Socialization process starting
Yesterday, I decided it is time for Guinevere and Sinatra to meet casually. I have found that when introducing two strange cats together, if you don’t make a big deal about it neither will they. Cats are social creatures unlike some myths flying around that ferals and strays are aloof and prefer to be alone. They group together, hence the “colonies” of feral cats and stray cats that are forming all over this planet. They have a heirarchy and they like to follow it instinctively.
I went in and cleaned Sinatra’s room first. He had vomited overnight, which I attribute to him just being stressed in confinement. Although he is not in a small cage at the shelter any longer, he is a larger caged room and there is not much difference to a cat that is used to being able to roam outside.
I left his door open and then went in to clean Guinevere’s room leaving her door open as well. Soon the room was clean and Sinatra was at the door. Rather than chase him away, I sat down on the floor in the corner with Guinevere in my lap and just let the two cats figure this out. I was petting Guin, she saw Sinatra and I noticed her ears were forward, her eyes were large and her tail was twitching. She was not growling, nor was he. I moved her off my lap slowly, if there was going to be a confrontation, I didn’t want my knees to be the victims of the attack. I continued to pet Guinevere and since Sinatra was just within reach he got some pets as well.
He stayed in the room about 20 minutes, he investigated the room thoroughly and maintained his composure when he saw Guinevere. Soon he left to go downstairs to the landing, then back up as the door downstairs was tightly shut. He saw Prowler through the wire and Prowler immediately dropped to her back and waved at him with her paws. She is such a flirt!
It is really a submissive pose, one that I have seen her do many times with new cats. It serves two purposes really as I have discovered. Although an act of submission, it is also an invitation to war. The cat has all her weapons ready to use claws and jaws, and what happens next is dependent on the actions of the new cat. Sinatra didn’t even growl at her, his tail was erect, his ears were forward and he trotted back upstairs to be with me. Guinevere’s door was not shut and he joined me in his room, where he was once again confined.
I will continue with this type of introduction in small increments until I am sure that Guinevere and Sinatra are buddies. Then they can keep each other company upstairs and I won’t feel so guilty about not being able to go up there more than 5-6 times a day to visit with them.
The kittens are fully intregrated into the house now. The only thing stopping me from letting them run full-tilt around the house is Leah the puppy. In her exuberance of being with us, one slap of her puppy paw and a kitty could die. She would never intentionally hurt them. I see no evidence of a high prey drive (thank you God!) Yesterday in the tack room several brown rats were gorging on the new bag of grain that I hadn’t yet opened. Leah was with me and when I opened the door, they scattered, i screamed and she just looked at them and said “Oh well!” Not even an attempt to chase them for which I was glad! The last GSD pup we had would leap in the air and catch birds and snap their necks! I have never seen anything like it before and hope never to again. So Leah’s low prey drive is perfectly fine with us. It means the kitties will be safe once they get old enough.
June 30th, 2006 at 9:52 am
I really enjoy reading your blog (I found it via your links at the bottom of your catsite posts). I think it’s wonderful that you adopted Guinevere & Sinatra. Hopefully they will provide enjoyable companionship for each other.
September 24th, 2006 at 4:20 am
Dear Feral Cat people “in the know”,
My name is Susan Bresnehan and I just moved into a rented trailer in a trailer park in Westport, Ct. 2 weeks ago. I have 2 beautiful 4 & 1/2 year old Maine Coon cats that I just moved here with. The people who lived in my rented trailer before me fed the feral mom and 2 kittens and they continue to live under my trailer. There are also a lot of other feral cats in this trailer park in Westport, Ct.
I am very afraid for my cats when I have to let them back out on their own in 2 to 6 weeks from now. We have lived at our new Westport, Ct. location for 2 weeks and I have kept my cats in. His name is George and her name is Liberty -George & Liberty are scared of all people, animals and vehicles except me cats.
I have already contacted the Westport (Ct.) Dog Warden and he has told me there is no department that deals with cats, feral or otherwise. There is, he told me, a volunteeer organization called “T.A.I.L.S.” that
came out to this location to help this problem a couple of years ago, but they could not catch and neuter/spay all the feral cats. He has the number and the officer said he would contact them again, but because they are a volunteer organization, that he could not make any promises other than phoning them to see if “Tails” could come back out and try again.
Other than calling him back and asking the “T.A.I.L.S.” volunteer organization out here again, do any of you have any further suggestions to help me? We moved from a house on 1/3rd of an acre with a field over our stone wall, a school and wods doen the cul-de-sac road and they have been outdoor cats all their lives. I can’t “turn them into indoor-only cats” at this point in their lives. I can’t handle any more cat fights between George and Liberty and I fear for thier safety when I have to stop going out with them! Does anyone have any suggestions, other than what I have already brought up? If you do, please write to me, Miss. Susan Bresnehan, sbres444@yahoo.com if you do. I would greatly appreciate any helpful suggestions. (Especially after I just lost my mom to Stage 4 Breast Cancer this past December 20th!) Sincerely and gratefully, Miss Susan E. Bresnehan sbres444@yahoo.com “S.Bres”
September 24th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
Dear Susan,
Having helped several times with trappings in mobile home parks, I can well understand your frustration. If it were me, I would leave my cats inside or provide them with a safe enclosure in back of the trailer that would still be on your space lot. I don’t know what the attraction is for feral cats and mobile home parks. Perhaps the availability of food in the garbage cans and all the nifty crawl spaces beneath each trailer. But even if you did trap the two living underneath you now, your cats would be in danger from all the other toms in the neighborhood.
There is a website where you can find feral cat rescue in your area, here is the link
http://members.tripod.com/~Kirra/
Best of luck!