Sometimes I wish that my cats were the kind that cuddled together and groomed each other, cats who chased each other in playfulness and sat next to one another to peer out the window. But mine don’t really like each other; each could be an only-cat and be quite satisfied with the situation.
Now and then, I catch a glimpse of what it’s like in some other households. When I wake up each day, and when I come home from work, I provide a small snack for the beasts. It is nothing more than a number of kernels of the inexpensive hard-food I provide for the outsider-cats. It apparently has a more appealing taste than the costly nutrition I give mine on the inside. They eat the latter food, but the other is in the way of a treat for Tucker, Renn and Neville.
I place a small handful on the bed for each. I had been giving the Nevsky some of the floor but, unable to wait for that, he has taken to jumping up to eat with the others, lest he miss some that his roommates are receiving. So once or twice a day, there is a concerted action among the three, and in one place. There is no hissing because of propinquity, no trotting away to a more isolated corner. As I tell people introducing cats to each other, any integration which doesn’t result in murder and mayhem is a successful integration.
Once or twice a day, I see my successful integrations.
Food makes everything all right!
ReplyDeleteUp until a year ago, my daughter had
ReplyDeletetwo Staffy's and four cats..now she
only has the older Staffy..
But the four cats living in the same
house just did'nt get on, no fighting,
just hissing, arching the back and so
on...so the only time they got on, so
to speak, was dinner time, next to
each other, eating and getting on!
So, it's been a hard twelve months,
loosing four cats and a dog..! Sad! :(.
What a terrible year that must have been for her, and how empty her home must seem to her.
DeleteYou know I hear this all the time that my friends cats don't like each other or simply ignore or tolerate each other. So I guess it isn't unusual. However, we have always been lucky in that our cats (7 at one time) all seemed to get along, would sleep together, play together, etc. Now we did have one that didn't lay alongside the others, but she also wasn't a lap cat. I figured this was just her personality. Also she didn't join our inside group until she was about 7... so possibly not being together from a kitten might have been part of the problem. Since I worked at a Veterinary hospital for years, I was constantly bringing home kittens from either work or outside... so they may have just gotten used to the influx. Good luck with your group... as long as they don't fight, all should work out.
ReplyDeleteWonderful picture. It leads me to think they always get along together
ReplyDeleteand spend the days basking in the sun in one large and furry pile. And
to think, it is just for treat time! The few times I have had 2 cats
at the same time, never did they do more than fight over who got the
cat tree top shelf. Never shared food at anytime. Enjoy what you see when you see it.
Peace and tranquillity...what a good thing to get to share once in a while. :-)
ReplyDeleteSeems sensible to us. Miss pops would be the same if she had siblings.
ReplyDeleteThank heaven for cat treats. I sometimes think that's the only way to unify them.
ReplyDeleteSharing treats makes most things work, really!
ReplyDeleteAh, there's nothing like food/treats to bring peace and tolerance, at least for a moment or two. :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree - as long as "Star Wars" doesn't break out between the newcomer and the existing cats, your integration is successful. Sometimes peaceful co-existence is the best you can hope for.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like food to bring cats (and people) together.
ReplyDeleteThat is how tolerance begins...sharing the foodables in a peaceable manner!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that!
Hooray for treats!
We do what we can; food often is the answer.
ReplyDeleteMy crew also gets kibble as a treat and they all come to where it is given and tolerate each other quite well. At night they get a bit and afterwards they all sleep with the required 18 inches between cat. Timmy and Toby cut that to 12 inches and if one or the other is sleeping who knows who may plop close by, even The Great White
ReplyDelete