Wednesday, October 3, 2018

The Secret to Integrating Cats

Raleigh’s integration is progressing well. In fact, I am experimenting this day with leaving him out of the bathroom all day, to be with the others. I hope there are no bloodstained clumps of fur in the apartment when I return. I first tried letting him loose at night, which proved satisfactory. I simply didn’t care for the notion of the peachy boy staying all day in a closed bathroom with no window, which was the only room I had available.

Josie and Renn are, predictably, dealing with the newcomer the best. My big boy hisses at Raleigh now and then, but usually just acknowledges him with a brief sniff. My Chubs tries to ignore him. The sugar twins dislike him but that is fading, though Parker still pings and whines and whirrs when Raleigh comes too close. Cammie is vehement in her dislike.

What surprised me about Raleigh’s advent was how it accelerated Tucker and Parker’s integration. They seem to have little problem with each other now (though the problem was largely on Tucker’s part). The roly poly still swats at the sturdy-boy as the latter passes by the former’s chair, but that also happens with other cats. For the most part, they have become resigned to each other’s presence, and now, if they resent anyone, it’s Raleigh.

This leads me to an interesting conclusion. The secret to integrating a new cat may be to acquire a newer cat. The annoyance and revulsion felt by the established residents toward the new arrival is thus transferred to the newer arrival. Then, when you want that to abate, bring in an even newer cat. And then, hen you want that to abate…

(This could make things crowded.)

11 comments:

  1. The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

    By the way, I love that picture of Adah and Tucker in the sidebar. I don't know how anyone could resist taking them both home.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John, you sound exactly like Pam at The Way of Cats (http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/)! She says if you are having a cat purrsonality problem, then you just need another cat! I love Pam's ideas on cats, and I corresponded with her several times when Da Boyz joined the fray in December. Love your comedic slant!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the comedic slant too! Made my morning!

    ReplyDelete
  4. love that theory....."let's see - I don't like you, but I like him less, so I guess YOU aren't so bad anymore" :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This could make things very crowded, very quickly. :-D

    Though it would seem the way to go...at least in your case!

    ReplyDelete
  6. There's still one chair free.

    Good on you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, that's one way of doing it! I am glad to see they left one seat empty for you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like this solution :) and certainly makes for an increasingly cozier home.
    It is nice to see Raleigh integrating so well.

    Thank you for the update on Beulah too. I wish her all the best in her recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love your conclusion about integrating a new cat. You may be on to something. However, I think my guys are so used to other cats, when I bring a new one home their attitude is "oh another one, huh?" Well as they say - cats are like potato chips, you can't have only one.

    ReplyDelete
  10. “New cat ( or cats)....( yawn)....when do we eat”.
    That’s the way we roll. But it’s true about introducing an even newer cat. Being the newest cat seems to be an undesirable heirarchical position.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's pretty much how it went here, until there were six. Thankfully I decided that was enough. With Sheldon heading out the door soon (thought without Stanley...a story I'll explain later), I'll be down to the oldest, Sasha, and youngest, Saku, of the original six. (There are way too many commas in that paragraph!)

    I guess it's always the new kid who takes the brunt of the teasing.

    ReplyDelete