Severe introduction problem: new, very friendly, socialised kittens hissing at resident cat

[magister]

I'm so sorry. There's nothing else to say, really. I hope Nimrod's back to his old self soon

Thanks, nonetheless. at least everything practical is being tried, and it's not over yet: not quite. It's a very faint hope, but there are stil three days to go, so I won't give up until the end. All of them deserver the best possible chance.

 

[magister]

Poor Nimrod!  I wish I had any other options to give you to try, but honestly, I don't.  When our "boys" came here at 4 1/2 months old, one of them charged out of the safe room and attacked Callie, then 9 years old, and basically, she has never forgiven him for that .

Unfortunately, I suspect it will be the same here. Although nieither kitten attacked him, both gave him a good few nasty hisses, and Rîna added a few growls to the mix for good measure. He had just started really to get back to some kind of normality after losing his sister, and I really think they had only one chance, and ruined it. Now, they're fine and I'm certain, want to be friends. But it's simply too late; I just don't think he can trust them.


Whilst I had the two girls at the vet today for their final jabs, I had a long chat to her about him. We've decided to try a few days of Valium as an absolute last resort. I'd have preferred Lorazepam, but under these circumstances, perhaps Valium is the better choice, as its onset is quicker. There are some risks, but it's only for a few days (not long enough for any risk of addiction), and to be blunt, there's simply nothing else left to try.

She and Tinky are friends, but she and Darko have never gotten along.  They co-exist, but that's it, and we also did all the integration steps, for 5 long months trying everything we could to make it peaceful around here.

If the place was bigger, I'd risk keeping them and persisting. But things are getting worse, and I do believe there is a very real danger that Nimrod simply will disappear or come to harm, should I let things go on as they are.. As much as I want to keep the girls, he has to come first; I've had him since he was ten weeks old, and I owe him that: the more so now poor Kîa is lost.

I truly hope Nimrod gets over this and returns to his old self, with or without "the girls".

I think he'll be fine, once he's alone. He had started to recover before they arrived; not back to his old self, but starting at least to play again, and to stop searching all the time for his sister. Anyway, let's hope so.

 

[magister]

Well, I did intend to update a month ago, but thought I'd leave it until I was absolutely sure things had settled, once and for all.

As things were showing no signs of improving, I came, reluctantly, to the very difficult decision to return Rîna and Tällia. I said farewell to them on the 21st of September: not a very nice thing to have to do.


That evening, the house was too empty; too quiet. Then, Nimrod started crying and searching, exactly as he did after Kîa disappeared. Honestly! I could have throttled the little sod! All this, when definitely I wanted to keep the kittens and returned them only because of him, and the first thing he does is cry and look for them for half the night.


By morning, I'd had it! Despite everything, I'd been certain returning them had been a terrible mistake. I was going to get them back, and if he didn't like it, then he could damned-well lump it! Fortunately, none of the papers had been submitted to the rescue group, so it was simply a matter of arranging for the two girls to come home again.


They came back on the 23rd, both very purry and happy to be home. As for Nimrod: suddenly, he was a completely different cat with them. I've absolutely no idea why, or what clicked in his little noggin. But he accepted them completely and immediately, and has been pretty-much perfect with them ever since. He's inside as much as he was with Kîa, he'll curl up on the bed with them beside him, race around with them outside, and at last is again very close to his old self.


And now, it's two months later. Rîna in particular, seems really to love her foster-brother, after all her hissing and growling at him. Tällia is simply a wild, playful bundle of energy and purr; she just loves everybody and everything, but Rîna is more careful in giving her trust, and it's astounding just how completely she seems to have given Nimrod her trust after being so aggressive towards him.


I was certain this would not happen: that Nimrod would end up an only cat, miserable being alone, but unable to trust after his sister disappeared. Definitely, I didn't expect that the kittens being taken away would precipitate such an astounding change. But things couldn't have worked out better. Of course, the ultimate Christmas gift would be somehow for Kîa to be found alive and come home. But it's been now far too long with no news of any kind. And at least her brother is no longer pining for her, and is happy again, at last.

 

[Columbine]

That is such wonderful news I'm so glad the three of them managed to work things out, and that Nimrod is finally happy again.

It would be truly wonderful if Kia DID manage to make her way home. I'm still hoping for that for you all. I have to say, though, Nimrod being happy and relaxed again is the best news I've had for ages

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

What a wonderful update

 

[magister]

That is such wonderful news I'm so glad the three of them managed to work things out, and that Nimrod is finally happy again.

Really, I'm absolutely astounded at the difference, and that it should happen, just like that. But, as I said, who knows sometimes what goes on in their little, furry noggins?

It would be truly wonderful if Kia DID manage to make her way home. I'm still hoping for that for you all. I have to say, though, Nimrod being happy and relaxed again is the best news I've had for ages

I will try to get some pictures as soon as I can. Unfortunately, I got hit with a whacking great bill for a new lounge-suite that arrived almost two months early, so a new phone with a decent camera simply is going to have to wait a little longer than intended. A pity, as I'd have liked to get more pictures of the girls while still they're small. And of course, no hope of anybody else being able to get a picture of Nimrod: I'll have to do that, preferably when he doesn't know. Otherwise, he tends to shrink away when you try to get him to look up at the camera, and you end up just getting his back and the top of his head. After three years, still I don't have one really decent picture of him.