Show me your eyes

[Mac and Cats]

A lovely furmily you have! I'm glad to hear Solensia is helping Molly. Another friend on here, daftcat75 is also thinking about Solensia for his Betty. So you may want to talk with each other about this.
Homer is GORGEOUS. I love all cats, of all types, but the black and tortoiseshell are my favorites, aesthetically speaking.
Benji is adorable! Is he mitted (polydactyl)? What a sweet little face he has! Do you know about/have you seen "Cat Daddy" cat behaviorist, Jackson Galaxy's YouTube videos, Animal Planet series "MY CAT FROM HELL" and/or books on cat intros? Very informative and educational. It took a year for one of our beloved angels, Sammi, adopted at 14, to fit in with our (at the time) large furmily, especially alpha male Calo. There were a couple of times I had to break a screaming, yowling catball up with a broom handle! but eventually everyone adapted, and the guys, who at that time were angels Samuda, Calo, and Sammi, actually formed a "Boys' Club" and spent time in close proximity on beds! They never actually formed a catpile, but being less than a foot away from each other was great progress IMHO!

Yes, Benji is a polydactyl! Molly does like us humans sometimes she's just picky about when and how you pet her. I think a lot of it stems from the arthritis and I think she's probably had undiagnosed back issues her whole life. She is kind of a short stubby lady. When we got her x-ray-ed to see if she had any arthritis issues, the doctor mentioned that she has a "hump" in her back. And I really truly think that is why she has never ever liked it when you pet down her back, UNTIL we started her on the Solensia and gapapentin. Now she allows it.

I don't want to step on any toes or offend anybody, but I cannot stand Jackson Galaxy! Haha! So, I probably would not even be able to tolerate watching an entire video of him unless I REALLY needed the advice. Benji and Molly get along great. They co-exist and don't bother each other. Homer is just a typical kitten and tries to play and pounce. He is still learning their cues, but he has gotten a LOT better. I think he just needs more time to learn and grow out of kitten-hood. When we first got him, he use to RUN to the litter box to watch and swat at the big kitties when they'd go in there. Of course, they did not find that acceptable and I would remove him immediately. He often still does run in their general area when he hears one of them in the box, but now he watches from a distance. I still try to remove him if it seems like him being in there is annoying the big cats. Generally, they just want to sleep and be left alone. Since Homer has gotten older, he has now started to calm down and he's had a lot of non-separated days in the past few weeks because he is behaving himself instead of pestering the older kitties. When he isn't pestering them (trying to play or sometimes even cuddle), everyone is fine with one another. We do not keep everyone separated at night because they all seem to do fine. We also have a young dog, so Homer and the dog also play and cuddle together. Here's a photo of Hank and Homer having a cuddle.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yes, Benji is a polydactyl! Molly does like us humans sometimes she's just picky about when and how you pet her. I think a lot of it stems from the arthritis and I think she's probably had undiagnosed back issues her whole life. She is kind of a short stubby lady. When we got her x-ray-ed to see if she had any arthritis issues, the doctor mentioned that she has a "hump" in her back. And I really truly think that is why she has never ever liked it when you pet down her back, UNTIL we started her on the Solensia and gapapentin. Now she allows it.

I don't want to step on any toes or offend anybody, but I cannot stand Jackson Galaxy! Haha! So, I probably would not even be able to tolerate watching an entire video of him unless I REALLY needed the advice. Benji and Molly get along great. They co-exist and don't bother each other. Homer is just a typical kitten and tries to play and pounce. He is still learning their cues, but he has gotten a LOT better. I think he just needs more time to learn and grow out of kitten-hood. When we first got him, he use to RUN to the litter box to watch and swat at the big kitties when they'd go in there. Of course, they did not find that acceptable and I would remove him immediately. He often still does run in their general area when he hears one of them in the box, but now he watches from a distance. I still try to remove him if it seems like him being in there is annoying the big cats. Generally, they just want to sleep and be left alone. Since Homer has gotten older, he has now started to calm down and he's had a lot of non-separated days in the past few weeks because he is behaving himself instead of pestering the older kitties. When he isn't pestering them (trying to play or sometimes even cuddle), everyone is fine with one another. We do not keep everyone separated at night because they all seem to do fine. We also have a young dog, so Homer and the dog also play and cuddle together. Here's a photo of Hank and Homer having a cuddle.
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Oh, that's great! And I know Jackson's not everyone's cup of tea (as dogs are not mine) but he has a rare gift for dealing not only with difficult situations with cats, but also with VERY difficult people who for some (often unknown to me!) reason have cats in their lives. His autobiography is quite a testament to what a difficult life he's had, bad choices he's made, and amazing progress he's made, both personally and professionally. Pam Johnson-Bennett is another great cat behaviorist with a large media footprint; and there are some great informative CAT ARTICLES right here on TCS on cat introductions and integrations into multi-cat families.
Pain is a big, big problem for anyone. I've had chronic pain almost all my life and though I have a "normal life" (whatever that is!) and power through it, there are certainly times when it gets to me bigtime. So I empathize with Molly! It's good of her doctor, and you, to be understanding and empathetic. All mammals are hardwired to be social to one degree or another; and cats' normal natures are sweet and affectionate. I'm sure Molly loves love and affection; she probably just isn't up for it sometimes.

 

[Mac and Cats]

Oh, that's great! And I know Jackson's not everyone's cup of tea (as dogs are not mine) but he has a rare gift for dealing not only with difficult situations with cats, but also with VERY difficult people who for some (often unknown to me!) reason have cats in their lives. His autobiography is quite a testament to what a difficult life he's had, bad choices he's made, and amazing progress he's made, both personally and professionally. Pam Johnson-Bennett is another great cat behaviorist with a large media footprint; and there are some great informative CAT ARTICLES right here on TCS on cat introductions and integrations into multi-cat families.
Pain is a big, big problem for anyone. I've had chronic pain almost all my life and though I have a "normal life" (whatever that is!) and power through it, there are certainly times when it gets to me bigtime. So I empathize with Molly! It's good of her doctor, and you, to be understanding and empathetic. All mammals are hardwired to be social to one degree or another; and cats' normal natures are sweet and affectionate. I'm sure Molly loves love and affection; she probably just isn't up for it sometimes.

I'm not a huge dog person, myself. My husband loves dogs and when we lost his best cat friend, he was pretty lonely without "his own" animal friend. Claude (the last cat we just lost), was his buddy. He would hang out with my husband in the garden and sit on his lap in the evenings. I felt so sorry for him that when we met our dog through my sister who fosters dogs, I agreed. He is a pretty good dog for a dog. Here's a picture of the glorious fluffa puffa, Claude, that we lost. As a side note, Claude was Molly's archnemisis. She HATED him. Poor Claude. He was such a sweet boy.

Molly is a very sweet girl, even if she is a spicy lady. And you're right, she does like to be social on her own terms. She is very easy to purr (shockingly) and she really does enjoy our company. She likes to sit on our laps, but she often doesn't want you to actually pet her (aside from her head). With the Solensia, I can tell she feels a LOT better. She use to have a maximum number of pets she would allow and now she lets us go way beyond her previous max number. She gives us warnings that she's had enough. She even lets me kiss her face and has never tried to hurt me while doing so (I'm very brave when it comes to pushing limits with cats). I always say that she is the kind of cat that people who don't like cats think all cats are like--mean and unpredictable. But really, she's not mean, she just needs things to be on her own terms. I've had cats my whole life and been sent to the urgent care/ER at least 3 times due to cat related injuries. I never once blamed the cat. I'm not a very patient person when it comes to humans, but I'm beyond patient when it comes to cats!

 

[tarasgirl06]

I'm not a huge dog person, myself. My husband loves dogs and when we lost his best cat friend, he was pretty lonely without "his own" animal friend. Claude (the last cat we just lost), was his buddy. He would hang out with my husband in the garden and sit on his lap in the evenings. I felt so sorry for him that when we met our dog through my sister who fosters dogs, I agreed. He is a pretty good dog for a dog. Here's a picture of the glorious fluffa puffa, Claude, that we lost. As a side note, Claude was Molly's archnemisis. She HATED him. Poor Claude. He was such a sweet boy.
View attachment 443797

Molly is a very sweet girl, even if she is a spicy lady. And you're right, she does like to be social on her own terms. She is very easy to purr (shockingly) and she really does enjoy our company. She likes to sit on our laps, but she often doesn't want you to actually pet her (aside from her head). With the Solensia, I can tell she feels a LOT better. She use to have a maximum number of pets she would allow and now she lets us go way beyond her previous max number. She gives us warnings that she's had enough. She even lets me kiss her face and has never tried to hurt me while doing so (I'm very brave when it comes to pushing limits with cats). I always say that she is the kind of cat that people who don't like cats think all cats are like--mean and unpredictable. But really, she's not mean, she just needs things to be on her own terms. I've had cats my whole life and been sent to the urgent care/ER at least 3 times due to cat related injuries. I never once blamed the cat. I'm not a very patient person when it comes to humans, but I'm beyond patient when it comes to cats!

Awww, Claude was a very handsome guy.
Elvis loved Suha, who left us last June; Suha didn't want anything to do with him, though they spent most of their time, by choice, in the master bedroom together. When Elvis joined us, Suha, who was born feral, was interested in him and they spent time close together. IDK what happened, but something changed and from then on, Suha avoided direct contact with him, though she never hissed or growled and they never fought.
Cats are NEVER "mean." Humans can misinterpret them, easily and frequently; I don't get anti-cat people AT ALL and don't want anything to do with any of them. Cats are the sweetest, unconditionally loyal and loving beings! They're very empathetic, sympathetic, friendly, affectionate beings. There is always a valid reason for a cat not wanting human contact. It's up to us to learn from them. I was born into a family "with cat" and my parents, both cat lovers of course, supervised me and taught me very well to respect, protect, and love cats.
I've been forced to care for two dogs in the past. They weren't bad dogs, but I just am not a dog person. I'll never have another one in my life. It's cats only for me!

 

[Mac and Cats]

Awww, Claude was a very handsome guy.
Elvis loved Suha, who left us last June; Suha didn't want anything to do with him, though they spent most of their time, by choice, in the master bedroom together. When Elvis joined us, Suha, who was born feral, was interested in him and they spent time close together. IDK what happened, but something changed and from then on, Suha avoided direct contact with him, though she never hissed or growled and they never fought.
Cats are NEVER "mean." Humans can misinterpret them, easily and frequently; I don't get anti-cat people AT ALL and don't want anything to do with any of them. Cats are the sweetest, unconditionally loyal and loving beings! They're very empathetic, sympathetic, friendly, affectionate beings. There is always a valid reason for a cat not wanting human contact. It's up to us to learn from them. I was born into a family "with cat" and my parents, both cat lovers of course, supervised me and taught me very well to respect, protect, and love cats.
I've been forced to care for two dogs in the past. They weren't bad dogs, but I just am not a dog person. I'll never have another one in my life. It's cats only for me!

LOL! When we first got Hank, I told my husband that this was the first and last dog that we would be getting. He's fine. I'm not in love with him, but I don't hate him. He's growing on me, but I don't think I will ever be a "dog person." I don't want anything bad to happen to him, but I also wouldn't have gotten him if it were just me. We are all learning from each other and I'll probably love him (and not other dogs) to death by the time he is gone. I was for sure a dumb cat owner until I got to be an adult. I grew up with parents who never took our cats to the vet unless they were clearly sick or injured. Now, any time one of our animals sneezes, I'm calling the vet. Molly is terrified of the dog, but she actually has come out into the main part of the house on her own accord twice this week. Of course, once she realizes the dog is still here she is not a fan. So, I have to distract him until she can go back into the part of the house that is blocked off from him. He isn't allowed passed the hallway where all of the bedrooms are. I am very insistent about this even though my husband isn't a fan because I want the cats to have a safe space away from him where they can relax. The kitten (Homer) and Benji are ok with the dog, but Molly is really afraid of dogs. So, when I agreed that we could adopt Hank, I made it a condition that he isn't allowed into any of the bedrooms. We have a baby gate blocking him off so he can't go passed the living room.

So, you are just down to Elvis now? How old did you say he is?

 

[daftcat75]

I like all animals. But I don't want to share a home, routines, and bathroom habits with most of them. It's not that I'm not a dog person. I simply like other people's dogs. One thing I love about the taproom that I go to is that I get my dose of dogs without having to care for, or pick up after any of them. And unlike the ones in my apartment community, they don't bark at me for no good reason. There's an adorable little 'poo (some small poodle mix) that's my upstairs neighbors' dog. Now he has no good reason to like me. I never visit with these neighbors. But he has no good reason to not like me either. I never even go upstairs. You'd think with his dog nose, I'd be more of a familiar than a foreign smell. But no. Every time he's out on the balcony, and I am coming in or out of my unit, he has words for me. And he doesn't stop just because I entered my unit either.

 

[Mac and Cats]

I like all animals. But I don't want to share a home, routines, and bathroom habits with most of them. It's not that I'm not a dog person. I simply like other people's dogs. One thing I love about the taproom that I go to is that I get my dose of dogs without having to care for, or pick up after any of them. And unlike the ones in my apartment community, they don't bark at me for no good reason. There's an adorable little 'poo (some small poodle mix) that's my upstairs neighbors' dog. Now he has no good reason to like me. I never visit with these neighbors. But he has no good reason to not like me either. I never even go upstairs. You'd think with his dog nose, I'd be more of a familiar than a foreign smell. But no. Every time he's out on the balcony, and I am coming in or out of my unit, he has words for me. And he doesn't stop just because I entered my unit either.

I recommend just bringing the dog treats. I work from home and our dog is great for me ALL DAY LONG. Until my husband gets home. Then he acts like a real a-hole to me. Barks, snaps, growls. I don't understand him. I don't mistreat him. I tell him hes a good dog, give him treats. He eats it up all day. But for whatever reason, he acts like a real shit ass once my husband is home and we've all settled down. He waits for him to get home and we take him for a walk or to the dog park the second he gets home. I find that if I just don't interact with him at all once my husband gets home, he is fine. But if I try to interact with him, he acts like a jerk. I don't understand it at all. Can you ask your neighbor if they can introduce you and you can give them treats so they don't bark? I don't know if that will work, but it's worth a try?

 

[daftcat75]

I recommend just bringing the dog treats. I work from home and our dog is great for me ALL DAY LONG. Until my husband gets home. Then he acts like a real a-hole to me. Barks, snaps, growls. I don't understand him. I don't mistreat him. I tell him hes a good dog, give him treats. He eats it up all day. But for whatever reason, he acts like a real shit ass once my husband is home and we've all settled down. He waits for him to get home and we take him for a walk or to the dog park the second he gets home. I find that if I just don't interact with him at all once my husband gets home, he is fine. But if I try to interact with him, he acts like a jerk. I don't understand it at all. Can you ask your neighbor if they can introduce you and you can give them treats so they don't bark? I don't know if that will work, but it's worth a try?

Nah. I don't have any reason to interact with those neighbors. And their little poo is no cuter than dozens of other dogs who don't bark at me at the taproom. He's on an upstairs balcony. It is not worth the effort--I'd have to throw treats up to him--to make friends with a dog I don't otherwise have any reason to interact with. I'm okay with not being liked by all animals.

 

[Ak423]

Odin and Doo

 

[tarasgirl06]

Mac and Cats Elvis is 15 (or thereabouts. His dad, from whom I adopted him, told me he was 9 at the time of adoption in late summer 2016. So, about 15 1/2).
Yeah, I'm pretty much like that about dogs, too, or a bit less. I'd love to live on a dogless planet, or in a dogless society. I know they can be useful for things like search & rescue/recovery, which is good, and guarding/alerting, also good. I just don't like them or want to be around them personally. Their personalities, hygiene, and loudness are turnoffs for me.
Ak423 Odin and Doo are fine cats! Thanks for sharing their pic with us!