Prince and Nikita do not follow typical "cat behavior" rules....

[Nature9000]

Honestly, these cats are abnormal-which may be appropriate because I myself tend to be quite the opposite of whatever society says is "normal". Maybe they've picked up on me. But I've noticed anytime I do something that people say a cat will react one way or another, they don't. Make a change and they're perfectly fine.

For instance, since I'm going on a trip to Houston with my grandparents (finally got them to go see the family, which is great because they haven't met their great grandkids yet and everyone was going to come up here if they didn't go-which made them decide to go) and that means no option for letting them stay with anyone....and since Prince clearly would be all teeth and claws to anyone at a kennel, and Nikita-despite her "love me" personality-would hate a kennel, I opted to go with my people from my next door Petco and buy a programmable feeder for them.....Now that being said, I also decided to go with changing their litter to the Sophresh because it's refillable and affordable and my sense of smell is weak as well as no one ever is over at my apartment, so why the hell am I using Dr. Elsey's expensive litter...Callie at Petco warned me not to make too many changes all at once but I didn't have enough litter left when I went to change and had to buy new litter-and since I am leaving Tuesday for a couple days, I have time to watch and observe because I was told there's a chance they won't like the litter or even use the litter box when new litter is introduced (I mixed the two and left some traces of their poop) and adding the whole change of food delivery, well...…..

The minute I tried the programmable pet feeder and had the food come out, Nikita flocked to it without issue. Prince hesitated a bit, sniffed around a bit, and then began eating out of it just the same. The litter transitioning? Well the minute I mixed in the new litter with the old Prince did what he always does every time I scoop and add fresh litter.....enters the box and proceeds to restock. Nikita, I thought maybe didn't care for it; but I've seen her using it too without any issue. It seems like-despite any warnings and cautions-that these two are doing just fine with the changes here and there.

But even then, I'll note that way back when I first got Prince and I was using this corncob litter from Pet Supermarket and a different food brand (their store brand) when he was just a kitten (you'll remember I changed because Callie from Petco informed me that something in the litter could be causing the reaction that he was having, and also educated me on reading ingredients in food and monitoring their reactions) that Prince never once shied away from the changes to either food or litter.

Nikita was essentially an adult cat when I got her (according to Dr. Rowe) though similarly aged as Prince, and she took to the environment like she'd been in my apartment all her life. When I brought her in, I didn't really follow socialization to the T because I only had one door-the restroom-and I had already used that as a room to put Prince when he was doing something wrong, and Callie said it would probably be detrimental to put Prince in there during a socialization process when he already associated it with punishment, then adding Nikita's scent to it....But it didn't take long for the two to start cuddling up with one another and playing like they grew up together, even now they're the best of friends and always have been. But if I were to listen to those who say that if you just let them be together without separating them and going through the socialization process, then they should've killed each other by now.....

So honestly, I'm amazed and surprised that these two cats seem to be quite the opposite of every textbook declaration of cat behavior....

 

[maggie101]

Same here. I have never had a problem with switching litter or food or socializing cats. I guess some lucky some not

 

[lucicat]

same here. . .although mine are young and I wonder if that makes the difference. will they get set in their ways as they age?

My Sati does get perturbed when the litter box gets moved to a different spot (like when a plumber came and it had to be moved for a few hours), but she just makes a mess with litter to declare her dislike. But I didn't feed them the same food or use the same litter as the shelter and they never minded. Sati walks up to everyone who comes into the house (including said plumber) even though "most" cats distrust strangers.

I think it's just so fun to get to know each cat and their personality!

 

[Nature9000]

Same here. I have never had a problem with switching litter or food or socializing cats. I guess some lucky some not

Yep, I suppose that would make the most sense; and those cats are just so adorable. If I could count the number of pictures I have of Prince and Nikita like that, I'm almost afraid to even bother them then lol they seem so relaxed without a care in the world.

same here. . .although mine are young and I wonder if that makes the difference. will they get set in their ways as they age?

My Sati does get perturbed when the litter box gets moved to a different spot (like when a plumber came and it had to be moved for a few hours), but she just makes a mess with litter to declare her dislike. But I didn't feed them the same food or use the same litter as the shelter and they never minded. Sati walks up to everyone who comes into the house (including said plumber) even though "most" cats distrust strangers.

I think it's just so fun to get to know each cat and their personality!

Youthfullness certainly plays an importance in many things. I got Prince when he was five months, and Nikita is only a few months older than he ois, but by the time I got her, she was at least a year. He hissed something fierce at first, but took quite well to her within a few days. However, because I haven't had him interact with other humans much since I got him at five months, he is barely tolerant of my grandparents (I've taken him over to see them when getting my laundry done) and is full on hissing at any other human around-including Dr. Rowe....to the point it's possible I may have to sedate him whenever we get his shots done or if anything serious comes up and the vet needs to get close. Meanwhile Nikita, raised her full year in a foster home with other cats and humans not only had no issue with Prince upon her first arrival, but has never had an issue with the grandparents or other humans (Though when someone knocks on the door and enters, sh's the one rushing for the bed at first while Prince remains wherever he's at and just watches)

So who know, there's a lot of different variables that come into play it seems. Nikita, who in her first year of life lived around other animals and humans is so calm and loving, will socialize with other humans after a few moments of introduction while Prince, despite being adopted by me at five months-spent those first five months in a pet store and then associating with me more than any other human-pretty much only contact-until and after reaching adulthood...clearly harbors no interest in other humans and really only started hissing at any once he got his vaccinations (Dr. Rowe was the first human he ever hissed at).

 

[canucksfan1]

i hear you man, my kitty has her own rules eh.
folks meet her then assume she is xyz cat but shes knows how beautiful she is and just loves it

 

[susanm9006]

Cats are cats and they all have their own preferences. As a longtime cat owner I always had two litter boxes per cat. So when I got Willow, I set out two but she only used one. So I switched their places, and she still only used one box. Next week she chose to use only the second box. I moved pee clumps so they were in both boxes. That didn’t work. I didn’t clean her chosen box thinking that would drive her to the clean box. After two weeks it was so gross and smelly but she kept on using it and left the clean box sit. After a year of trying everything I just got rid of the second box and accepted her opinion there should be one box.

 

[maggie101]

Same here. I have never had a problem with switching litter or food or socializing cats. I guess some lucky some notView attachment 309276

I confess. This pic is when they were kittens. Now they are adult and have their own rules. They tolerate each other but will never get a pic like that again.

 

[Nature9000]

I confess. This pic is when they were kittens. Now they are adult and have their own rules. They tolerate each other but will never get a pic like that again.

My cats are cuddle bugs lol. They always seem to be hugging each other in their cat bed, then when I am asleep they come curl up next to me