intruder" anymore, as it were.

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    1. I think that's the feeling here. We'll see how it develops.

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  4. I often wondered how all your cats got along. The most I have ever lived with is three, two males and a female. The female liked one of the males but not the other but the males got along very well. Love the last photo!

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    1. Fortunately, mine have never seriously fought. I had a foster-cat, Luther, who attacked every cat in the house, though he himself was very good-natured. And another foster, Kola, was victimised by Tucker. But both those stories ended in happy adoptions.

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  5. What a wonderful final photo. I am so glad to hear how happy Cammie is.

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  6. I was so excited the first time I saw my antisocial cat sleep on the same piece of furniture as another cat.. I took a photo. They weren't touching, they weren't even anywhere near each other, but the fact they were occupying the same piece of furniture was huge.

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    1. It seems as though once a step is taken, it's rarely retracted, thank goodness.

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  7. Love the last pic where they are all together!

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  8. cammie.....excellent work, you have them all...right where you wanted them from the get go

    and your dad is...questioning///wondering.....as it should be

    hugs girl from dai$y { don't forget to remind Josie of this "plan"

    she needs to play her part well too } ♥♥♥

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  9. Change can be really difficult for some kitties and we sure hope all normal shows up soon!

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  10. I agree with the other comments. Everyone has arrived on the same footing (paw?) and It appears to suit Cammie that she is no longer the newcomer.

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  11. So glad that a new leaf has been turned for Cammie :) Love that last picture.

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