Another cat introduction thread!

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kakers

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Poor guy. Was he checked for parasites, etc? Yes, it can take a little while. :/
Yep he was tested for parasites (negative) and did a course of metro that did absolutely nothing. As soon as he tested negative for the parasites I started switching him to a food that's for better digestion but that really didn't do anything either so we have him on the hydrolyzed protein diet for now. The first day we had him he had a normal poo, but unfortunately we weren't able to continue him on whatever food he was on cause all they told us was he was eating "whatever was donated" so goodness knows! Sticking to the prescription diet for now, though my suspicion is he has a seafood/fish intolerance that we probably upset his digestive system with when we first got him with whatever wet food/treats we were giving him. But can't test that theory until we get him with normal poo again. His vet isn't too concerned because he is gaining weight, she said usually if it's IBD or something like that they usually lose weight. I'm hoping it's fish/seafood protein specifically since there's fish oil in practically everything food wise.

Not much of an update today. Meals went fine as usual. Minimal grumbling at the gate, didn't notice any swatting or anything. Not quite as much time with the gate open today since it was hot and my husband had to turn on the portable AC but it was open MOST of the day. He did not go after my hands/arms/legs at all today though he did again bite my husband, when he was just laying in his lap. Not clear if my husband was petting him at the time but I don't think he was. He was more confident again when he was out in the house, we played on the stairs for a bit and I had him jumping up on some tall bookshelves/cabinets we have. They're next to the landing on our stairs, so the cats can access them from the landing but they are tall so they are also a nice vantage point for them. Bastian is the only one who has bothered jumping up on them. I like playing with him on the stairs so he has to run up and down and it gets more of his energy out, plus with the turns it's perfect for the toys to "hide" and him to pounce.

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How he greets me many mornings, this was today <3

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The sweet snuggles my husband gets.
 

calicosrspecial

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Yep he was tested for parasites (negative) and did a course of metro that did absolutely nothing. As soon as he tested negative for the parasites I started switching him to a food that's for better digestion but that really didn't do anything either so we have him on the hydrolyzed protein diet for now. The first day we had him he had a normal poo, but unfortunately we weren't able to continue him on whatever food he was on cause all they told us was he was eating "whatever was donated" so goodness knows! Sticking to the prescription diet for now, though my suspicion is he has a seafood/fish intolerance that we probably upset his digestive system with when we first got him with whatever wet food/treats we were giving him. But can't test that theory until we get him with normal poo again. His vet isn't too concerned because he is gaining weight, she said usually if it's IBD or something like that they usually lose weight. I'm hoping it's fish/seafood protein specifically since there's fish oil in practically everything food wise.

Not much of an update today. Meals went fine as usual. Minimal grumbling at the gate, didn't notice any swatting or anything. Not quite as much time with the gate open today since it was hot and my husband had to turn on the portable AC but it was open MOST of the day. He did not go after my hands/arms/legs at all today though he did again bite my husband, when he was just laying in his lap. Not clear if my husband was petting him at the time but I don't think he was. He was more confident again when he was out in the house, we played on the stairs for a bit and I had him jumping up on some tall bookshelves/cabinets we have. They're next to the landing on our stairs, so the cats can access them from the landing but they are tall so they are also a nice vantage point for them. Bastian is the only one who has bothered jumping up on them. I like playing with him on the stairs so he has to run up and down and it gets more of his energy out, plus with the turns it's perfect for the toys to "hide" and him to pounce.

View attachment 395994
How he greets me many mornings, this was today <3

View attachment 395995
The sweet snuggles my husband gets.
I see the pictures before I read. OH MY GOODNESS is he ADORABLE or what?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? What an easy guy to love!!!!

Ok, now to the work.

"Yep he was tested for parasites (negative)" - Great

" and did a course of metro that did absolutely nothing." - Ok, impressive he got it down. Cats do not like that stuff. :/

"As soon as he tested negative for the parasites I started switching him to a food that's for better digestion but that really didn't do anything either so we have him on the hydrolyzed protein diet for now." - Ok, you are doing everything you can. Very good.

" The first day we had him he had a normal poo, but unfortunately we weren't able to continue him on whatever food he was on cause all they told us was he was eating "whatever was donated" so goodness knows!" - Yes, that is common in rescues.

"Sticking to the prescription diet for now, " - Very good.

"though my suspicion is he has a seafood/fish intolerance that we probably upset his digestive system with when we first got him with whatever wet food/treats we were giving him." - Yes, it can be a protein issue or an ingredient issue. Or nerves/stress. So the issue has been going on since the second day you got him? Or did he get better at some point?

" But can't test that theory until we get him with normal poo again." - Yes

" His vet isn't too concerned because he is gaining weight, she said usually if it's IBD or something like that they usually lose weight." - Yes, that seems right.

" I'm hoping it's fish/seafood protein specifically since there's fish oil in practically everything food wise." - Yes :/

"Not much of an update today." - ok

" Meals went fine as usual." - Great

" Minimal grumbling at the gate, didn't notice any swatting or anything." - Great

"Not quite as much time with the gate open today since it was hot and my husband had to turn on the portable AC but it was open MOST of the day." - Great

" He did not go after my hands/arms/legs at all today " - GREAT!!!

"though he did again bite my husband, when he was just laying in his lap." - Hmmmmm. Did it break the skin? My guess it was love botes or an attention seeking thing if it wasn't overstimualtion from petting, touching the back or tail, etc.

" Not clear if my husband was petting him at the time but I don't think he was." - Ok. Did he have a hand on his back or tail?

" He was more confident again when he was out in the house, we played on the stairs for a bit and I had him jumping up on some tall bookshelves/cabinets we have. They're next to the landing on our stairs, so the cats can access them from the landing but they are tall so they are also a nice vantage point for them." - PERFECT!!! GREAT job!!!

" Bastian is the only one who has bothered jumping up on them. " - Awwwwwwwwww

At some point if you own your home and are ok with it we might want to consider cat shelving around the house for him (and the others). It can actually look pretty nice AND gives the cats an option to go high, feel safe, gain confidence, etc.

"I like playing with him on the stairs so he has to run up and down and it gets more of his energy out, " - Agreed!!!

"plus with the turns it's perfect for the toys to "hide" and him to pounce. " - EXACTLY!!! Making the toys act like prey is really great to get them in hunting mode.

My goodness, his greeting is SO ADORABLE!!! I LOVE him!!! :) I can see how he warmed your hearts and you both fell in love with him.

Oh my, he LOVES your husband. How adorable!! He is one happy cat!!!! :)

Well, another GREAT JOB!!!!

Thank you so much for saving him and giving him such a great home!!! You are AWESOME!!! He is such a lucky cat!!!

Keep up the great work!!!
 
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kakers

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I want to say today was overall uneventful but that's really only true for my interactions with him. Actually in the morning he came up in my lap and leaned his head up for kisses. I nearly started crying I was so happy.

He didn't seem to want to play a lot today but he DID go after my husband's leg and drew blood. I wasn't in the room so I'm not entirely sure what was happening. My husband came and cuddled with another cat for a while but did go back and snuggle with him later. He tried to play with him, too, though not really sure how successful he was.

At one point when I was in with him he got really worked up after hearing what I think was another cat running up the stairs. His tail got all puffed and he was difficult go distract so I left his room so I wouldn't catch any redirected aggression. I talked to him calmly through the gate and by then his tail was already de puffed.

I also gave him some catnip and all the other kitties came running for some, too. Even Splenda who has only started to show any noticeable reaction to catnip this month. Over a decade and I thought it didn't affect here and today she was rolling around in it! After this I took turns playing with them all by the gate since that's where they all happened to be. Splenda and Bastian swatted at each other. He was very much playing (laying on his side not in the defensive kind of laying on his side) though she did hiss at him a little.

When he was out in the house my husband notice him startling easily again. So between that and the reaction in his room today I think it may take a bit before he's more comfortable again. I also think he was feeling a bit off today and his poo was runnier than usual.

As far as the questions yes he's had this issue since either day 2 or 3 and no it hasn't ever quite gotten better. Once or twice it got a bit more firm but never to normal. It's only very occasionally liquid enough go consider it diarrhea and he doesn't miss the litterbox so at least there's that.

Also as for putting up cat shelves on the walls I would love to and we do own the house, but we also plan to move in a few years and my husband is super resistant to putting holes in the walls cause he doesn't want to have to patch them later. Who knows maybe some day I'll wear him down but they are also sorta pricey and we can't even afford the cheaper cat trees at the moment so that'll be a consideration for another day. I do have a list of cat trees I want to get and plans for where to put them. Eventually.

Oh, last thing from today is Splenda learned how to wedge herself out of the gate. There's a gap at the bottom on one side because of the double door thing and she realized she could squeeze her tiny self through the gap. Thankfully I saw her when it was just her head through and was able to catch her not long after she got all the way out so she and Bastian didn't run into each other and it was time to swap them back anyways. But we may have to keep the door closed when they're swapped which is too bad.
 

calicosrspecial

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I want to say today was overall uneventful but that's really only true for my interactions with him. Actually in the morning he came up in my lap and leaned his head up for kisses. I nearly started crying I was so happy.

He didn't seem to want to play a lot today but he DID go after my husband's leg and drew blood. I wasn't in the room so I'm not entirely sure what was happening. My husband came and cuddled with another cat for a while but did go back and snuggle with him later. He tried to play with him, too, though not really sure how successful he was.

At one point when I was in with him he got really worked up after hearing what I think was another cat running up the stairs. His tail got all puffed and he was difficult go distract so I left his room so I wouldn't catch any redirected aggression. I talked to him calmly through the gate and by then his tail was already de puffed.

I also gave him some catnip and all the other kitties came running for some, too. Even Splenda who has only started to show any noticeable reaction to catnip this month. Over a decade and I thought it didn't affect here and today she was rolling around in it! After this I took turns playing with them all by the gate since that's where they all happened to be. Splenda and Bastian swatted at each other. He was very much playing (laying on his side not in the defensive kind of laying on his side) though she did hiss at him a little.

When he was out in the house my husband notice him startling easily again. So between that and the reaction in his room today I think it may take a bit before he's more comfortable again. I also think he was feeling a bit off today and his poo was runnier than usual.

As far as the questions yes he's had this issue since either day 2 or 3 and no it hasn't ever quite gotten better. Once or twice it got a bit more firm but never to normal. It's only very occasionally liquid enough go consider it diarrhea and he doesn't miss the litterbox so at least there's that.

Also as for putting up cat shelves on the walls I would love to and we do own the house, but we also plan to move in a few years and my husband is super resistant to putting holes in the walls cause he doesn't want to have to patch them later. Who knows maybe some day I'll wear him down but they are also sorta pricey and we can't even afford the cheaper cat trees at the moment so that'll be a consideration for another day. I do have a list of cat trees I want to get and plans for where to put them. Eventually.

Oh, last thing from today is Splenda learned how to wedge herself out of the gate. There's a gap at the bottom on one side because of the double door thing and she realized she could squeeze her tiny self through the gap. Thankfully I saw her when it was just her head through and was able to catch her not long after she got all the way out so she and Bastian didn't run into each other and it was time to swap them back anyways. But we may have to keep the door closed when they're swapped which is too bad.
"I want to say today was overall uneventful but that's really only true for my interactions with him." - Ok, let's see.

" Actually in the morning he came up in my lap and leaned his head up for kisses. I nearly started crying I was so happy." - Awwww, he definitely loves his new home!!!

"He didn't seem to want to play a lot today" - Ok

" but he DID go after my husband's leg and drew blood." - :( Claws or teeth? Or the grab with the claws then a quick bite? how long bite the bite if it was a bite last?

" I wasn't in the room so I'm not entirely sure what was happening. My husband came and cuddled with another cat for a while but did go back and snuggle with him later. He tried to play with him, too, though not really sure how successful he was." - Hmmmm, ok. If you can get more details about how he exactly did it that would be great.

"At one point when I was in with him he got really worked up after hearing what I think was another cat running up the stairs. His tail got all puffed and he was difficult go distract so I left his room so I wouldn't catch any redirected aggression." - Ok, so he is a bit skittsh. Not surprising since he probably didn't see what made the noise.

" I talked to him calmly through the gate and by then his tail was already de puffed." - Great. And any fear he had was not realized which is great.

"I also gave him some catnip and all the other kitties came running for some, too." - Awwwwwwwwww

"Even Splenda who has only started to show any noticeable reaction to catnip this month. Over a decade and I thought it didn't affect here and today she was rolling around in it! " - Interesting. Pretty good.

"After this I took turns playing with them all by the gate since that's where they all happened to be." - Was the gate separating them?

" Splenda and Bastian swatted at each other. He was very much playing (laying on his side not in the defensive kind of laying on his side) though she did hiss at him a little." - Ok, as long as it didn't seem negative/aggressive. Playing with them together can cause some excess energy and some outbursts so not surprising.

"When he was out in the house my husband notice him startling easily again." - Hmmmmm, ok.

" So between that and the reaction in his room today I think it may take a bit before he's more comfortable again." - Yes BUT he seems to be doing pretty well. No real issues with the other cats, more the unknown.

" I also think he was feeling a bit off today and his poo was runnier than usual." - Ok

"As far as the questions yes he's had this issue since either day 2 or 3 and no it hasn't ever quite gotten better. Once or twice it got a bit more firm but never to normal." - ok, he may just be like that.

" It's only very occasionally liquid enough go consider it diarrhea and he doesn't miss the litterbox so at least there's that." - Ok, good. I am glad it is not always diarrhea.

"Also as for putting up cat shelves on the walls I would love to and we do own the house, but we also plan to move in a few years and my husband is super resistant to putting holes in the walls cause he doesn't want to have to patch them later. Who knows maybe some day I'll wear him down but they are also sorta pricey and we can't even afford the cheaper cat trees at the moment so that'll be a consideration for another day. I do have a list of cat trees I want to get and plans for where to put them. Eventually." - Ok, that is fine,, not a necessity.

"Oh, last thing from today is Splenda learned how to wedge herself out of the gate. There's a gap at the bottom on one side because of the double door thing and she realized she could squeeze her tiny self through the gap." - Hmmm, any idea why? Because it is there?

" Thankfully I saw her when it was just her head through and was able to catch her not long after she got all the way out so she and Bastian didn't run into each other and it was time to swap them back anyways. But we may have to keep the door closed when they're swapped which is too bad. " - Ok, just do your best. Hopefully it will not be too long before they are together fully.
 
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kakers

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" Actually in the morning he came up in my lap and leaned his head up for kisses. I nearly started crying I was so happy." - Awwww, he definitely loves his new home!!!
He sure does!

" but he DID go after my husband's leg and drew blood." - :( Claws or teeth? Or the grab with the claws then a quick bite? how long bite the bite if it was a bite last?

" I wasn't in the room so I'm not entirely sure what was happening. My husband came and cuddled with another cat for a while but did go back and snuggle with him later. He tried to play with him, too, though not really sure how successful he was." - Hmmmm, ok. If you can get more details about how he exactly did it that would be great.
[/QUOTE]
I'm not really sure. I wasn't there. My husband isn't quite sure if it was the claws or teeth that drew blood. We're both on the same page as far as how to reach when he does it and generally I end up more bothered by getting bit than my husband does. So I'm just worrying more about him biting me than my husband right now. I am starting to track it in our planner with any notes about context when it happens so I suppose I'll be getting more details from my husband next time it happens.

"After this I took turns playing with them all by the gate since that's where they all happened to be." - Was the gate separating them?
Yep.

" So between that and the reaction in his room today I think it may take a bit before he's more comfortable again." - Yes BUT he seems to be doing pretty well. No real issues with the other cats, more the unknown.
I'm not so sure it's not the other cats. He wasn't skittish like this before he got into the fight with Caspian.

"Oh, last thing from today is Splenda learned how to wedge herself out of the gate. There's a gap at the bottom on one side because of the double door thing and she realized she could squeeze her tiny self through the gap." - Hmmm, any idea why? Because it is there?
Because they were in Bastians room and she had no interest being locked in, much less with her brothers. So she found a way to escape.


Today we had NO BITING! Also no swatting at humans and I don't think there was any swatting between the cats either. I decided to try keeping Bastians door closed more today and I'm not sure if that's what helped or what. I also made sure to go in and give him attention or play with him regularly since I couldn't interact with him as much through the gate. His skittishness recently has made me wonder if the cats (particularly Caspian) being able to just stand guard outside his room all day is bothering him. He clearly didn't mind before, but since the incident with Caspian he seems a bit more nervous in general. And if the other cats are making him nervous, he may be more likely to bite.

So today was *actually* mostly uneventful. I started the day with some clicker training with his kibble and giving him treats (kibble) for giving me head bumps. There was lots of purring and a very happy cat and a very happy me. I picked him up more today and gave him lots of kisses. He loves his kisses.

Meal times continued to be fine.

When he was out in the house he got more kisses and I played with him on the stairs some more but he was a bit on edge. He ended up on one of the tall bookshelves looking out towards the windows. I could hear coyotes out there so I can imagine that would put him on edge! He was ok though and I was glad he had the tall shelves to lay on, I suspect it made him feel more secure. When it was dinner time he started meowing and went right back to his room. Had some good play time with my husband while he went back and forth with his food.

So maybe a baby step back with the other cats but hey, no biting or scratching today! So good progress on that front.
 

calicosrspecial

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He sure does!

" but he DID go after my husband's leg and drew blood." - :( Claws or teeth? Or the grab with the claws then a quick bite? how long bite the bite if it was a bite last?

" I wasn't in the room so I'm not entirely sure what was happening. My husband came and cuddled with another cat for a while but did go back and snuggle with him later. He tried to play with him, too, though not really sure how successful he was." - Hmmmm, ok. If you can get more details about how he exactly did it that would be great.
I'm not really sure. I wasn't there. My husband isn't quite sure if it was the claws or teeth that drew blood. We're both on the same page as far as how to reach when he does it and generally I end up more bothered by getting bit than my husband does. So I'm just worrying more about him biting me than my husband right now. I am starting to track it in our planner with any notes about context when it happens so I suppose I'll be getting more details from my husband next time it happens.


Yep.


I'm not so sure it's not the other cats. He wasn't skittish like this before he got into the fight with Caspian.


Because they were in Bastians room and she had no interest being locked in, much less with her brothers. So she found a way to escape.


Today we had NO BITING! Also no swatting at humans and I don't think there was any swatting between the cats either. I decided to try keeping Bastians door closed more today and I'm not sure if that's what helped or what. I also made sure to go in and give him attention or play with him regularly since I couldn't interact with him as much through the gate. His skittishness recently has made me wonder if the cats (particularly Caspian) being able to just stand guard outside his room all day is bothering him. He clearly didn't mind before, but since the incident with Caspian he seems a bit more nervous in general. And if the other cats are making him nervous, he may be more likely to bite.

So today was *actually* mostly uneventful. I started the day with some clicker training with his kibble and giving him treats (kibble) for giving me head bumps. There was lots of purring and a very happy cat and a very happy me. I picked him up more today and gave him lots of kisses. He loves his kisses.

Meal times continued to be fine.

When he was out in the house he got more kisses and I played with him on the stairs some more but he was a bit on edge. He ended up on one of the tall bookshelves looking out towards the windows. I could hear coyotes out there so I can imagine that would put him on edge! He was ok though and I was glad he had the tall shelves to lay on, I suspect it made him feel more secure. When it was dinner time he started meowing and went right back to his room. Had some good play time with my husband while he went back and forth with his food.

So maybe a baby step back with the other cats but hey, no biting or scratching today! So good progress on that front.
[/QUOTE]

"He sure does!" Totally!!! :)

"I'm not really sure. I wasn't there. My husband isn't quite sure if it was the claws or teeth that drew blood." - Ok

" We're both on the same page as far as how to reach when he does it and generally I end up more bothered by getting bit than my husband does. So I'm just worrying more about him biting me than my husband right now." - Ok.

" I am starting to track it in our planner with any notes about context when it happens so I suppose I'll be getting more details from my husband next time it happens." - Great. It does happen fast so tough to know sometimes. :/

Ok on the gate separating them.

"I'm not so sure it's not the other cats." - Ok, generically not anything specifically (meaning he really hasn't has real negativity with them, something shocking).

" He wasn't skittish like this before he got into the fight with Caspian." =- Yes, so that tells me it was a bit shocking for him (the fight). Understandably. I am not too worried about it. He will get over it fairly soon I suspect.

"Because they were in Bastians room and she had no interest being locked in, much less with her brothers. So she found a way to escape." - Ok. That is pretty good. Doesn't seem like the fear of him overshadowed wanting to get out. Good.

"Today we had NO BITING! " - :yess:

"Also no swatting at humans and I don't think there was any swatting between the cats either." - Great

" I decided to try keeping Bastians door closed more today and I'm not sure if that's what helped or what." - Ok, how was he doing with that?

" I also made sure to go in and give him attention or play with him regularly since I couldn't interact with him as much through the gate." - Great

" His skittishness recently has made me wonder if the cats (particularly Caspian) being able to just stand guard outside his room all day is bothering him. He clearly didn't mind before, but since the incident with Caspian he seems a bit more nervous in general." - It could be but I suspect the fight was the bigger issue/

"And if the other cats are making him nervous, he may be more likely to bite." - Agreed IF he other cats are making him nervous BUT it doesn't seem like they really are or at least not too much.

"So today was *actually* mostly uneventful. I started the day with some clicker training with his kibble and giving him treats (kibble) for giving me head bumps. There was lots of purring and a very happy cat and a very happy me. I picked him up more today and gave him lots of kisses. He loves his kisses." - Awwwwwww. Sounds like a great day.

"Meal times continued to be fine." - Perfect a good sign that whatever issue there may be it isn't too bad.

"When he was out in the house he got more kisses and I played with him on the stairs some more but he was a bit on edge. He ended up on one of the tall bookshelves looking out towards the windows. " - Ok, but he played and the fear wasn't realized.

"I could hear coyotes out there so I can imagine that would put him on edge! " - THAT will do it!!!

"He was ok though and I was glad he had the tall shelves to lay on, I suspect it made him feel more secure." - Agreed

" When it was dinner time he started meowing and went right back to his room. Had some good play time with my husband while he went back and forth with his food." - Great

"So maybe a baby step back with the other cats but hey, no biting or scratching today! So good progress on that front. " - Yes maybe a little but overall I would say a very positive day!!! I am so glad to hear no biting (though I do suspect the biting is not a negative (hurt) intent.).

Keep up the great work!!!
 
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kakers

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Not much to report today. He didn't bite or swat at me today. We continued to do clicker training for head bumps before breakfast and I gave him lots of attention. At first I had the door closed for about half the morning after breakfast but we ended up leaving open the door so it was just the gate for most of the rest of the day other than when they swapped places and a short time I'll mention later. He did sorta-bite my husband. He was laying in his lap, my husband was not petting him and didn't notice anything in particular that happened before hand and he went and wrapped his leg (paws, biting) he says his teeth barely grazed him and he quickly redirected to a kicker toy.

I forgot to mention that yesterday at one point I was about to leave his room and he approached one of his wand toys, so I stayed and played with him. Wanted him to learn that showing interest in toys = mommy plays with you and biting mommy = mommy won't play with you. When he was out in the house tonight he jumped up where the collection of wand toys is and I did the same, started playing with him. He was a little... extra tonight. He was having a blast playing with those silicone wrist bands, I'd throw one and he's jump and catch it in his paws midair OR he was sprint all they way into another room past it. So much energy! That was before dinner and he still had a ton of energy after dinner. My husband played with him until my husband got tired LOL and I'll have to go check on him before I head to bed cause I heard a lot of noise that may have come from him room and want to make sure he didn't break something.

At one point he and Caspian had a not quite positive interaction. My husband thinks that Bastian was riled up by something outside and IDK if he rushed at the gate near Caspian or was just acting alerted by the gate and Caspian got to growling, so my husband ended up closing the door for a little. Often we notice Bastian looking in the direction of our living room which has big windows, we know he loves looking out all the windows when he's out in the house and there's always things he watches out there (bunnies, lizards, possibly raccoons that occasionally swim in our pool, squirrels, etc.) After dinner Caspian just sat at his gate staring in his room and I could only get his attention shaking treats. Bastian didn't seem bothered, but could be the kind of irritation that builds slowly.
 

calicosrspecial

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Not much to report today. He didn't bite or swat at me today. We continued to do clicker training for head bumps before breakfast and I gave him lots of attention. At first I had the door closed for about half the morning after breakfast but we ended up leaving open the door so it was just the gate for most of the rest of the day other than when they swapped places and a short time I'll mention later. He did sorta-bite my husband. He was laying in his lap, my husband was not petting him and didn't notice anything in particular that happened before hand and he went and wrapped his leg (paws, biting) he says his teeth barely grazed him and he quickly redirected to a kicker toy.

I forgot to mention that yesterday at one point I was about to leave his room and he approached one of his wand toys, so I stayed and played with him. Wanted him to learn that showing interest in toys = mommy plays with you and biting mommy = mommy won't play with you. When he was out in the house tonight he jumped up where the collection of wand toys is and I did the same, started playing with him. He was a little... extra tonight. He was having a blast playing with those silicone wrist bands, I'd throw one and he's jump and catch it in his paws midair OR he was sprint all they way into another room past it. So much energy! That was before dinner and he still had a ton of energy after dinner. My husband played with him until my husband got tired LOL and I'll have to go check on him before I head to bed cause I heard a lot of noise that may have come from him room and want to make sure he didn't break something.

At one point he and Caspian had a not quite positive interaction. My husband thinks that Bastian was riled up by something outside and IDK if he rushed at the gate near Caspian or was just acting alerted by the gate and Caspian got to growling, so my husband ended up closing the door for a little. Often we notice Bastian looking in the direction of our living room which has big windows, we know he loves looking out all the windows when he's out in the house and there's always things he watches out there (bunnies, lizards, possibly raccoons that occasionally swim in our pool, squirrels, etc.) After dinner Caspian just sat at his gate staring in his room and I could only get his attention shaking treats. Bastian didn't seem bothered, but could be the kind of irritation that builds slowly.
"Not much to report today. " - Ok

"He didn't bite or swat at me today." - Great

" We continued to do clicker training for head bumps before breakfast and I gave him lots of attention. At first I had the door closed for about half the morning after breakfast but we ended up leaving open the door so it was just the gate for most of the rest of the day other than when they swapped places and a short time I'll mention later. " - Great

"He did sorta-bite my husband. He was laying in his lap, my husband was not petting him and didn't notice anything in particular that happened before hand and he went and wrapped his leg (paws, biting) he says his teeth barely grazed him and he quickly redirected to a kicker toy." - Ok, it sounds like he wanted to play. Sounds like one of those play/love bites. I have a feral that does that. :/ I am so glad it was easy to redirect him.

"I forgot to mention that yesterday at one point I was about to leave his room and he approached one of his wand toys, so I stayed and played with him. Wanted him to learn that showing interest in toys = mommy plays with you and biting mommy = mommy won't play with you. When he was out in the house tonight he jumped up where the collection of wand toys is and I did the same, started playing with him. " - GREAT

"He was a little... extra tonight. He was having a blast playing with those silicone wrist bands, I'd throw one and he's jump and catch it in his paws midair OR he was sprint all they way into another room past it." - Great. Just make sure the wristband can't cause any risk of choking, contracting anything, etc.

" So much energy! " - GREAT!!! :)

"That was before dinner and he still had a ton of energy after dinner." - Awwwwwwww

" My husband played with him until my husband got tired LOL and I'll have to go check on him before I head to bed cause I heard a lot of noise that may have come from him room and want to make sure he didn't break something." - Oh my, he is loving life!!

"At one point he and Caspian had a not quite positive interaction." - Ok, let's see

" My husband thinks that Bastian was riled up by something outside and IDK if he rushed at the gate near Caspian or was just acting alerted by the gate" - Ok, did it seem something other than play?

" and Caspian got to growling," - Ok, that would be startling for him,

" so my husband ended up closing the door for a little." - Ok

"Often we notice Bastian looking in the direction of our living room which has big windows, we know he loves looking out all the windows when he's out in the house and there's always things he watches out there (bunnies, lizards, possibly raccoons that occasionally swim in our pool, squirrels, etc.)" - Ok, yes. How soon after play did that happen (Bastian charging the gate)?

"After dinner Caspian just sat at his gate staring in his room and I could only get his attention shaking treats." - Ok. Did he seem on edge?

" Bastian didn't seem bothered, " - Great

"but could be the kind of irritation that builds slowly. " - Agreed. We want to diffuse it, turn it into a positive association, positive encounter, look away, etc situation to diffuse the situation.

How did they act after all this? Somewhat back to normal?
 
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kakers

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Ok, did it seem something other than play?
Not sure. I was in the other room. But unlikely.

Ok, yes. How soon after play did that happen (Bastian charging the gate)?
Not really sure. I feel like it was before he had most of his more active play but I don't really recall.

"After dinner Caspian just sat at his gate staring in his room and I could only get his attention shaking treats." - Ok. Did he seem on edge?
Not really.

How did they act after all this? Somewhat back to normal?
They almost always return to normal pretty quickly.


Today was good though again mostly uneventful. I spent a lot of time with Bastian today in his room and we went back to having the door with the gate open almost all day. No biting today, save a little touch of the teeth to my hand but he had laid on my remote and I was getting it from under his paws so extenuating circumstances there. A couple times he pawed at me but no claws, once was even when we were playing and he went for my ankle through his tunnel. When there's no teeth or claws it's just super cute. Also plenty of good snuggles today :)
PXL_20210925_211633948.jpg


Dinner was fed swapped with him in the house and the other cats in his room. It went very well considering my husband was in the room with our 3 older kitties and Splenda still ate her food (She and Caspian eat different wet fooyd so we have to supervise since Caspian will steal hers and sometimes she will run away from her food if my husband is too close. She definitely seemed much more comfortable with him today thankfully.)

At one point when I was hanging out with Bastian he hid like he was going to pounce at the gate (well, pounce at Caspian but get blocked by the gate) but he got distracted a bit. He did eventually rush the gate. Caspian ignored him like a champ LOL

PXL_20210925_214057534.jpg
PXL_20210925_214106546.jpg
PXL_20210925_214302842.jpg


After dinner after the door was closed Caspian and Bastian fought a little under the door, probably was more playing on Bastians part. Didn't sound like it was anything major (my husband was there not me) but Caspians tail was puffed. My husband got him distracted enough to run upstairs. I wouldn't mind the tail puffing too much since they can't really hurt each other through the door but we do want to avoid any possible redirected aggression/defensiveness with the other cats.

Bastian and I had some fun play time again today though overall he wasn't as playful or energetic which is probably a good thing. Could be nervous energy had him super playful for a while and he's starting to calm down. Or we just wore him out yesterday. My husband also said his most recent poo was slightly firmer than they have been recently so fingers crossed it keeps improving!
 

calicosrspecial

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Not sure. I was in the other room. But unlikely.


Not really sure. I feel like it was before he had most of his more active play but I don't really recall.


Not really.


They almost always return to normal pretty quickly.


Today was good though again mostly uneventful. I spent a lot of time with Bastian today in his room and we went back to having the door with the gate open almost all day. No biting today, save a little touch of the teeth to my hand but he had laid on my remote and I was getting it from under his paws so extenuating circumstances there. A couple times he pawed at me but no claws, once was even when we were playing and he went for my ankle through his tunnel. When there's no teeth or claws it's just super cute. Also plenty of good snuggles today :)
View attachment 396453

Dinner was fed swapped with him in the house and the other cats in his room. It went very well considering my husband was in the room with our 3 older kitties and Splenda still ate her food (She and Caspian eat different wet fooyd so we have to supervise since Caspian will steal hers and sometimes she will run away from her food if my husband is too close. She definitely seemed much more comfortable with him today thankfully.)

At one point when I was hanging out with Bastian he hid like he was going to pounce at the gate (well, pounce at Caspian but get blocked by the gate) but he got distracted a bit. He did eventually rush the gate. Caspian ignored him like a champ LOL

View attachment 396454 View attachment 396455 View attachment 396456

After dinner after the door was closed Caspian and Bastian fought a little under the door, probably was more playing on Bastians part. Didn't sound like it was anything major (my husband was there not me) but Caspians tail was puffed. My husband got him distracted enough to run upstairs. I wouldn't mind the tail puffing too much since they can't really hurt each other through the door but we do want to avoid any possible redirected aggression/defensiveness with the other cats.

Bastian and I had some fun play time again today though overall he wasn't as playful or energetic which is probably a good thing. Could be nervous energy had him super playful for a while and he's starting to calm down. Or we just wore him out yesterday. My husband also said his most recent poo was slightly firmer than they have been recently so fingers crossed it keeps improving!
"Not sure. I was in the other room. But unlikely." - Ok, so not play. I worded my question in a strange way sadly. :/

"Not really sure. I feel like it was before he had most of his more active play but I don't really recall." - Ok, so maybe it was pent up energy.

"Not really." - Great Caspian wasn't on edge.

"They almost always return to normal pretty quickly." - GREAT that tells us what they really think of it (a blip or something more serious).

"Today was good though again mostly uneventful." - Good and uneventful is what we want. :) Let's see.

" I spent a lot of time with Bastian today in his room and we went back to having the door with the gate open almost all day." - Great

" No biting today, save a little touch of the teeth to my hand but he had laid on my remote and I was getting it from under his paws so extenuating circumstances there." - Ok, agreed. And long as it wasn't a real bite (blood, breaking skin) then it is god his intent is not wanting to hurt.

"A couple times he pawed at me but no claws," - Great. He knows not to hurt.

" once was even when we were playing and he went for my ankle through his tunnel. When there's no teeth or claws it's just super cute. " - Awwwwwww

"Also plenty of good snuggles today :)" - GREAT!!!

My GOODNESS is he ADORABLE!!!!!

"Dinner was fed swapped with him in the house and the other cats in his room." - Interesting. Good

" It went very well considering my husband was in the room with our 3 older kitties and Splenda still ate her food (She and Caspian eat different wet fooyd so we have to supervise since Caspian will steal hers and sometimes she will run away from her food if my husband is too close. She definitely seemed much more comfortable with him today thankfully.)" - Great

"At one point when I was hanging out with Bastian he hid like he was going to pounce at the gate (well, pounce at Caspian but get blocked by the gate)" - Did it look like play?

" but he got distracted a bit. He did eventually rush the gate." - Ok

" Caspian ignored him like a champ LOL " - GREAT so Caspian didn't think it was a big deal. Must have been play.

Pic 2 looks fine, they look relaxed, good. I LOVE pic 3. Caspian grooming and Bastian walking away tail straight up (CONFIDENCE!!!).

"After dinner after the door was closed Caspian and Bastian fought a little under the door, probably was more playing on Bastians part. " - Ok

"Didn't sound like it was anything major (my husband was there not me) but Caspians tail was puffed." - Ok, puffed might be a touch frustrating for him.

"My husband got him distracted enough to run upstairs." - Great

" I wouldn't mind the tail puffing too much since they can't really hurt each other through the door but we do want to avoid any possible redirected aggression/defensiveness with the other cats." - Exactly. He didn't take it out on any of the other cats, correct? If you see that and it seems a touch negative, reassure, distract, try to bring something positive to it to get him to focus on that.

"Bastian and I had some fun play time again today though overall he wasn't as playful or energetic which is probably a good thing." - Great, it is fine he wasn't as playful. It happens.

"Could be nervous energy had him super playful for a while and he's starting to calm down." - Maybe

" Or we just wore him out yesterday." - Probably more likely.

" My husband also said his most recent poo was slightly firmer than they have been recently so fingers crossed it keeps improving! " - :yess: Fingers crossed he is on a better path. It will probably be 2 steps forward, one step back but any progress it good.

Sounds like a really good update. Keep up the great work. just try to keep Caspian and Bastian positive will words, toys, etc.
 
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Today was mostly good! No real biting. I was holding him once standing up and he was trying to play with (swat/bite) my hand to I just put him down. He spent a bunch of time cuddling with my husband again and was more energetic again especially later in the day! Door with the gate stayed open, no issues through the gate. They did dinner on opposite sides again, and my husband let Orion out with him after Bastian lost interest in his food and it went... ok. Bastian was a bit amped up, Orion was walking quickly away from him and Bastian followed him and jumped on him. They were separated very quickly, it definitely was NOT a fight, both ran for the couch after being separated and there was no hissing or growling or anything. Neither came out when the treat bag was shaken (not that Bastian could have had any) but Orion did end up coming out and going into another room and when Bastian came out we swapped him back into his room. I kind of wonder what would have happened if my husband hadn't split them up as quickly, because it didn't *sound* like it was going badly. No hissing, growling, yowling, etc. Definitely a more playful pounce and I'm curious what would have happened if we let Orion deal with it. But Orion was bas to normal in like 30 seconds and wasn't avoiding walking past Bastian's room or anything.

At one point Caspian and Bastian I *think* were being playful with each other. Bastian was looking at Caspina in the other room and meowing. Caspian half walks half slinks up to the gate and meows back at him. Bastian turned around and walked away then Caspian walked away and then Bastian came right back to the gate and meowed some more.

Oh, caught Caspian spraying in the corner so that wasn't great. Not necessarily a new behavior for him, but not a terribly common one. I suspect that territorial behavior is why the cats mostly choose the litter box right outside Bastian's room but was hoping it would also prevent any need to spray. Guess I was wrong. At least now we know when we go around and look for spray that we can't blame Bastian for all of it.

Bastian found his way to the landing over his room when he was out in the rest of the house tonight. I'm pretty happy about it cause running and jumping between there, up and down the stairs, up onto the bookshelves by the stairs is a great way to get some of his energy out!

PXL_20210927_024348089.jpg


Anyways I think we will have to save the no gate interaction for before meals, since Bastian can't have treats but we can distract him then with food if need be. I'd like to do meal times without the gate, but with he and Caspian on different prescription diets it would probably be challenging to keep them from eating each others food. Caspian already eats his wet food faster than Splenda and we have to keep him away from her bowl, Bastian eats his even faster than Caspian and we'd have to keep him away from both. So, gate it is.
 

calicosrspecial

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Today was mostly good! No real biting. I was holding him once standing up and he was trying to play with (swat/bite) my hand to I just put him down. He spent a bunch of time cuddling with my husband again and was more energetic again especially later in the day! Door with the gate stayed open, no issues through the gate. They did dinner on opposite sides again, and my husband let Orion out with him after Bastian lost interest in his food and it went... ok. Bastian was a bit amped up, Orion was walking quickly away from him and Bastian followed him and jumped on him. They were separated very quickly, it definitely was NOT a fight, both ran for the couch after being separated and there was no hissing or growling or anything. Neither came out when the treat bag was shaken (not that Bastian could have had any) but Orion did end up coming out and going into another room and when Bastian came out we swapped him back into his room. I kind of wonder what would have happened if my husband hadn't split them up as quickly, because it didn't *sound* like it was going badly. No hissing, growling, yowling, etc. Definitely a more playful pounce and I'm curious what would have happened if we let Orion deal with it. But Orion was bas to normal in like 30 seconds and wasn't avoiding walking past Bastian's room or anything.

At one point Caspian and Bastian I *think* were being playful with each other. Bastian was looking at Caspina in the other room and meowing. Caspian half walks half slinks up to the gate and meows back at him. Bastian turned around and walked away then Caspian walked away and then Bastian came right back to the gate and meowed some more.

Oh, caught Caspian spraying in the corner so that wasn't great. Not necessarily a new behavior for him, but not a terribly common one. I suspect that territorial behavior is why the cats mostly choose the litter box right outside Bastian's room but was hoping it would also prevent any need to spray. Guess I was wrong. At least now we know when we go around and look for spray that we can't blame Bastian for all of it.

Bastian found his way to the landing over his room when he was out in the rest of the house tonight. I'm pretty happy about it cause running and jumping between there, up and down the stairs, up onto the bookshelves by the stairs is a great way to get some of his energy out!

View attachment 396580

Anyways I think we will have to save the no gate interaction for before meals, since Bastian can't have treats but we can distract him then with food if need be. I'd like to do meal times without the gate, but with he and Caspian on different prescription diets it would probably be challenging to keep them from eating each others food. Caspian already eats his wet food faster than Splenda and we have to keep him away from her bowl, Bastian eats his even faster than Caspian and we'd have to keep him away from both. So, gate it is.
"Today was mostly good! No real biting." - GREAT!!!

" I was holding him once standing up and he was trying to play with (swat/bite) my hand to I just put him down." - OK, good you put him down. Did he seem like he wanted to be put down?

"He spent a bunch of time cuddling with my husband again and was more energetic again especially later in the day! Door with the gate stayed open, no issues through the gate." - Great

" They did dinner on opposite sides again," - Great

" and my husband let Orion out with him after Bastian lost interest in his food and it went... ok." - SO Orion at on the other side of the gate then your husband let Orion in with Bastian?

"Bastian was a bit amped up, Orion was walking quickly away from him and Bastian followed him and jumped on him." - Ok, did it seem like play or was it more offensive?

" They were separated very quickly, it definitely was NOT a fight, both ran for the couch after being separated and there was no hissing or growling or anything." - Ok

" Neither came out when the treat bag was shaken (not that Bastian could have had any)" - Ok, so it was not play.

" but Orion did end up coming out and going into another room" - Ok. How was his body language? Did he move low and fast?

"and when Bastian came out we swapped him back into his room." - Ok. So he was in the main area while the other cats where in Bastian's. I understand now.

" I kind of wonder what would have happened if my husband hadn't split them up as quickly, because it didn't *sound* like it was going badly. No hissing, growling, yowling, etc. " - Yes.

"Definitely a more playful pounce" - It was, good. Then maybe how they were broken up caused them to hide a bit after and not want to come out.

"and I'm curious what would have happened if we let Orion deal with it." - Yes, it is a hard choice. :/

" But Orion was bas to normal in like 30 seconds and wasn't avoiding walking past Bastian's room or anything." - THAT tells me it wasn't that big a deal. GREAT!!!

"At one point Caspian and Bastian I *think* were being playful with each other. Bastian was looking at Caspina in the other room and meowing. Caspian half walks half slinks up to the gate and meows back at him. Bastian turned around and walked away then Caspian walked away and then Bastian came right back to the gate and meowed some more." - Awwwww, all good body lanugage?

"Oh, caught Caspian spraying in the corner so that wasn't great. Not necessarily a new behavior for him, but not a terribly common one. " - Ughhhhhhh. Ok, when did that happen? That is a sign he is stressed. What happened before it?

"I suspect that territorial behavior is why the cats mostly choose the litter box right outside Bastian's room but was hoping it would also prevent any need to spray. " - Yes, I would agree.

"Guess I was wrong." - Well, it does happen. Just tells us we need to work on Caspian a bit. Step up play with him.

" At least now we know when we go around and look for spray that we can't blame Bastian for all of it." - Yes :/

"Bastian found his way to the landing over his room when he was out in the rest of the house tonight. I'm pretty happy about it cause running and jumping between there, up and down the stairs, up onto the bookshelves by the stairs is a great way to get some of his energy out! " - Awwww, he is so cute!! he LOVES to go high which is great. Agreed, it is great for him.

"Anyways I think we will have to save the no gate interaction for before meals, since Bastian can't have treats but we can distract him then with food if need be. " - Yes. Does he get distracted by a toy at all?

"I'd like to do meal times without the gate, but with he and Caspian on different prescription diets it would probably be challenging to keep them from eating each others food. " - Ok, yes, that makes it more challenging. Why is Caspian on a prescription food?

"Caspian already eats his wet food faster than Splenda and we have to keep him away from her bowl, Bastian eats his even faster than Caspian and we'd have to keep him away from both. So, gate it is." - Yes.

Ok, let's keep doing what you are doing and let's make sure Caspian gets more play and isn't spraying. Give him a little extra attention, etc to give him a bit more security and confidence. And try to reassure make it positive if Bastian and he are at the gate.
 
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kakers

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I do think the incident with Orion was Bastian trying to play. And they both got a little spooked at being broken up, at least Orion likely did. The whole reason Orion was walking away was because my husband was approaching him. He can be randomly skittish like that.

I definitely think that Caspian is stressed just by Bastian being around right now. I see his hovering around Bastians gate as a dominance/territorial thing right now. Caspian is on a special diet for a urinary blockage he had a number of years ago.

The last couple of days have been OK though Bastian did scratch my husband yesterday morning, got both sides of his neck so that's not so good. My husband could tell he was about to jump at him too, so he should have been faster at redirecting him to a toy.

Today Bastian bit my arm when I picked him up. A bit different than the other day when he was swatting at me. This time I think he wanted to be put down, last time I think he was just feeling playful. He likes to play while we're holding him, like we'll hold him in one arm and have a wand toy in our other hand and he likes to bat at it. Super adorable.

It's going to continue to be slow with the cats being together. Caspian tonight decided he wanted to keep Bastian away from his food. Even with the gate between them, Bastian was going up to his bowl and Caspian just stood right next to the gate and made this meowing sound that made Bastian back away. Butthead.

Both Caspian and Bastian were feeling super playful tonight after dinner, after we closed up Bastians room for the night, so I opened the door back up to see if they wanted to play through the gate. Some half hearted swatting and some meowing from Cas and huffing from Bash. Splenda even came over and batted paws with Bastian a bit. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they're trying to play or just saying "kindly please go away."

PXL_20210930_050706437.jpg
 

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Doesn't look like it went badly, from their body language. No hackles raised, ears forward, one (maybe two--can't see for sure) sitting.
 

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I do think the incident with Orion was Bastian trying to play. And they both got a little spooked at being broken up, at least Orion likely did. The whole reason Orion was walking away was because my husband was approaching him. He can be randomly skittish like that.

I definitely think that Caspian is stressed just by Bastian being around right now. I see his hovering around Bastians gate as a dominance/territorial thing right now. Caspian is on a special diet for a urinary blockage he had a number of years ago.

The last couple of days have been OK though Bastian did scratch my husband yesterday morning, got both sides of his neck so that's not so good. My husband could tell he was about to jump at him too, so he should have been faster at redirecting him to a toy.

Today Bastian bit my arm when I picked him up. A bit different than the other day when he was swatting at me. This time I think he wanted to be put down, last time I think he was just feeling playful. He likes to play while we're holding him, like we'll hold him in one arm and have a wand toy in our other hand and he likes to bat at it. Super adorable.

It's going to continue to be slow with the cats being together. Caspian tonight decided he wanted to keep Bastian away from his food. Even with the gate between them, Bastian was going up to his bowl and Caspian just stood right next to the gate and made this meowing sound that made Bastian back away. Butthead.

Both Caspian and Bastian were feeling super playful tonight after dinner, after we closed up Bastians room for the night, so I opened the door back up to see if they wanted to play through the gate. Some half hearted swatting and some meowing from Cas and huffing from Bash. Splenda even came over and batted paws with Bastian a bit. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they're trying to play or just saying "kindly please go away."

View attachment 396860
"I do think the incident with Orion was Bastian trying to play." - Great

" And they both got a little spooked at being broken up, at least Orion likely did. " - Yes, they do.

"The whole reason Orion was walking away was because my husband was approaching him. He can be randomly skittish like that." - Ok, that is fine.

"I definitely think that Caspian is stressed just by Bastian being around right now." - Ok. So we will have to reassure him, build his confidence, try to make sure every encounter is as positive as possible. SO try to give him something positive to draw him away and step up play with him and just give him extra attention and safe love.

" I see his hovering around Bastians gate as a dominance/territorial thing right now. " - Ok, so make sure you do the above so he knows Bastian is something good and not a threat.

"Caspian is on a special diet for a urinary blockage he had a number of years ago." - Ok so stress is not good for him.

"The last couple of days have been OK though Bastian did scratch my husband yesterday morning, got both sides of his neck so that's not so good. My husband could tell he was about to jump at him too, so he should have been faster at redirecting him to a toy." - Ok, it was play, correct?

"Today Bastian bit my arm when I picked him up." - Did it break the skin? Yes, that is a "don't pick me up" thing. :/

" A bit different than the other day when he was swatting at me. This time I think he wanted to be put down, last time I think he was just feeling playful." - Yes, agree

" He likes to play while we're holding him, like we'll hold him in one arm and have a wand toy in our other hand and he likes to bat at it. Super adorable." - He does? Interesting. If possible getting him running around, up and down, etc is safer and better. BUT I bet it is adorable!!

"It's going to continue to be slow with the cats being together." - Ok. Well, that does happen. We need to watch Caspian.

" Caspian tonight decided he wanted to keep Bastian away from his food. Even with the gate between them, Bastian was going up to his bowl and Caspian just stood right next to the gate and made this meowing sound that made Bastian back away. Butthead." - OK, just have your husband redirect Bastian back to his food. We don't want Caspian to feel food threatened.

"Both Caspian and Bastian were feeling super playful tonight after dinner," - GREAT!!

" after we closed up Bastians room for the night, so I opened the door back up to see if they wanted to play through the gate. " - Ok, I would keep the door closed at that point as the energy levels might be too high and a misunderstanding can happen.

"Some half hearted swatting and some meowing from Cas and huffing from Bash." - OK, I would have to see it but I would try to avoid that for the moment. Just to be safe and keep it positive.

" Splenda even came over and batted paws with Bastian a bit." - Playfully?

" Sometimes it's hard to tell if they're trying to play or just saying "kindly please go away." " - Yes, body language and how they act after are helpful. You have good cat senses so if you are having trouble it might not be play. Might not be bad BUT might not be play either.

I would just try to keep it as positive as possible, make those positive associations (food), build confidence (play), reassure, etc. I am a little bothered by Caspian and just want to see him accepting a bit more especially given his risk of stress.
 
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kakers

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Yeah Caspian is our old man and the previous blockage isn't his only health issue. He also has asthma and is on thyroid meds and has a slight heart murmur even with his thyroid in check. He definitely gets plenty of attention.
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And Bastian doesn't *only* play when we're holding him. That's just one of his many quirky ways he plays. Another favorite of his is playing catch. Or chasing something, maybe tagging it on the way past then sprinting into another area at lightning speed (onto the cat tree, into the tub, into another room, or even all the way up the stairs and over to the landing above his room or diving into the tunnel and sliding halfway across the room LOL)
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Today was mostly uneventful. Bastian got extra time out in the house today, all the way between lunch and dinner. No biting or scratching today. Little bit of pawing through the gate with Caspian but no growling or hissing etc. No problems with meals, Caspian wasn't being a butt to Bastian at any of the meals today.

At one point I had the bathroom door cracked to his room and Orion was on the other side and they basically ignored each other while Bastian jumped up and tried to push my hand that was on the doorknob to open the door LOL.

Uneventful brother 'bonding' time...
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calicosrspecial

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Yeah Caspian is our old man and the previous blockage isn't his only health issue. He also has asthma and is on thyroid meds and has a slight heart murmur even with his thyroid in check. He definitely gets plenty of attention.
View attachment 396962

And Bastian doesn't *only* play when we're holding him. That's just one of his many quirky ways he plays. Another favorite of his is playing catch. Or chasing something, maybe tagging it on the way past then sprinting into another area at lightning speed (onto the cat tree, into the tub, into another room, or even all the way up the stairs and over to the landing above his room or diving into the tunnel and sliding halfway across the room LOL)
View attachment 396963

Today was mostly uneventful. Bastian got extra time out in the house today, all the way between lunch and dinner. No biting or scratching today. Little bit of pawing through the gate with Caspian but no growling or hissing etc. No problems with meals, Caspian wasn't being a butt to Bastian at any of the meals today.

At one point I had the bathroom door cracked to his room and Orion was on the other side and they basically ignored each other while Bastian jumped up and tried to push my hand that was on the doorknob to open the door LOL.

Uneventful brother 'bonding' time...
View attachment 396965 View attachment 396966 View attachment 396967
"Yeah Caspian is our old man and the previous blockage isn't his only health issue. He also has asthma and is on thyroid meds and has a slight heart murmur even with his thyroid in check. " - Poor guy. We'll have to really try to keep his stress down, etc. We don't want him to get ill.

"He definitely gets plenty of attention." - GREAT!!! Love and attention will definitely help. He is SO ADORABLE!!

"And Bastian doesn't *only* play when we're holding him." - Great

" That's just one of his many quirky ways he plays. Another favorite of his is playing catch. Or chasing something, maybe tagging it on the way past then sprinting into another area at lightning speed (onto the cat tree, into the tub, into another room, or even all the way up the stairs and over to the landing above his room or diving into the tunnel and sliding halfway across the room LOL)" - Awwwwwwwwww, too cute!!!

That picture of him is SO ADORABLE!!! THAT is the way to play!!!! :)

"Today was mostly uneventful." - Great

" Bastian got extra time out in the house today, all the way between lunch and dinner. No biting or scratching today." - Great

" Little bit of pawing through the gate with Caspian but no growling or hissing etc." - Ok. How was Caspian acting during and after? How old is Caspian? I can't remember. :/

" No problems with meals, Caspian wasn't being a butt to Bastian at any of the meals today." - GREAT!!!

"At one point I had the bathroom door cracked to his room and Orion was on the other side and they basically ignored each other while Bastian jumped up and tried to push my hand that was on the doorknob to open the door LOL. " - Great

Would you say Caspian is having the most difficulty with Bastian?

Keep up the great work and keep focused on Caspian to let him know all is ok.
 
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kakers

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Caspian is 14. He's definitely having the hardest time adjusting which doesn't necessarily surprise me.

We just had a short little "family meeting" with Caspian getting the seat of honor ;)
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calicosrspecial

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Caspian is 14. He's definitely having the hardest time adjusting which doesn't necessarily surprise me.

We just had a short little "family meeting" with Caspian getting the seat of honor ;)
View attachment 397052
"Caspian is 14." - Awwwwwwwwww. It is hard to tell the age of cats BUT he sure looks good for 14!!

" He's definitely having the hardest time adjusting which doesn't necessarily surprise me." - Yes. Why doesn't it surprise you? He is doing pretty well really though.

"We just had a short little "family meeting" with Caspian getting the seat of honor ;) " - LOVE the picture!!! How ADORABLE!!! GOREOUS cats!!! Body language looks good as well.

Reassuring them in times like that, making it positive helps build confidence and trust.

Intros are really all about trust and confidence and letting the cats know the other cat(s) are not a threat to physical safety, food, water, litter box access, territory.

Keep up the great work. So far so good. Just keep trying to help Caspian build that trust and confidence, reassuring him, making his interactions as positive as possible, making those positive associations (food, safe love, etc).
 
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kakers

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" He's definitely having the hardest time adjusting which doesn't necessarily surprise me." - Yes. Why doesn't it surprise you? He is doing pretty well really though.
It doesn't surprise me because he was the only one who has had a strong negative reaction to another cat before with the community cat I believe I mentioned a while back. It's few and far between but if he doesn't accept the new cat right away, it can take him some time to warm up to them.

Not many big updates. I *think* Caspian was playing with Bastian today under the door. The door with the gate was open but they were pawing under the door instead. Bastian had already moved away by the time I got there, you can see he has a purple ball in his paws already.

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Bastian has had a couple minor bitey/scratchy instances but nothing painful or skin breaking. Mostly the "hey put me down" kind though occasionally the playful kind. This morning he ran up and wrapped my leg like he was about to bite and bunny kick it but he did not, he basically just hugged my leg for a second without claws and I told him NO, slowly moved my leg away, and gave him a kicker toy that he went for instead. He was particularly playful today!

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I'd like to try with some together time again soon, today he was way too playful for that and my husband was at work late and will be all week so we'll have to see if I can find a day when he's calm enough to try it out with just me home. It would be much easier if I knew I could distract them with treats but since Bastian still can't have treats I can only do so much as far as keeping things positive.

Clicker training with his kibble is going well but only when it's before breakfast so he's hungry. Saturday my husband joined so we both got head bumps. This morning I switched between high fives (which he previously learned without the clicker) and headbumps for the first time and he did perfectly fine knowing which I was wanting. He's a SUPER smart cat.
 
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