Well, I have been meaning to post for ages, but somehow never got around to it and I had trouble with the camera too, and I wanted to take pix. Also, I was very unsure if it would work out, and I have been on a steep learning curve. But now I feel ready to announce that Tasha is part of our family, and has been accepted (with varying amounts of greeting) by all.
She is one of Milkmaid's pups, who has been my mentor as I learned about how to care for and communicate with a dog. It took me a couple of weeks to really understand that Tasha is not a cat and has to be treated quite differently. The cats felt this too! But she has really made friends with Bonaparte and as he is an indoor/outdoor cat they play together in the garden, chasing each other and wrestling. I am amazed as he has always been a bit of a loner and mostly ignores the other cats. Ellie is the one who has been most difficult (she was mauled by dogs as a kitten), but even she is coming round and no longer runs away or waits in ambush with claws out.
I found it really hard to bond with Tasha at first, as I could not communicate with her, or anticipate her needs. That is slowly getting better, and she now asks to go out and responds to my words. I am learning to read her expressions and body language too. She is now 13 weeks old, and follows me everywhere, sleeping on the rug at my feet in the evening. I keep her downstairs with a babygate, so that the cats can have a safe space upstairs at night.
It has been hard to take pix as every time I point the camera at her she runs to me! But I have some more and I will put them on the pet pix forum.
She is one of Milkmaid's pups, who has been my mentor as I learned about how to care for and communicate with a dog. It took me a couple of weeks to really understand that Tasha is not a cat and has to be treated quite differently. The cats felt this too! But she has really made friends with Bonaparte and as he is an indoor/outdoor cat they play together in the garden, chasing each other and wrestling. I am amazed as he has always been a bit of a loner and mostly ignores the other cats. Ellie is the one who has been most difficult (she was mauled by dogs as a kitten), but even she is coming round and no longer runs away or waits in ambush with claws out.
I found it really hard to bond with Tasha at first, as I could not communicate with her, or anticipate her needs. That is slowly getting better, and she now asks to go out and responds to my words. I am learning to read her expressions and body language too. She is now 13 weeks old, and follows me everywhere, sleeping on the rug at my feet in the evening. I keep her downstairs with a babygate, so that the cats can have a safe space upstairs at night.
It has been hard to take pix as every time I point the camera at her she runs to me! But I have some more and I will put them on the pet pix forum.
