I feel sorry for Millie. Not only is she in a new home, but she must now reconcile herself with the fact that she shares it with seven other cats.
She has met them, at least to see. I have let her out of the cat-room to explore and have also let them in. I don’t really care for the latter, as I want Mills to feel safe in there, but if she is out, the door must be kept open, which means, aside from physically barring the others from going in - which would be impractical and stressful - they will be free to come and go. And, to be fair, they are more interested in the room - and its smells - when they are there than in its new occupant. Except for Moxy, who wanted to meet Millie and was nonplussed at being hissed at when he tried to climb her cat-tree.
The compromise arrived at is to open the door to the cat-room for supervised intervals. Those outside may come in, she inside may come out. They will see and be seen. When the time is up, Millie will have the safety of a closed room once more.
Sable, my other (relative) newcomer has spent today both upstairs and downstairs, and has even returned to the bedroom window, sitting at the top of the cat-tree, while I am at my desk a few feet away. Perhaps she simply needed yesterday to assure herself that she could spend time in the library once more if she wished.
And time remains the key. Whatever Sabe and Millie want to do at a specific moment - as long as it is not harmful to anyone - is permitted. They will choose their own pace; as I’ve told many through the rescue-group, forcing the pace is counter-productive. The great blessing is that my cats are not very intrusive, as cats go. Brazil, when allowed into the cat-room, jumped to the summit of the saddle-topped cat-tree and lie down for a snooze, despite Millie being on the other cat-tree. If this remains typical for my cats - and I am sure it will be (with the occasional screaming match that even cats accustomed to each other have) - then time will impose its own solutions.
But I will still feel sorry for Millie, in the meanwhile.
I'm sure that in time and when they're ready, both Sable and Millie will adapt not only to their new home but also to their new feline roommates.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Millie will adapt as everyone does in their own way, and hopefully in time so will Sable. Poor Moxy, he is such an easy going boy and just wanted to be friends.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like very slow progress for Millie. Hopefully she will get more comfortable before your vacation is over.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Roberta.
ReplyDeleteYou are on the right path, John.
ReplyDeleteKeep the faith!
A complicated household, to be sure, although for eight cats at least things seem fairly peaceful.
ReplyDeleteIt takes time and I am sure she will soon be used to living in a home with so many other cats and a human
ReplyDeleteThings are different for Millie, but the important thing is she is loved and cared for.
ReplyDelete