 |
| "Luna" Photo Courtesy of Nancy Peterson |
My sister and I adopted 1-year-old
sisters Zubi and Luna in September 2002 and our home in Maryland was all theirs
for seven and a half years. They were cuddle cats – mostly with each other –and
although I loved them, I yearned for a cat to cuddle with me. My sister knew
that I met wonderful shelter cats at my job, so before I left for any trip my
sister would say, “and don’t bring home any cats.”
In January 2006, I visited a shelter in
Florida and had the opportunity to choose three shelter cats for that day’s
filming of a CD about caring for adopted cats. As soon as I entered the cat
enclosure to meet the cats, a brown tabby flew across the room and leaped into
my lap. He immediately started licking my face, kneading my arm, and purring up
a storm. I chose two other friendly cats and we went to the studio.
The brown tabby popped out of the first
carrier I opened, walked all around the room, and greeted everyone – unlike
most cats I knew who would probably hide or slink around when confronted with a
new situation.
After the cat made his rounds, I was
directed to play with him, brush him and feed him. Then, I was asked to trim his nails. As soon as I
sat down, the cat was in my lap, licking my face, kneading my arm and purring. Once
filming wrapped up, the cats were returned to the shelter.
I could not stop thinking about the
friendly brown tabby and immediately called the shelter when I woke up the next
morning to say that I wanted to adopt him. Then I called my sister who said it
was okay. The shelter told me the cat, Tobias, was 10 years old, but I did not care
because I loved his personality.
 |
| "Toby" Photo Courtesy of Nancy Peterson |
I renamed the cat Toby and confined him
for several weeks on the first level of our house in order to introduce him
properly
to Zubi and Luna. Fortunately, I could keep them apart because a glass door
separated the first and second levels. Since I did not want them to see each
other, I covered the glass with newspaper and fed them for several weeks on opposite
sides of the door so they’d associate each other with good things. One day, I
tore away a teeny corner of the newspaper. When Zubi and Luna saw Toby, they
hissed and fled upstairs. They never came down again.
During the years, I tried to gradually
introduce Toby to the girls. I took him upstairs, initially on a harness and
leash so I could control him, and offered them food bribes and catnip, filled
the air with the sounds of a cat-calming CD and calming scents, and played with
them so they’d associate one another with good things. I couldn’t make it work,
so I put a bell on Toby’s collar to let the girls know when he’d escaped the
first level and was headed their way.
Animal shelters and rescue groups have
cats of every age, size, color and activity level. They can help you choose the right
cat
so you’ll have a better chance of a harmonious household. If you think you’ll
ultimately want two cats, adopt two at the same time – adults who are already
strongly bonded or kittens.
When you adopt a cat from an animal shelter
or rescue group,
they‘ll likely know about the cat’s personality and activity level, which, if
similar to your cat’s, can improve the odds that they’ll get along. Another
benefit of adopting from an animal shelter or rescue group is that the cat will
likely have been examined, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. Adoption will
also save that cat’s life and make a cage available for another homeless cat.
If you adopt a stray, have him or her
examined by your
veterinarian
before you bring the cat into your home. In addition to confining the new cat
for a proper introduction, confining him or her for quarantine is important in
case he’s incubating an illness that could be passed to your other cat.
Wherever your new cat comes from, be sure your current cat or cats are up to
date on their vaccinations as well.
When you add a cat to your household, it’s
important to increase resources – such as water, food bowls, litter boxes, toys, vertical space
and beds. Fill your cats’ indoor
environment
with opportunities to hunt (toys), relax in the sun (on a window perch), and
scratch (a post or pad). Preventing cat
behaviors
you don’t want is easier than eliminating them. Reading The Humane Society of
the United States’ Cat Answer Tool before you introduce cats will be
helpful since most cats are quite territorial and dislike change.
Introducing cats improperly, such as allowing
them to “work things out,” punishing, yelling at, or scaring them, can lead to
years of bad blood between cats or a cat’s return or surrender to an animal
shelter or rescue group.
You can also increase the chance cats
will get along by spaying and
neutering
them because unsterilized cats are usually more territorial and aggressive. Spaying and
neutering pet cats before puberty at four to six months of age has many health
benefits and plays a critical role in reducing cat overpopulation. If you’re
feeding community (feral
and stray) cats
outdoors, find an organization that supports
Trap-Neuter-Return programs, which attempt to curb overpopulation through
sterilization. The Humane Society of the United States has a free online Supporting
Community Cats
webinar series, which has lots of information about how to best help community
cats.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Nancy Peterson |
If you have unsuccessfully tried to make
peace between your pet cats, keep them separated and consult a local shelter or
rescue group, your veterinarian, or a cat behavior specialist for assistance sooner
rather than later. There are no winners in cat fights.
