Monday, September 5, 2022

The Hurdle

Horace’s integration is progressing. Surprisingly, Renn seems the least affected by the newcomer’s presence. He will walk right past Horace while he is lying on the floor; there is little hesitation or concern. He is more wary of Hector than of Horace. Just this morning, my big boy was drinking from the water-bowl on the ledge under the bedroom window; Horace jumped up and faced him – not with hostility but with strong curiosity. Renn watched for the other’s next move but didn’t growl or hiss or develop a defensive stance. Not wanting Renn to do any of those, however, I pushed Horace gently away.

Neville hisses at Horace, but is not aggressive with him. Again, this morning, the new fellow spontaneously started playing by himself, chasing a fuzzy ball. In his enthusiasm, he ran at Nev – not charging him; there is a visible difference. The Nevsky, lying on the carpet, hissed harshly, but didn’t stand or get ready to defend himself; his only response was the hiss. Horace halted and turned about.

The sore point in the integration is Hector. Hec doesn’t like Horace and won’t go near him. He yells and hisses at him. And this brings me to the point of this entry.

There is in feline integration little that the human can actively do. His is a passive rôle. He arranges the setting to be as calm and facilitating as possible; he makes sure all cats have enough time and attention; he makes them feel safe, no matter what occurs. But the human can’t actually do much to influence the situation beyond providing support. It’s up to the cats, and they cannot be forced or hurried. They must accept one another, and at their own pace.

There is always a hurdle to overcome. Sometimes, it is achieved in a startling moment. More frequently, its completion goes unnoticed, until one realises, later, that it has been done. In a few cases, that hurdle is never leaped.

I am sure that the barrier will be crossed with Hector and Horace – and, to be fair, the others have yet completely to span theirs. In Hec’s case, he will simply come to know at some point that Horace’s curiosity isn’t that great a problem. If it were, the white cat would be pressing himself continually on the black; there would be constant agitation. As it is, Horace’s is more an interest of opportunity, whenever the occasion arises. I think that sort fades, to be replaced by a more routine acquaintance.

At that point, the hurdle will have been crossed.

14 comments:

  1. Hector...look at you. You make me want to come over there slowly and quietly; speak sweetly and quietly to you; and sit in front of you and invite you to my lap. AND I would gently hold you and tell you about Horace. Then, you'd be able to resolve any concern. Shall I borrow Katie's tunnel? (I can't fit in it but I can let out the seams).

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  2. Aw, that's a shame about Hec. I think you're probably right, that he feels displaced as the "baby of the family." Perhaps he's jealous of the attention the newcomer is getting. In any case, I hope he learns soon that Horace is a good egg.

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  3. I'm happy to hear that Horace is integrating reasonably well into the apartment. One wonders if Hector's concerns relate to be usurped in favor of the new guy. Hopefully he comes to realize that Horace means no harm and the two of them can have some fun together. Good luck!

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  4. You're correct - In time Hector will realize that Horace poses no threat and the two cats will learn to live in peaceful co-existence.

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  5. So far so good, though I hope Hector jumps the hurdle, so to speak, relatively quickly. 🙂

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  6. Yes, they do have to work out certain things themselves, but they will get there.

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  7. Two young cats of a similar age, hopefully Hector will allow Horace to actively introduce himself. At least the oldsters are not feeling aggravated by the newster.

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  8. I will add my good thoughts via ESP to Hector that he needs fear not being usurped by Horace...

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  9. Aww...as much as we humans try to make things sociable for our clowders, in the end, they are in charge.

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  10. It's early days yet....They'll all get along
    at some point...HeHe! Hopefully...!x

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  11. Hector probably thinks that Horace wants to take his place. Hopefully he will soon realise that he will make a good playmate.

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  12. They have to figure it out for themselves don't they?

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  13. You are so right. They will definitely figure things out when they are ready to. :)

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  14. I think Horace will change Hector's mind. Horace seems to be the type of cat who just finds a way to make peace with everyone.

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