Cat Introduction Woes

mani · Mar 6, 2015

Losna said:
Time for another update.

Tempest's enforced visits to the rest of the house have continued. She is most comfortable in the office, but her comfort zone has expanded now to include the bathroom and half of the hall. She will play a bit in the dining room and sit with my husband on the couch in the living room. The living room itself is still too scary for her to leave the couch, but when he started she wouldn't let him sit down with her so just sitting with him is an improvement.

Every time Sinbad is let back into the main house after her visits, he thoroughly explores every inch of where she's been.

In terms of their interactions - it's still about the same, with one odd difference. Sometimes when she hisses at him now, it's done without any aggressive body language. I don't know what to make of it, but hissing without aggressive posturing seems like an improvement over hissing with aggression? Can anyone interpret what that might mean for me? I was watching it just now, and it almost seemed like they were playing, but wasn't quite where I would call it play. But it still wasn't hostile, despite the hissing.

She's not backing down anymore either. Even when she is aggressively hissing, she'll stay right where she is. She used to hiss, claw and then run to hide. Now when she's being hostile she hisses and swipes (I'll note that even when she does swipe she keeps her claws retracted) but stays put and he's the one who ends up backing away.

So it's another small step forward overall, I think?

Absolutely!

I agree that hissing without posturing is an improvement... like it's all winding down. Hopefully slowly that, too will just fade away. My two will still have a hiss at each other - often it's one cat's way of saying they don't want to play or have had enough of a game.

Things seem to be going well with these two.. slow is good.

mservant · Mar 6, 2015

I agree. It sounds like they are learning to communicate more effectively with each other, and Sinbad is learning Tempest's cues to when she has had enough. Tempest is coming across as the accepted boss now in your post so I think this is a positive indicator that she will start to settle with her bouncy, cuddly companion.

losna · Mar 6, 2015

Tried to get an action reel of Tempest. But she said: Don't bother me, I found a box and I'm going to use it.

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losna
Mar 6, 2015

tempest in box and dice bags 005.JPG

losna
Mar 6, 2015

mservant · Mar 6, 2015

That is a class action series - a study in whisker and ear action, or cat falling asleap in box.

At least she didn't run off, which is what Mouse usually does when he sees me with my camera.

losna · Mar 6, 2015

MServant said:
That is a class action series - a study in whisker and ear action, or cat falling asleap in box.

At least she didn't run off, which is what Mouse usually does when he sees me with my camera.

I'll try to be around later to get pics of Sinbad trying to get into the box. She was in it, so naturally he'll need to get in it too, despite never having been interested in it before.

stewball · Mar 6, 2015

I think she's just enforcing the fact that she is boss and don't try it on laddy!!!"

smokem · Mar 7, 2015

God bless you!These two will age,like it or not.

And hopefully for you and your husband,mellow.

losna · Mar 16, 2015

Tempest's confidence is continuing to grow as she gets more time out of her room and in the house.

She has figured out the secret to getting more treats at treat time! And her method of obtaining them shines more hope on their relationship improvements:

First she sticks her nose right up against the gate and stares at Sinbad. This escalates into head bumping against the gate. He is getting oddly shy around her now though, so this rarely accomplishes anything, he stares at her and sort of shuffles his feet and backs away. So she moves on to the big guns!! One of these days I will manage to get a picture of this, I've started bringing up the camera to treat time but keep missing it because when I lift the camera she pulls back into her diva posing - she sticks both her front arms all the way through the little holes in the gate, up to her shoulders, and waves them in the air trying to grab at him!!!

And she will just sit there, wiggling her arms through the gate until he finally gets the clue and pounces over to bat at them!! It's the funniest thing in the world! I am giggling just thinking of it as I write this.

She is still not ready to deal with him fully face to face yet, but I consider this arm wiggling a HUGE improvement.

mservant · Mar 16, 2015

Heh heh, that does sound cute.

stewball · Mar 16, 2015

Pictures pictures. :-)

losna · Mar 17, 2015

Thus far I haven't managed to get any good pictures of the wiggle paw. It happens so quickly, and she tends to pull back when I have the camera out. For some reason she also doesn't do this when my hubby is giving treats, so my attempts to take long range shots of it have come to nil.

Here's the best I've managed so far. Here she is starting to stick her arm through the holes, you can see one paw coming through. The next photo shows Sinbad's blurry form as he pounces to play with her wiggly paws. She's looking super pleased with her manipulations, that tongue only comes out like that when she's feeling clever and accomplished.

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losna
Mar 17, 2015

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losna
Mar 17, 2015

micknsnicks2mom · Mar 17, 2015

@Losna -- i wouldn't be surprised if the wiggle paw game builds trust between tempest and sinbad over time.

mservant · Mar 17, 2015

It reminds me of a game I play with Mouse where I stick a finger up through holes cut out in a little box and he swats and bites trying to catch me - thankfully failing so far! Looks like fun, and that tongue sticking out is way too cute.

This has to be a great way for them to get to know and trust each other.

cat nap · Mar 17, 2015

@Losna I love these updates, and especially the photo updates!

The blurry paw from Sinbad is even more interesting because it shows movement and action.

And I totally agree with MickNsnicks2Mom that the 'wiggly paw game' is definitely building trust. It's like Tempest is teaching Sinbad to play according to her rules. Just amazing.

stewball · Mar 17, 2015

The tongue is so sweet.

losna · Mar 18, 2015

@mickNsnicks2mom @cat nap @MServant That's my hope! That the more she plays like that without him hurting her, the more she will trust him and understand that he just wants to play...

@Stewball Yeah, I love it too!!

tempest at the gate 005.JPG

losna
Mar 18, 2015

Take aim!

tempest at the gate 007.JPG

losna
Mar 18, 2015

tempest at the gate 008.JPG

losna
Mar 18, 2015

Hmm.. this doesn't seem to be working...

tempest at the gate 010.JPG

losna
Mar 18, 2015

Maybe if I try the other paw...

tempest at the gate 015.JPG

losna
Mar 18, 2015

mservant · Mar 18, 2015

Very cute, I can just imagine the pair of them teasing each other!

cat nap · Mar 18, 2015

I also think that Tempest still needs her gate, as a kind of shield, to keep Sinbad's advances away, and also to get Sinbad to slow down and play in a more gentle fashion...not just wanting to hug and wrestle all the time.

But my secret wish is that Tempest will just jump and soar over her gate, ...run over to Sinbad...swat his tail...and then run back...(or not run back).

I'm thinking she'll get the courage to do it...fairly soon, and that you'll turn around one day, Losna, and discover both of them just behind you.

losna · Mar 18, 2015

@cat nap Yeah, it's pretty clear that she's willing to play with him through the gate now.

We also know that she can come and go freely, we've seen her on the shelf and she's 'retrieved' items left on the little table outside her room. She's actually managed to drag a wand toy over the gates on more than one occasion.

I think I would die laughing if she ever took a guerrilla raid on his tail. It's funny enough watching her do it through the gate!

mservant · Mar 18, 2015

cat nap said:
But my secret wish is that Tempest will just jump and soar over her gate, ...run over to Sinbad...swat his tail...and then run back...(or not run back).

How great that would be!!!

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