Meet Ghost - Follow along with intros to RCs

Alldara

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Hi all. We got a new addition to our family yesterday. We've named him Ghost. He is appropriately 2 years old. He was found outside and is considered a stray. A concerned community member called the SPCA.

He was neutered about 2.5 weeks ago, and has been quarentined since then. He had FIV/FELV testing at the beginning of May which was negative. He's very social but also just odd with what he doesn't seem to know about.

Resident cats:
Magnus: 3yrs old, we've had him since he was 5 months. Nervous but bounces back quickly.
Calcifer: almost 2 years old. Mojo king-of-the-house cat.

We would not have started intros right away but he was already quarentined and he settled very well. He ate, drank water, used the litter and used the scratchers and took a few hours of a nap before we tried anything.

Intros: Ghost settled quickly yesterday. All the cats sniffed under the door with no growling or hissing. We also brought out Ghost's box and there was no Hissing on smell. We allowed some distanced sight with a gate and there was some hissing. Magnus also hissed at Calcifer and Cal hissed back so we ended that promptly. We got Magnus and Cal settled and they played last night and this AM and ate together.

Cal did distanced sight visit on his own (we just open the door with the gate and let our cats approach without bribe). Magnus decided to opt out. Some mild hissing. By bedtime everyone was overtired and Ghost got hungry and cried. Cal started hissing at the door so we put two pillows in front to give him a better visual of being blocked off. That solved the issue. (Overtired cats are hissy 🤣)

This morning we did sight again. Magnus opted out. Ghost and Cal sniffed through the gate. Cal hissed when the sniff got too intense so I tossed a kibble and he backed off. Both Cal and Ghost have taken turns rubbing their whole bodies against the gate.

Every time we are keeping them busy with toys and getting them to back away from the gate with kibble toss or toy toss. Calcifer goes to the human bathroom or down the stairs to calm down at points and Ghost retreats in to the room further to decompress. I love this for them and it's the perfect behaviour so always rewarded.

Everyone is getting back to baseline after interactions. Magnus and Cal are wrestling and grooming one another still. Calcifer has also left introductions a few times because birds.

Feliway and cat purrs music are running 24/7 here.
 
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Alldara

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Ghost, is an odd duck by the way. He sticks his legs out when picked up. Uses his feet to pull himself on to towers instead of jumping (but can jump on to chairs and desks!). He also hides when we are not in the room and is sleeping between the bed and wall. He comes out immediately when we come in with happy trills. He loves to be brushed and will come to you when you bring a brush. He's really loving playing by himself and with others. The sounds of neighbours outside can be spooky but he wasn't afraid of the vacuum and went towards it?

Photos as cute tax. Not many good ones as he's all blurry when he wiggles.
 

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Alldara

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Calcifer and Ghost booped noses with no hisses. Then Cal ate a treat, came downstairs and had a nap.

Ghost played for awhile after that and then has gone back to his "cubby". Next weekend's project will likely be making him an actual cubby before blocking off the side of the bed. I don't really feel it's hard to get him out as I can easily slide the bed further from the wall and scoop him. I may try moving a hardshell carrier into the space rather than the soft one.
 
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Alldara

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Magnus decided he wanted to see Ghost this evening. There was some minor hissing here and there.

Everyone played infront of the others. Magnus was a bit more focused on watching Ghost than I would like though. But that was normal for how he was with Calcifer.

Magnus took a lot of breaks. Were really proud of them all for just doing their best. There's been no poofing.

After we closed the door Ghost cried, and Calcifer growled at the shut door. Then Calcifer joined Magnus on the bed and we played with them and they wrestled.

Day 2 is a success.
 

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Alldara

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Everyone was great this AM. Magnus came to greet me after my alarm. Calcifer came to yell at me as usual. Ghost didn't cry in the night but Magnus did. Pretty normal for him.

There was NOT supposed to be any intros this morning. Ghost was crying for food. Magnus was crying to go out. Calcifer was spamming his hungry button. Luckily, I have a teammate and my wife took Magnus out while I handled breakfast.

Calcifer was eating downstairs and Ghost was eating upstairs. I played with Ghost a bit and then my wife came to get their laptop and work gear out of the office (Magnus will not tolerate a full day separation from them).

We had the door open to move some things and I was playing with Ghost away from the door (no sight). My wife walks over the gate and out, Calcifer follows (was waiting outside the gate) but then immediately turns around and hops the gate. I just scooped Ghost up and held him. Calcifer sniffed around the room. I put Ghost down behind a tunnel and scooped Cal in one swift movement and took him out. Whew! Crisis adverted. Treats all around because no hisses at all.
 
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Alldara

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When I left for work, the boys decided to tag team my wife. They decided they were going to do a site swap at lunch so they moved Ghost to the bathroom. Lots of sniffing.

This evening we did another site swap and a long introduction period as Magnus comes and goes. Cal played with DW and I played with Ghost. Magnus played a little too.


Then Cal did some impressive acrobatics. Seriously the gate scaling is impressive. I was playing with Ghost and so I just let Calcifer wander around the room. He decided to use Ghosts litter (it's on a spot where there is normally a litter for all usage). Ghost was playing all around while he did that. Since it was easy to keep Ghost distracted and we kept him in the middle of us and let the boys wander the room. Only one hiss from Magnus and Cal (yep Magnus decided to scale the gates too) and then each removed themselves when done. All the while Ghost is just playing away with me and paying them no mind.

They got out so we just shut the door.
 
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Alldara

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This morning I gave up with the double gate and let Cal come in if he wanted. Lots of nose boops and sniffing. Ghost rubbed his body against Calcifer a few times. They took breaks from one another and we tossed toys to help facilitate this. We kept the session short to end on a positive note.

It's the morning so Magnus isn't interested. He just wants to go out, but we can't because of smoke pollution. (He usually goes to the enclosed patio in the morning with us)
 
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Alldara

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Wow, this is marvelous progress 😻💖
I think the cats are determined to go faster than my comfort level 🤣😅 When you have a 15 lb cat climb two gates, pop out cardboard and sail over your head to go to the litter box in the new cat's room, I think I'm outnumbered. Two weeks is usually a minimum, so I don't like them to be on the same side of the gate for the first week. Calcifer didn't scale the gate when he was a kitten.

But everyone is relaxed after separation. Magnus and Calcifer are still grooming one another and playing so I have to accept it.

I don't know if it's worth buying/borrowing a third gate.
 
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Alldara

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Well. I'm exhausted. It's been a busy day.

I don't know how they estimate ages but I think they guessed too high. After a few days of eating nothing but wet food (his decision, his dry foods been out and untouched) he's got kitten energy.

Plus side that leaves him easily distracted for intros. We had Ghost out with us all from 5 pm to 10:30. Magnus had a nap in his tree but mostly watched him and hissed a bit. He did also growl once or twice when Ghost bolted past him and bop him on the head once. So all around they did amazing. Ghost mostly played with us and had snacks.

Calcifer wouldn't leave Ghost's side. This afternoon when we fed them lunch, Cal hopped the barrier while Ghost was playing after. They did footsies so I have them each a temptations. Cal was sniffing Ghost and then kissed him, then, promptly sat on him. They've been friends since.
 

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Alldara

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Our air quality here has been dangerous. We've had to keep Ghost out with the other two since early this morning so that we are all with the stronger air purifier.

Ghost is very frightened of the smoke smell. He has been panting a bit. We called the vet's office for a brief phone appointment. Since he's not coughing, she thinks its stress. We have to monitor his breathing and bring him if it worsens. But she wants to avoid taking him outside. He played, ate and pottyed. Now he's taking a rest.

After a cuddle and a good night sleep, Magnus is ready to be less cautious. He did do a couple, 'stay back' growls and hisses but also has played with Ghost too. Ghost accidently stepped on Magnus's tail which caused the growling to start. But after some comfort, he decided Ghost isn't so bad.

Calcifer and Ghost played as well today.
 

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Alldara

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It's been long day and things aren't perfect yet...but....They've ALL GROOMED EACH OTHERS HEADS TODAY.

There's still some minor hissing if someone is startled and we have some overall training to do.
 

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Alldara

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Magnus and Ghost shared the bed with us last night. This morning they played in the room together. Ghost will play footsies with Magnus which delights him. When Magnus is done with Ghost and Ghost gets too close he gives a hiss and Ghost backs off. Calcifer is happy because Ghost will cuddle him.

Personality really is key when choosing a new cat for your home. None of this would be possible if Ghost was reactive at all to other cats. Shelter behaviour isn't always indicative of what they'll be like at home, so a bit of luck is required too.

We never would have moved forward with having 3 cats again if we hadn't found our "unicorn" cat. Honestly, if he hadn't been already tested for FIV and FELV, and quarentined for two weeks (partially by chance), we would have passed by him. That testing is rare for rescues in the city.

I don't know how or why we got here so fast. But I'll count myself as lucky and continue forward with teaching Ghost about home life.
 

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Alldara

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There's still a bit of nerves but Ghost has been out of his room for 48 hours. There's no hissing but occasionally a little bit of hesitation.

But, this picture says it all. I think we're going to be just fine 🤍🖤🧡
 

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Alldara

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3 week update: Calcifer was a bit nervous to play with Ghost or in front of Ghost until a couple days ago. He would follow behind Ghost, concerned with Ghost and Magnus were playing.

Ghost and Magnus have been playing all night, every night with only brief naps since he was kept out on June 8th. They sleep during the day and we can work much more peacefully since Ghost came home.

We have been working to build Calcifer's confidence with playing in front of Ghost. It started with a single burst, and last weekend they three began to play as a group. Last night, Calcifer and Ghost played and took turns playing with me on the bed.

This whole time they've been sitting with and grooming one another. Play was the last thing on the list to be built for Calcifer. That makes sense. Rough housing is something you do when you have a close relationship.
 

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