Margaret,

Thankfully you were able to help out with Snookums and Clementine. They're both beautiful. You're incredible! Poor little Snookums getting rejected after all this time. I'm sure they will both come to see that they have a new home. Please keep us posted as it will be interesting to see how they integrate and what happens with Clementine too. This is like watching a soap opera (although I don't think I've ever watched one).



Maria

Thanks, Maria. I don't know if I am incredible, but it is an undertaking to have three zones in the house and trying to intigrate two cats with each other, and then each of those two with 6 other cats.

Things are going well.

I was napping in the room with Clemmie in it, and at 5:00, canned food time, I woke up to Clemmie by the door meowing and meowing. Then when I sat up, she ran into her carrier, waiting. I had been putting her in her carrier every day at that time to then set her in the kitchen for the canned food time, to let the other cats get used to her and hopefully for all to associate something good with Clemmie and vice-versa. So she was telling me she was ready to be transported to the kitchen for her canned food!

This time, I opened to door to her carrier while the cats were eating. (Except Minerva is doing her "I'm staying outside to eat if that creature is going to be spoiling my dining mood" thing.) Simon walked past the opened carrier to get to a plate near it with leftovers from Sumner. He just briefly glanced in at the still eating Clemintine and went about his business as usual, with no signs of stress or anxiety. Clemmie just kept eating when he passed her carrier.

So, we figured that we would let Clemmie stay out and about and see how it would go. Simon tended to stay away from Clemmie, and when she was near where he was, he just stayed still, not seeming upset, but on guard a little. Then he would go someplace not near her. So, we really don't need to worry about Simon maybe attacking her. The Clomicalm he is on really has made such a good difference in him. He actually is afraid, and just used to get aggressive out of fear, like when he attacked Dolly and Calli when they hissed at him.

But, we still need to see how things might go with Snookums. So far, she growls and hisses if any of the other cats come near her, and that will make Simon upset and maybe feel the need to do something about her. So we will hold off trying to get them to meet for a while, but do shut her in one room, then him in the room she had been in to sniff her scent.

I have opened the connecting doors between the two bedrooms and then let Galen, Sumner or Jolie in with Snookums. What would happen is that Snookum would get upset when she saw one of them, maybe hiss or growl if they were sort of near her, and then she would go into the bedroom they were not in. Those three don't follow after her.

One time she hid under the bed when Jolie was sort of nearby. But, I left her with each one of those other cats for over an hour and all was well. They weren't interested in dealing with her, just wanting hang out in the spots they like. Actually, Sumner was in with Snookums for maybe four hours, as he was sleeping on a bed on top of the freshly washed sheets still in a pile. He LOVES napping on freshly washed sheets dumped on a bed, since he can snuggle in like being in a nest. Snookums would come a few feet near him and look at him, then move away.

Galen actually was an assertive pest yesterday. I was in the bathroom with Snookums, petting her. Galen came in and rushed at her, in a "fake out" kind of maybe attack way. She reared back but didn't get too upset. I don't even remember if she hissed. I am sure she could tell from his body language that he was mostly posturing, and was not really going to attack. But still! That was not the Galen I have been used to. Maybe he didn't like me petting her.

He has been acting more aggressive at times towards some of the others the past three months, if the word "aggressive" ever could be applied to Galen. He has been doing a bit of dominating, intimidating things from time to time. This is a new thing with Galen. He never did that for the 7 years we had him. But, he does had some territoriality in him, such as when he growled and growled when someone parked in front of our house in Jim's usual spot. That was maybe three years ago, but shows he does have a territorial spirit, sort of.

One thing he is a bit terrirorial about is me. He wants me to be available to cuddle and pet him at any time, and doesn't really like me doing it to the other cats when HE wants me.

So, in summary, all is going very well.

It sounds like you have it all under control - as much as cats can be "under control"

Quote:

One thing he is a bit terrirorial about is me. He wants me to be available to cuddle and pet him at any time, and doesn't really like me doing it to the other cats when HE wants me.

When you were speaking about Galen's territorial issues concerning you, it reminded me of Molly. She is the sweetest and very gentle girl, but very possessive of me. She can't stand it when I pay attention to Jeremy and those big green eyes just glare at me as if to say "I've told you not to do that!" Then she will pick on him for a while which turns into the "chase" and play (thankfully) fighting. They never really hurt each other, but do get a bit aggressive at time - then I clap my hands and say "NO" as I don't want them to begin really fighting. Once in a great while I see a little fur on the floor, but nothing more.

However, even though Jeremy doesn't react when I pet Molly or she sits on my lap, he always has a half-open eye on us - then when Molly gets up, he will quietly go over and start grooming her - then gives her a nip which starts the chasing.

They sure are a lot like humans in many respects.

I don't know how you do it with all those kitties around your house - and 2 new comers.

Maria

I agree with Maria. It sounds like you have quite the juggling act with all those cats and a kitten. I bet you're never bored though!

I'm glad to hear it's going well.

Well, Clementine is fully and very successfully integrated with all my cats (not counting Snookums). I think it goes better with female older teenagers than with male teenaged cats. The male teenaged cats always want to try that back jumping thing on the other cats, which really upsets them, especially the adult females. Clemmie doesn't sneak up on them and then hurl herself on top of them, scaring the life out of them, like Seamus did (and Sparky), so they don't mind Clemmie being around at all.

Seamus still pesters Minerva, making her hiss as he stalks towards her, cornering her. He has had to go in the jail three times the past two days for bothering Minerva. So, from Minerva's point of view, it would be better to keep Clemmie and rehome Seamus.

Snookums seems to just not be able to deal with other cats much at all. She is afraid. She will put on a brave front, though and growl continuosly if any are around and awake in the same room. Minerva was scratching and scratching at the bedroom door to get in, so finally I let her. I figured since Minerva never bothers any cat and is timid, Snooks might not mind much Minerva being in the same room. Wrong.

I had left them in there and two minutes later I heard the growling. When I went in, I heard Snookums growling away from under the bed, and Minerva standing in the middle of the room in frozen in shock, with her tail so puffed out I couldn't believe it! I think Snookums ran under the bed when she heard the scratching on the door, and that Minerva didn't know Snookums was there. Then, that unknown growling probably made Minerva believe in "the monster under the bed!"

Needlesstosay, Minerva was glad to get out of the bedroom! I guess she might stop scratching on shut doors to get in, at least for a while.

Margaret:

I know you are planning on rehoming Snookums (Well, I think you are planning on rehoming her).

Any luck towards finding a new home for her, or do you still have some behavioral work to do first?

Mark