Avoided a Catfrontation

Joey comes in at night and so far, after three weeks, all is well with the two inside cats he meets then.  Of the remaining three I have to rotate with the other two inside he has been inside with one.  These three are the feral/stray mother who had kittens in our backyard and two of the kittens who are now two years old.  They are the same age we figure Joey is, about.  Of these three I worry most about Joey with the mother and one kitten and have not yet let him be inside with them loose too.  I do plan to introduce them all to him one at a time.

Except, this afternoon as the dog and I were going outside, Joey just waltzed inside.  He'd been in this morning too but the morning two cats and he seem to get along.  Joey didn't know it was a different three cats up in the afternoon and he was happy to stay in.  Until he saw them and they saw him.  Understandably Joey was reluctant to turn his back on them as they approached so he wouldn't come to me when I called him to go back out.  As I expected Mum cat and one kitten, the two he hasn't met in the house yet, were most upset.  He has met them on opposite sides of the window screen though.  Anyway, I was not about to pick Joe up so with lots of strategic foot placements by me, to be between them, I did get Joe over to the door and out.

I don't know why he wants inside so much today.  He was at the door again just now at supper time and we had to block him to keep him out.  Poor guy, he wants in, we want him in.  I am going to have to get working on the introductions to the other cats which means some of them will get to have less time upstairs with us.

Yes, it seems he's made up his mind. It never ceases to amaze me how well they know what the want and how easily they get us to do it!

Good luck with the intros.  Vibes it goes easy!

Thank you Ondine.  It's very interesting to watch Joey.  He displays clear cat body language that he does not want to fight and tries to show he is not a threat.  He turns his head away and if there is a bit of distance presents his back as well.  He's too smart to leave himself exposed to an attack so he will place himself where he can hear and easily lift his head to see who is approaching.  He will even play with, chasing a string, in front of one of the others and they seem to watch him with expressions of bewilderment, as if strange cats don't play in the presence of possible cat threat.  But he does.

He sounds like a laid back dude.  I have a feeling it may go easier because of that.  He might teach the others a peaceful way to co-exist.