There’s more advice than I care to read about how to introduce a new cat to an old cat. Cats are territorial so it’s evidently important to introduce cats slowly so they have more time to get used to the new cat’s scent. Whatever.
If I didn’t have kids, a job, the Internet, food, shelter, and all of the other things going on, then yes maybe I’d have time to make a special room for the new cat and move a litter box in there and then actually spend the extra time with her in this special room to play with her and all that jazz.
But I live in 2013 and in this day and age I believe in survival of the fittest.
So I just let Mia out of her bag and said “good luck – there’s a big, fat, fuzzy orange cat who lives here, but he’s cool and all!”
And the big, fat, fuzzy orange cat let this new young thing know who the boss is in this house as he hissed, growl, whacked, and basically kept her hiding under a chair for three days.
But after three days, he let her out and now they nap together, play together, eat together, and just generally act like they’ve been together forever.
And that big, fat, fuzzy orange cat is happy. He’s been so sad since his brother died. And for the first time since January – Truffle cat is truly happy, joyful, playful and his old self.
The night we brought Mia home I told him that he would be happy again..he’d just have to trust me on that. He was not convinced.
But now he’s so glad that she’s here.
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I’m a sink or swim kind of mom and I don’t apologize for it. I don’t hover and react to tears. I love my kids to pieces and they know that I am here for them…but they need to learn to do things on their own. I don’t react to boo-boos and I cannot negotiate and fight all of their battles. I hope that I’m giving them the guidance they need to make good decisions and work through conflict. So I want them presented with challenges.
My daughters completely freaked out when Truffle hissed and growled at Mia – they yelled at him and tried to protect her. I told them to just let the cats be and they’d work it out..but they would just have to trust me.
I admit that sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing – but I knew that these two would work it out.
And sometimes I yell at my kids. And sometimes I try to protect them. When this happens I have to remember that the happiest place for all of us is when I just let them work it out for themselves.
See cats, really are just like women. Smart, beautiful, powerful, independent, and they have the ability to overlook some simple differences to become lifelong friends.
