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Assimilating a stray - Page 3

post #61 of 89
4/1/10 at 9:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by killerapple View Post
Sounds like things are going great!!!!!!!!! The fact that they basically ignored each other is fantastic. That means they're fine with each other in their space.

Can't wait to see pictures when you can share them!
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post #62 of 89
4/2/10 at 1:13am
Thread Starter 
Attachment 14398

I don't know if this is going to work - but meet Molly.
LL
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post #63 of 89
4/2/10 at 1:14am
Thread Starter 
OMG! It worked. Okay - here's Little One

Attachment 14399
LL
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post #64 of 89
4/2/10 at 9:56am
What gorgeous babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little one looks so relaxed! - Molly's not looking too upset!
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post #65 of 89
4/4/10 at 6:21pm
Thread Starter 
Very successful day. LO spent her first entire afternoon in the house with the door to her room open. It started when Molly wanted to go in. I let her and after her usual track around, she settled on the bed - ON LITTLE ONE'S TOWEL. Based on comments here, I took that to be a very good sign. LO settled on the floor, and the three of us sat for about half an hour - me alternately talking to them and being quiet so they could feel each other's energy. Eventually LO left to walk around the house. Molly switched positions to the top of the couch and went to sleep. After an hour or so, LO went back inside - crawled in her hut, and went to sleep, too. They spent the rest of the day sleeping in the same room. Good, yes?

LO's back behind a closed door for the night. I don't want to get overexcited and overexpose. Still playing it by ear off Molly's signals but am greatly encouraged.
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post #66 of 89
4/4/10 at 7:13pm
Thread Starter 
I forgot to say that after Molly was on the couch and LO on the floor - LO got up and jumped on the bed to sleep on her towel - the one Molly had just been on. So their scents got nice and mixy today.
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post #67 of 89
4/4/10 at 7:20pm
Things really are going well! Sounds like you won't need to close that door at night much longer.
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post #68 of 89
4/6/10 at 10:35pm
Thread Starter 
I think Little One really likes Molly. Here's what happened: Molly was sleeping in a basket. LO didn't disturb her, but as soon as Molly woke up, LO ran to her and they sniffed each other's faces. Molly flopped around on the floor for a while and when she got up to go to another part of the house, LO started to track her. Molly pretended not to notice she was being followed and I let them go off by themselves. Eventually LO came back where I was. Later all three of us were in my office. Molly was on a chair. LO got on her hind legs - almost as if she wanted to jump up with Molly - then thought better of it and just stayed close. Then Molly hacked up a hairball and that was that for the day!
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post #69 of 89
4/6/10 at 10:45pm
Thread Starter 
What's interesting is in all the years LO's been living on my property, other strays have come and gone. Some she's tolerated (males), one she actively hates (female) but for the most part, she's been a loner with me as her only real attachment. It's so much fun to see her fascination with Molly.
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post #70 of 89
4/7/10 at 9:41am
That's so cool! I think things are going great!!!!!! They might be in a big sleepy kitty pile before you know it.
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post #71 of 89
4/7/10 at 10:00am
I had been a longer period participant and moderator on a swedish cat site, till the owner quitted and the forum of course went down as she had all the keys......

There we had among other forums, a forum for Homeless, Rescue and Strays, and a forum for Residents.

It was a big pleasure and joy for me every time I could move a thread from the Rescue forum into the Resident forum.


TCS doesnt have a special forum for Residents. Otherwise I would say - the time for moving of this here thread into the Resident forum is near now... Weeks at most, perhaps only days.
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post #72 of 89
4/9/10 at 11:44pm
Thread Starter 
Stefan that really touched me. Thanks.

Things are going well. Little One seems to really want to be Molly's friend. Molly however seems a bit more ambivalent. Not hostile by any means, just... only tolerant. I don't see any effort yet on her part to progress the relationship to the next level so I'm trying to resist my urge to have Little One out all the time. Right now what I'm doing is keeping her out most of the day - then putting her back at night. That's when Molly likes to be with/on me and I don't want her to feel like our special time is being encroached upon. But of course, I feel guilty about leaving LO in her room and would love to have her out with us. On the other hand, it wouldn't do us any good to have Molly get resentful and set the whole process back - so this is what I'm struggling with. I guess I should continue to trust my instincts about what Molly's feeling and not impose my desires on the situation... yes? Any suggestions are welcome.
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post #73 of 89
4/12/10 at 12:17pm
I think just making sure Molly knows she is #1 and spoiling her rotten so she doesn't get jealous of Little One's time with you will help ensure it'll be ok. I understand your concern about having Little One out during Molly's one-on-time with you at this point. I'm not sure what to suggest so I'm waiting for others to chime in. I think trusting your gut is the right thing to do.
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post #74 of 89
4/12/10 at 12:35pm
I would just let them both out and leave it be. Molly is your alpha, so if you can, invest in some condos that will give them vertical space. www.felinefurniture.com has some really nice furniture that would fit well in this situation. Molly will always be on the top, so you need other spaces for LO to go. If all they are doing is hissing and spitting you are well ahead of the game and they will figure it out. Putting them up each day disrupts the flow the cats are discovering and actually hurts their relationship.

Nice job and beautiful cats!
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post #75 of 89
4/12/10 at 4:29pm
hissy is our most experienced rescuer, so I'd take her advice!

for you and TRY not to worry about the hissing & such - it'll pass.
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post #76 of 89
4/12/10 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks so much, hissy. There really isn't any hissing/spitting at all anymore - and it was always Molly, never LO - so I'll take your advice and just let them figure it out. I do have a couple of vertical spaces. Molly's more of a couch/chair sleeper but LO seems to like a particular tree and it doesn't seem to bother Molly when she's on it. Thanks for the link. I'll explore and see what else is out there.

Thank you all SO much for chiming in on this thread. I can't tell you how helpful it's been.
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post #77 of 89
4/12/10 at 10:40pm
One extra addition: If they are left alone at nights, it goes on usually guicker. The night is their time... And their friendship "should" ripe on quickly nighttime.
So now when your are not longer need to be afraid for violent scenes, its time for this next step.
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post #78 of 89
4/14/10 at 10:48am
Thread Starter 
It's official. LO is now a resident. Last night was her first with free reign of the house - at Molly's insistence, by the way. LO had been out most of the night. She went back into her room to curl up so I closed the door, but Molly wasn't having it. She whined and followed me and when I opened it, she ran right in and jumped on the bed so I left them be and went to sleep. Woke up this a.m. and nothing's broken or pushed off a surface. And the two kitties were sleeping in their usual morning places - LO on the couch in her room and Molly in a bed in my office. So yay! No more closed doors!!!

Again, thanks so much for all your help and suggestions. I look at LO being so comfy inside and I'm so grateful I was able to save her.
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post #79 of 89
4/14/10 at 12:43pm
That is GREAT news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome home, Little One.

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post #80 of 89
4/14/10 at 5:12pm


Oh how wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is great news!!!!!
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post #81 of 89
4/28/10 at 12:53am
Thread Starter 
Well, we had our first dispute tonight. As you all know, kitties are jet-propelled out of the litter box when they've had a particularly satisfying experience. So Molly started to run down the hall. LO perked up, followed her. I heard some Molly hissing in the hall. Molly came into the living room, jumped up on her chair. LO followed, watched, approached the chair very stealthily. Once she got there, she put her front paws up - growled low in her throat. Molly looked down at her and hissed. And hissed. And hissed. Then jumped down and yelled. LO backed right off. I sprayed some (I call it) love and peace and everything settled down. Is this normal? I didn't interfere except to gently say, "Oh come on, girls". Figuring this is them figuring out the rules. And like I said, everything quickly settled. Just looking for reassurance I guess that this is to be expected?
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post #82 of 89
4/28/10 at 10:52am
Yup, to be expected! Sometimes the victory run, as we call it, just invites a chase - some kitties just can't resist that quickly moving target, and the runner isn't always happy about being the object of the game. We also break it up with treats or play or something if the chaser won't let it go.
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post #83 of 89
4/28/10 at 11:43am
I agree with my distinguished collegue.

Furthermore, I will add, the newcomer taking her stand is in fact a rather positive. It is a sign she is now feeling safe at home.

Before she knew she must please herself in. Not so now, now she knows it is also her home, she is at last safe - and thus - may take some stand if necessary.


God job by you!
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post #84 of 89
4/28/10 at 2:49pm
Oh good point Stefan! He is SO right about that!!!!!
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post #85 of 89
4/28/10 at 3:17pm
Thread Starter 
It's funny you should say that about LO feeling safe. Yesterday, my housekeeper was here for her weekly visit. Up until now, LO has promptly run under the bed and stayed there until the coast was clear. Imagine my surprise when about halfway through Marta's routine, LO comes strolling out into the chaos of vacuum cleaner and trash bags and rugs upturned and calmly sat on the 'tree' to look outside and take a snooze. I thought - wow. She's really starting to feel at home here. Yay!

Sometimes I wish I had a kitty cam so I could see how they interact at night when I'm sleeping. When I wake up they're both snoozing in their favorite places like they've been there all night and didn't move a muscle. We all know that's not true!
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post #86 of 89
4/29/10 at 5:47pm
That's awesome!

I know what you mean about wishing you could see what they're up to at night. I'm sure they have all sorts of adventures.
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post #87 of 89
8/30/10 at 1:26am
Thread Starter 
Update: It's been 6 months since Little One's coyote attack and except for the still slightly-bent tail, you'd never know anything had happened to her. She's adjusted to indoor life beautifully - and though she and Molly are not cuddle buddies yet - they live together very well. I've noticed lately that Molly is warming up to her. Insisting on face sniffs even though LO is a bit wary. (I suspect there's been some territorial working out that I'm not privy to LOL). But all is really well. Much better than I ever thought possible. Like kismet. Thanks to all of you who were there to help out when it first happened. Your advice and guidance were a godsend - as I was pretty freaked out and flying by the seat of my pants. I knew how to have one cat. I knew how to take care of strays. I didn't know how to assimilate - but with your input and these two great cats working things out on their own - we're a little family now.
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post #88 of 89
8/30/10 at 12:52pm
SUCH a wonderful update!
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post #89 of 89
9/5/10 at 9:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG View Post
SUCH a wonderful update!
So glad to read this awesome update!!!!
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