Introducing Cats - Logistics Questions.

[Twylasmom]

It's a Christmas Eve miracle, y'all! After their earlier timeout I decided to try again. After I had put Hooper away earlier Twyla came out and curled up in a sunbeam in a comfy chair in the dining room. I had music on (which I don't usually do) and was doing stuff on the computer in the kitchen. I decided to go upstairs and let Hooper out. He rushed downstairs and then stopped - music is SCARY!! For the next hour I continued to do things in the kitchen and living room, Twyla slept, and Hooper would make tentative forays downstairs. He could see Twyla, but didn't bother her. I then went into the kitchen and fixed their food. Twyla came in and jumped on the island with Hooper right behind her but not pouncing. He ate on the floor. Twyla wandered the living room for awhile with Hooper keeping his distance (again, music is scary!) but eventually followed her back to the bedroom. They had a good half hour in there with me just observing most of the time. There was some playful sparring and they peacefully switched places on the cat tree (there was a barking dog outside the window). At one point Twyla was on the nightstand and Hooper was right next to it looking out the window. Eventually they started to get a little more active and Twyla instigated a flop, swat and wrestle moment. After that, Hooper backed off and left the room and I shut the door. So not totally without incident, but 2 whole hours of open door time!

There was one pretty funny moment where Twyla " hid" behind the pillar of the cat tree and they had a slap battle, which ended peacefully.

I think it helped that Twyla was already out in the main part of the house (it's usually Hooper). The distractions of music and people and dogs outside the windows also helped. I was actually able to play a bit with Twyla in the bedroom while Hooper checked out the bathroom.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Yes, cats are like humans with weather, when it is nice they do like to enjoy it.

And cats tend to really enjoy that chasing, sometimes rough play, etc. I would have to see it but I get a sense they both are enjoying the others company which is what we are looking for.

As long as crazy wasn't resulting in real fights (anger, blood, etc) then it is not that bad.

Please remember that cats take on our emotions so try not to get too anxious etc when they start getting rougher. Just try to calmly deal with it. Try to be as calm, cool, and confident as possible. I know it is easier said than done but I don't fear your cats are going to hurt each other so it could be a bit easier to remain calm and confident.

Don't worry, these moments happen in intros. Unless it was really bad (real fighting) then it does not change the positive track you are on. The fundamental respect, trust, etc between them can withstand a lot. MY guess is they were just playing but please correct me if I am wrong. I anyone was acting "strangely" after it then we have some work but if they rebounded quickly then it isn't anything to worry about.

Hang in there, your cats are going to be fine. You are almost there, this 20 mins of wildness is not a worry at all.

 

[calicosrspecial]

It's a Christmas Eve miracle, y'all! After their earlier timeout I decided to try again. After I had put Hooper away earlier Twyla came out and curled up in a sunbeam in a comfy chair in the dining room. I had music on (which I don't usually do) and was doing stuff on the computer in the kitchen. I decided to go upstairs and let Hooper out. He rushed downstairs and then stopped - music is SCARY!! For the next hour I continued to do things in the kitchen and living room, Twyla slept, and Hooper would make tentative forays downstairs. He could see Twyla, but didn't bother her. I then went into the kitchen and fixed their food. Twyla came in and jumped on the island with Hooper right behind her but not pouncing. He ate on the floor. Twyla wandered the living room for awhile with Hooper keeping his distance (again, music is scary!) but eventually followed her back to the bedroom. They had a good half hour in there with me just observing most of the time. There was some playful sparring and they peacefully switched places on the cat tree (there was a barking dog outside the window). At one point Twyla was on the nightstand and Hooper was right next to it looking out the window. Eventually they started to get a little more active and Twyla instigated a flop, swat and wrestle moment. After that, Hooper backed off and left the room and I shut the door. So not totally without incident, but 2 whole hours of open door time!

There was one pretty funny moment where Twyla " hid" behind the pillar of the cat tree and they had a slap battle, which ended peacefully.

I think it helped that Twyla was already out in the main part of the house (it's usually Hooper). The distractions of music and people and dogs outside the windows also helped. I was actually able to play a bit with Twyla in the bedroom while Hooper checked out the bathroom.

Sorry, I did not see this one. I was responding to the earlier message in the last post.

WOW!!! GREAT job!!! There are SO MANY positives in this post!!

"For the next hour I continued to do things in the kitchen and living room, Twyla slept, and Hooper would make tentative forays downstairs." - This is EXACTLY what we want. Hooper not beelining to her or vice versa. VERY cool!! AN HOUR!!! AWESOME!!!

"Twyla came in and jumped on the island with Hooper right behind her but not pouncing. He ate on the floor. Twyla wandered the living room for awhile with Hooper keeping his distance (again, music is scary!) but eventually followed her back to the bedroom. They had a good half hour in there with me just observing most of the time." - This is so fantastic. It could have gone bad many times but didn't. I think the music may be calming honestly. It might have been scary at the beginning but then it may have been a positive. A half hour together with you observing.Amazing. Honestly, I think you are 99% of the way there, maybe more.

"peacefully switched places on the cat tree" - Perfect, no territorial issues, no fear of each other.

"Twyla was on the nightstand and Hooper was right next to it looking out the window" - This is amazing. Together in harmony. Focused on something other than each other. Basically when this happens in intros we can say "success".

"Eventually they started to get a little more active and Twyla instigated a flop, swat and wrestle moment. After that, Hooper backed off and left the room and I shut the door. So not totally without incident, but 2 whole hours of open door time!" - Probably play time. I would like to understand the "flop" in that. Did someone expose their belly voluntarily? If so, that tells us that cat is not afraid as they are VERY vulnerable like that. And Hooper backed off. I can;t say how positive this is. HE de-escalated. That builds Twyla's confidence. As long as he acted normally after that then he is fine as well. 2 hours is awesome!!!

"There was one pretty funny moment where Twyla " hid" behind the pillar of the cat tree and they had a slap battle, which ended peacefully." - Sounds like play. I would have had to see it but I am guessing that is what it was. If so, Twyla has accepted him. She is playing with him. That tells us so much about where you are. Honestly, I am basically calling them intro'd. We still need to get to the point we can have the gates down so we still need to reinforce these positive encounters but I think you have succeeded.

"I think it helped that Twyla was already out in the main part of the house (it's usually Hooper)." - Interesting. Could be that Hooper felt it was "her" territory so was more respectful.

"The distractions of music and people and dogs outside the windows also helped." - Yes, possibly. But that tells us they are not worried about the other cat and the risks they may pose. It is interesting we didn't see any re-directed aggression from fear of the dog. A really good sign of how confident they are.

"I was actually able to play a bit with Twyla in the bedroom while Hooper checked out the bathroom." - PERFECT exactly the right thing to do.

Honestly, this is not surprising. The progress you have made is fantastic. There is no question they will get along, the only question is when we can take the gates down. Just keep trying to make those positive associations and positive encounters. Really great job with them!! And I am really proud of you but also Twyla for how accepting she is and for Hooper for loving his new sister. Great job!!

Keep up the great work!!

 

[Twylasmom]

Things appear to be continuing in a positive direction. In the mornings I feed them separately and let Twyla have some private time for using the litter box, etc, while I shower and get ready. After that I shut her in the bedroom and let Hooper out. This morning Twyla decided to go hang out under the guest bed upstairs so I just let Hooper out. He wandered around and played and I just did my thing. At about the 3 hour mark I heard them coming down the stairs. I don't know what happened but Hooper initially kept his distance before they got into their usual routine of him approaching and backing away at the last minute, chasing and pouncing and wrestling. Twyla will sometimes growl a warning. It mostly looks like rough play. Twyla usually maneuvers to the bottom so she can bunny kick him. I separated them after about an hour because they both were really wound up. They are both really interested in each other, for sure.

Here is a video from yesterday with lots of Twyla belly. I do drop a profanity so sound off if that bothers you. This is what happens when I unsuccessfully try to capture a full contact encounter!

IMG_0159.MOV

• Twylasmom
• Dec 26, 2019

 

[calicosrspecial]

OH MY!! Is this the CUTEST video or what?!?!?!?!?!?!?

This is total trust and play. She is LOVING this. Rollie Pollie Twyla!!

Usually the resident/existing cat has the most difficult hurdle to overcome. It is "their" territory being "invaded". Twyla sure cleared that hurdle!!

I couldn't really see Hooper but judging by Twyla he doesn't seem to be a threat (or a perceived threat). The way he wanted to play then went on tells me he doesn't seem to fear her. (And also based on your descriptions of their prior encounters).

"This morning Twyla decided to go hang out under the guest bed upstairs" - Interesting. Not a place she usually hangs out?

"He wandered around and played and I just did my thing" - Did he wander around upstairs or downstairs? And Twyla was just hanging out in the guest bedroom?

"At about the 3 hour mark I heard them coming down the stairs." - 3 hours?!?!?!?!

"I separated them after about an hour because they both were really wound up." - An hour. Fantastic!!

A growl is just communication - like a "hey, don't try anything". If it is communicated and doesn't escalate the situation it is totally fine. Communication is the preferred way to deal with things and shows restraint as would batting etc. If it doesn't lead to a full blown fight with hair out, blood, etc then the cats are showing restraint and shows that they don;t want to hurt each other and are trying to find a less violent (or non-violent) solution.

"They are both really interested in each other, for sure." - That is great. Do you think Twyla is happier now (vs being alone)? The video looked like the happiest cat in the world.

In the prior videos Hooper looked happy as well. I see two cats that are doing great and look happy and confident. VERY COOL!!!

Keep up the great work. Just keep trying to maintain the positive encounters to reinforce the trust between them. You and the cats are in a great place.

 

[Twylasmom]

OH MY!! Is this the CUTEST video or what?!?!?!?!?!?!?

This is total trust and play. She is LOVING this. Rollie Pollie Twyla!!

Usually the resident/existing cat has the most difficult hurdle to overcome. It is "their" territory being "invaded". Twyla sure cleared that hurdle!!

I couldn't really see Hooper but judging by Twyla he doesn't seem to be a threat (or a perceived threat). The way he wanted to play then went on tells me he doesn't seem to fear her. (And also based on your descriptions of their prior encounters).

"This morning Twyla decided to go hang out under the guest bed upstairs" - Interesting. Not a place she usually hangs out?

"He wandered around and played and I just did my thing" - Did he wander around upstairs or downstairs? And Twyla was just hanging out in the guest bedroom?

"At about the 3 hour mark I heard them coming down the stairs." - 3 hours?!?!?!?!

"I separated them after about an hour because they both were really wound up." - An hour. Fantastic!!

A growl is just communication - like a "hey, don't try anything". If it is communicated and doesn't escalate the situation it is totally fine. Communication is the preferred way to deal with things and shows restraint as would batting etc. If it doesn't lead to a full blown fight with hair out, blood, etc then the cats are showing restraint and shows that they don;t want to hurt each other and are trying to find a less violent (or non-violent) solution.

"They are both really interested in each other, for sure." - That is great. Do you think Twyla is happier now (vs being alone)? The video looked like the happiest cat in the world.

In the prior videos Hooper looked happy as well. I see two cats that are doing great and look happy and confident. VERY COOL!!!

Keep up the great work. Just keep trying to maintain the positive encounters to reinforce the trust between them. You and the cats are in a great place.

Hanging out in the upstairs bedroom: Twyla hung out there a lot before I took in Hooper. She has been going upstairs more frequently of late to "check" on Hooper. Hopefully it also means her arthritis isn't bothering her too much.

Hooper wandering around: I'm not sure exactly where he was. I know he spent a fair amount of time in my bedroom but was upstairs some as well. I don't know if he found her or she just decided to come out. My guess is she was sleeping the majority of that time. She just does her best to go about her routines, even when he is around.

Is Twyla happier now? I think so. She has been a very loving and playful cat since I got her 18 months ago (I don't understand how her previous owner could just give her up) but her energy, curiosity and playfulness has definitely increased now that she is getting more comfortable with Hooper. Hooper is still a bundle of energy (though not quite as much as a few weeks ago) but is also sweet and snuggly in his quiet moments. The past 3 days have been the best so far. I still have two more weeks where I can work mostly some home so I hope we can keep building on our progress.

I am glad you enjoyed the video. I love Twyla's little scoot at the end, followed by one final belly roll!

 

[calicosrspecial]

"Hanging out in the upstairs bedroom: Twyla hung out there a lot before I took in Hooper. She has been going upstairs more frequently of late to "check" on Hooper. Hopefully it also means her arthritis isn't bothering her too much." - That is really good. SOunds like another good sign of her feeling more confident.

"Hooper wandering around: I'm not sure exactly where he was. I know he spent a fair amount of time in my bedroom but was upstairs some as well. I don't know if he found her or she just decided to come out. My guess is she was sleeping the majority of that time. She just does her best to go about her routines, even when he is around." - GREAT. This is exactly what we want.

I had no idea you only had Twyla for 18 months (or I forgot). Wow. I know, sometimes it happens because of illness etc. Not only is she a gorgeous cat but she looks just absolutely wonderful. Lucky you to have her in your family!!

Hooper seems great as well though I haven;t seen much of him. But judging by your posts he seems great (as are his interactions with Twyla). His energy is because he is young, loves his new home and loves his new sister. Some of the novelty is probably wearing off but expect him to be energetic. Why wouldn't he be, he is "living the dream"!!

Oh my, I LOVED that video. Seeing a cat so happy makes my day. ADORABLE!!!

Oh yes, you will build on it. Basically, you have a successful intro. You succeeded. You just need to get to the point where you can leave them together. That sometimes takes a little time since they want to play and get a little rough at times and we don't want it to get out of control. Just use positive distraction. But I get a sense there is a lot of love and respect between them. They are going to be fine. Just keep making positive associations, positive encounters and try to have them around when you are going about your day more and more each day. If you leave just have them separated and then repeat the prior. Hooper is respecting Twyla and Twyla is teaching him manners and respects him.

Really great job. We'll be with you the rest of the way to fine tune the final part but you are well past the risk point. They are doing great!!

 

[Twylasmom]

I am not sure what to make of today's encounter. All was going as usual between the two of them when Twyla decided to go upstairs and investigate Hooper's room. Part of it was she smelled his food (which I picked up because she doesn't need to eat more than she already does).I guess being in his environment made her feel more aggressive and him a bit territorial and they had several wrestling matches. Eventually he ran downstairs and hid in her room, then came back upstairs and followed her into the guest room. He eventually left and I shut her in there and then gave him a treat and put him in his room, then let her out. She tormented him at the door a bit and then came downstairs and played a bit.

We will have another session together later today, which will hopefully be calmer. She can't maneuver the stairs that quickly, especially going down, so I didn't want her to feel cornered in any way. I also felt kind of bad for Hooper getting jumped on in his safe space!

Food is a bit of a challenge. Aside from mutual feeding I have to pick up dry food when they are together. He still eats kitten food and hers is prescription, though their wet food is the same. Hooper is a grazer but Twyla will eat anything in sight!

 

[calicosrspecial]

"Twyla decided to go upstairs and investigate Hooper's room. Part of it was she smelled his food (which I picked up because she doesn't need to eat more than she already does).I guess being in his environment made her feel more aggressive and him a bit territorial and they had several wrestling matches." - Any fur out? Blood? How did Twyla act after?

"Eventually he ran downstairs and hid in her room, then came back upstairs and followed her into the guest room. He eventually left and I shut her in there and then gave him a treat and put him in his room, then let her out." - Anything negative after this? Interesting he hid in her room. Not a place a cat that is afraid would go.

"She tormented him at the door a bit and then came downstairs and played a bit." - How did she torment him? How was he during this?

"She can't maneuver the stairs that quickly, especially going down" - Did she chase him downstairs?

"I also felt kind of bad for Hooper getting jumped on in his safe space!" - It sounds like he got over it quickly.

I am guessing they are just working it out. I'll see from your responses but it doesn't sound that bad. Was it perfect? No. But this is how it is in intros. Cats do have negative encounters in their lives (just like humans). We may yell and fight with our family but that doesn't mean we don't love them. Same with cats. It is how they act after that tells us what we need to know. (Cats do test each other especially early in their living together).

When something might be negative happens step up some play or love (if safe) and maybe some treats. If you can leave open access that would be great, closing off territory would be a last resort at this point (if they just wont stop bothering the other cat). Taking away territory can be viewed negatively so letting them chose territory then distracting is usually the best way.

I'll wait to hear the answers but from what I know now I am not worried. IF they showed restraint (which I am guessing they did) that tells us they don't want to hurt each other. Which is very telling in their relationship.

 

[Twylasmom]

" Any fur out? Blood? How did Twyla act after?" No blood or tufts of fur. Twyla was not wanting to leave the room and took her time exploring after he left. She then sat at the top of the stairs right next to his room and waited for him to come back!

"Eventually he ran downstairs and hid in her room, then came back upstairs and followed her into the guest room. He eventually left and I shut her in there and then gave him a treat and put him in his room, then let her out." - Anything negative after this? Interesting he hid in her room. Not a place a cat that is afraid would go."
She was fine after I let her out and Hooper was fine, too. The main reason I shut him in was so that Twyla could get down the stairs without being chased. He was up and down several times but she didn't come down until he was shut in. Going down the stairs is when her arthritis is most evident, she goes fairly slowly and carefully.

"She tormented him at the door a bit and then came downstairs and played a bit." - How did she torment him? How was he during this?
- Paws under the door, Hooper reciprocated. He was still meowing and running around in his room after she quit.

"She can't maneuver the stairs that quickly, especially going down" - Did she chase him downstairs? - No.

"I also felt kind of bad for Hooper getting jumped on in his safe space!" - It sounds like he got over it quickly."

- Truly they both did! They were both wound up and excited. She came into the living room and played and chirped at the birds.

"When something might be negative happens step up some play or love (if safe) and maybe some treats. If you can leave open access that would be great, closing off territory would be a last resort at this point (if they just wont stop bothering the other cat). Taking away territory can be viewed negatively so letting them chose territory then distracting is usually the best way."

- I agree. If this encounter had been downstairs I doubt I would have chosen that route. Everyone is napping now. I am giving Twyla some private lap time and will let Hooper back out in a bit. Each got some love after.

 

[calicosrspecial]

"" Any fur out? Blood? How did Twyla act after?" No blood or tufts of fur. Twyla was not wanting to leave the room and took her time exploring after he left. She then sat at the top of the stairs right next to his room and waited for him to come back!" - Great. Depending on Twyla's body language as she waited for him it sounds positive.

"She was fine after I let her out and Hooper was fine, too." - GREAT!

"The main reason I shut him in was so that Twyla could get down the stairs without being chased. He was up and down several times but she didn't come down until he was shut in. Going down the stairs is when her arthritis is most evident, she goes fairly slowly and carefully." - Makes sense.

"Paws under the door, Hooper reciprocated. He was still meowing and running around in his room after she quit." - Play? I am guessing it was. Was he agitated or unhappy or was he in play mode (meowing and running around)?

"Truly they both did! They were both wound up and excited. She came into the living room and played and chirped at the birds" - GREAT! They are fine.

"If this encounter had been downstairs I doubt I would have chosen that route." - It is fine. You know what you are doing. And you handled this very well.

"Everyone is napping now. I am giving Twyla some private lap time and will let Hooper back out in a bit. Each got some love after." - PERFECT!!!

Another confirmation that all is well between them. If there were issues this would have ended differently. This is how far they have progressed. Well done!!

 

[Twylasmom]

Lots going on today! After a short break I let Hooper out again. Twyla was a combination of rolling on her back playful and a little more combative. There was some chasing, slap fights and wrestling, as well as times where Hooper would back off. At one point his back was turned and she was playing with his tail. Eventually Twyla went back upstairs and went to sleep on the guest bed (after eating Hooper's food I had forgotten to pick up). Hooper then went into my bedroom and wandered around some, eventually napping under the bed. So there was about 90 minutes of peace. Then there was hissing upstairs and they both came downstairs. There was a little more slap and growl, but they calmed down immediately when I gave them treats. I then put Hooper in his room and gave him some love.

I feel good that they eventually left each other alone. Not sure what is up with Twyla's new obsession with the upstairs. I think she goes to the guest bedroom to get away from Hooper since his favorite place is my room (which is also her favorite place).

And at the moment he is crying and chirping on one side of the door and she is just sitting about a foot away on the other side, though there has been a couple of hisses and thumps. I am downstairs trying to not interfere.

Hoping for some peace and quiet soon!

 

[calicosrspecial]

"Twyla was a combination of rolling on her back playful and a little more combative. There was some chasing, slap fights and wrestling, as well as times where Hooper would back off." - Rollie Pollie is very submissive and tells us that she trusts him. Such a great sign. Are you sure it is "combative"? That sounds a bit negative and doesn't match the picture I have. Would energetic be more descriptive? I am starting to think that is how they like to play. Rougher. Usually it is two boys like that and Twyla seems so innocent but she must like the rougher play. Silly girl. I LOVE that Hooper backs off. She taught him how to play and know the limits etc. Well done Twyla and Hooper!! Shows Hooper respects her.

"At one point his back was turned and she was playing with his tail." - Hahahahaha, I can picture that. That tells us how well they are doing. She likes to play with him. VERY cool!!

"Eventually Twyla went back upstairs and went to sleep on the guest bed (after eating Hooper's food I had forgotten to pick up). Hooper then went into my bedroom and wandered around some, eventually napping under the bed. So there was about 90 minutes of peace. " - Fantastic. They did this on their own?

"Then there was hissing upstairs and they both came downstairs. There was a little more slap and growl, but they calmed down immediately when I gave them treats." - Hooper probably wanted to play and Twyla wanted to relax. The fact it didn't escalate again tells us that they can resolve on their own. The communication is understood. (Hissing is like a "knock it off"). Good job distracting them avoiding any negativity downstairs after the slapping etc.

"I then put Hooper in his room and gave him some love." - Good job.

"I feel good that they eventually left each other alone." - Absolutely. A great sign.

"Not sure what is up with Twyla's new obsession with the upstairs." - Well she liked it there before so going up shows more confidence and territorial security. And he is up there a lot and she seems to like him. I am not that surprised. It is a really good sign.

"I think she goes to the guest bedroom to get away from Hooper since his favorite place is my room (which is also her favorite place)." - Could be. I love that they can share your room. Another great sign of how well they are doing. No territorial insecurity it seems. Fantastic.

"And at the moment he is crying and chirping on one side of the door and she is just sitting about a foot away on the other side, though there has been a couple of hisses and thumps. I am downstairs trying to not interfere." - I have a feeling they want to be together. If Twyla was really "tired" of him she would not be hanging outside of his door. And I am guessing he wants to be around her. I am wondering if next time you should see if you can hang out with them downstairs and see how it goes. And if one of them is on your lap or they are just hanging out that would be pretty cool. I think they may be telling us they want more "together" time. But just do what you think is best. If you want to take it slower that is fine.

I just don't want the exchanges at the door to be perceived as negative. Sometimes the door (lack of access) can be frustrating to cats. You are well past the risk point in their relationship so it is pretty minor.

Keep up the great work. I LOVE this update.

 

[Twylasmom]

"Rollie Pollie is very submissive and tells us that she trusts him. Such a great sign. Are you sure it is "combative"? That sounds a bit negative and doesn't match the picture I have. Would energetic be more descriptive? I am starting to think that is how they like to play. Rougher. Usually it is two boys like that and Twyla seems so innocent but she must like the rougher play. Silly girl. I LOVE that Hooper backs off. She taught him how to play and know the limits etc."

- "Combative" is probably incorrect. "Defensive" is more accurate. They only ever end up rolling around and wrestling when Hooper won't back down. So I think it is a combination of rough play and an attempt to define boundaries. I just wish it wasn't quite so rough - like literally at each other's throats at moments. They had a couple of incidents like that today and Hooper even got a tiny bit of her fur but they were playing a few minutes later (see video at end of post).

"Eventually Twyla went back upstairs and went to sleep on the guest bed (after eating Hooper's food I had forgotten to pick up). Hooper then went into my bedroom and wandered around some, eventually napping under the bed. So there was about 90 minutes of peace. " - Fantastic. They did this on their own?"

- They DID! I was amazed.

"I have a feeling they want to be together. If Twyla was really "tired" of him she would not be hanging outside of his door. And I am guessing he wants to be around her. I am wondering if next time you should see if you can hang out with them downstairs and see how it goes. And if one of them is on your lap or they are just hanging out that would be pretty cool. I think they may be telling us they want more "together" time. But just do what you think is best. If you want to take it slower that is fine."

- I am kind of going by the feel of the day. If there is a lot of rougher play I tend to end it earlier. I would love to get to the point where one would sit on my lap in the presence of the other. Hooper backs off probably about 70% of the time, but there is also about 10 to 15 percent of the time where they get into the screaming, rolling "fights". So if I think it is just going to escalate I tend to try and peacefully separate them.

TODAY: They were very good for the first 30 minutes or so, there wasn't even a scuffle when they first got together. Twyla made a beeline for his room (checking for kitten chow) and they had a little slap fight in there, but not bad. Eventually Hooper was ignoring her warnings (flattened ears, growling) and they had a couple of big wrestling matches but things then settled down. We managed about two hours today, since it didn't look as if either one was ever going to stop getting in each other's space.

This video happened after those intense moments. You also get a better look at Hooper. And I am glad my drink had a lid on it, lol.

IMG_0162.MOV

• Twylasmom
• Dec 28, 2019

 

[calicosrspecial]

"Combative" is probably incorrect. "Defensive" is more accurate. They only ever end up rolling around and wrestling when Hooper won't back down. So I think it is a combination of rough play and an attempt to define boundaries. I just wish it wasn't quite so rough - like literally at each other's throats at moments. They had a couple of incidents like that today and Hooper even got a tiny bit of her fur but they were playing a few minutes later (see video at end of post)." - Makes sense. Absolutely rough play and boundary setting. The fact they are NOT hurting each other is a sign of a conscious holding back. If they wanted to hurt or kill they could easily. But they are choosing not to. THAT is so important. I know, I don't like rough play wither. My ferals boys (outside) do it ALL the time. Then they eat and sleep together. Cats.

"They DID! I was amazed." That is so telling. That tells us the respect they have for each other.

"I am kind of going by the feel of the day. If there is a lot of rougher play I tend to end it earlier. I would love to get to the point where one would sit on my lap in the presence of the other. Hooper backs off probably about 70% of the time, but there is also about 10 to 15 percent of the time where they get into the screaming, rolling "fights". So if I think it is just going to escalate I tend to try and peacefully separate them." - Good plan. That is what I would do. That is the right thing to do. To balance the response as needed.

"TODAY: They were very good for the first 30 minutes or so, there wasn't even a scuffle when they first got together. Twyla made a beeline for his room (checking for kitten chow) and they had a little slap fight in there, but not bad. Eventually Hooper was ignoring her warnings (flattened ears, growling) and they had a couple of big wrestling matches but things then settled down. We managed about two hours today, since it didn't look as if either one was ever going to stop getting in each other's space.: That is pretty good. They did work it out it sounds. Sure it may not have been perfect, but it seems like it was pretty good.

The video - Total play. Look at how cautious Hooper is and how trusting Twyla is. Hooper runs when she gets the response and knocks something off the counter and Twyla looks and Hooper comes back to look. Hooper doesn't come back to fight but to look at what fell. Same with Twyla. . Not only was their reaction REALLY CUTE but it shows us how innocent their encounter was.

 

[Twylasmom]

They did great for about two hours today. Lots of playing all over the house, including Twyla popping out at Hooper from a cardboard box, him leaping over her a few times and a minimum of wrestling. They would take short rest breaks in sight of each other than get right back at it. It was pretty fun to watch! I would either observe from a distance, go around the house doing simple chores and even left the house for a couple of minutes. I only got close to intervening twice. She still growls and hisses, but it was much less today.

So I have a specific question: I stopped the session because it seemed Twyla was getting tired and wanted to quit (she started getting growly and was a little more aggressive - though not too bad). My question is do I let them keep going until one retreats somewhere to rest? At points it looked like Twyla was trying to do that but Hooper would always follow her. This was the most sustained activity I have ever seen from her but I can't expect her to keep up with a nine month old. I put him in his room with a snack about twenty minutes ago and he is quiet (most likely sleeping) and she is quietly laying outside of his room looking like the cat that swallowed the canary, after patrolling the house to check for him.

I am getting cheated out of lap time and even bedtime with Twyla because she spends more time upstairs!

 

[Furballsmom]

: I stopped the session because it seemed Twyla was getting tired and wanted to quit (she started getting growly

I personally would "listen" to Twyla, as you did today, and provide her with breaktime you don't want her to get stressed beyond her limits.

 

[Twylasmom]

I personally would "listen" to Twyla, as you did today, and provide her with breaktime you don't want her to get stressed beyond her limits.

Thanks. They are definitely in the "obsessed with each other" phase. I hope that will ease up some as they spend more time together. I would like my bed buddy back!

I also wish Twyla wouldn't go upstairs so much. She has to go fairly carefully because of her arthritis (she has one back leg that gets pretty stiff) and I worry that the frequency might aggravate it.

 

[Furballsmom]

I worry that the frequency might aggravate it.

This ones difficult, -- on the other hand it could be helpful from the exercise perspective. I apologise I don't recall if this has been mentioned, but is your vet ok with it, are you giving her a joint supplement?

 

[Twylasmom]

This ones difficult, -- on the other hand it could be helpful from the exercise perspective. I apologise I don't recall if this has been mentioned, but is your vet ok with it, are you giving her a joint supplement?

She takes Dasuquin. It seems to help.