Monday, July 12, 2010

Attention all cat lovers, have a question for you

Dd has a two year old cat, Olive.


On Saturday they got a four month old kitten called Rhubarb, cute isn't she?
She was told not to introduce the two cats to one another straight away.  So she has Rhubarb in the bathroom, with her toys, litter, food and bed.  Olive meanwhile has the run of the condo like normal other than going into the bathroom.  Dd gave Olive, Rhubarb's blanket to sniff, to get used to Rhubarb's scent. 

She was also told to introduce Rhubarb to Olive slowly around 4 days by opening the bathroom door slightly, so they can see one another, but Olive can't get into the bathroom, and Rhubarb can't get out.   Is there anything else she should be doing?

I did my first reading at church on Sunday I read this passage from Amos 7:7-17  I hope I haven't to do it again for quite some time!!!  I have orders for 114 recpe books and there is still a couple of weeks to go.  I picked up the illustrations for inside of the book on Sunday and am pleased with how they look.  Just have to get them scanned and then can give them back to the artist.    I am on schedule to get the book emailed to the publisher by the last week of July..YEAH!!!

Have a super week, it's going to be a hot one for us again, fingers crossed the central air guys come by and finish the installation.  Otherwise I am going to be in for another miserable week.

14 comments:

Stella Jones said...

I'm interested in what you say about the cats. I have had mixed success introducing cats to each other. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It seems to me that the more timid one always comes off worse. I'm surprised there are any timid cats left in the world, for that reason. I think, if they like each other, they will get on fine, if not, they won't. It's not really what you do, it's what they do. Good luck to Dd with it.
Blessings, Star

LHA said...

From a disastrous introduction of one cat to another a few years ago (which resulted in us not being able to keep the new cat), I can just advise you to take it slower than you think necessary. Let them sniff noses through the door, share smells and become aware that something else is there, without letting them out together in the same room. Within a few days you should be good to get them face to face. Good luck!

MyBulletinBoard said...

I'm allergic to cats! No help there, sorry.

So glad you are getting the recipe book all finished up. You've worked awfully hard in that!

Sandra said...

I agree with Limey... they should be introduced more slowly than we might find necessary. Some end up cuddling together, some never stop hissing but it is definitely wort a try and patience.

CannedAm said...

Have your daughter take Rhubarb out of the bathroom while Olive is sequestered somewhere so Rhubarb can explore Olive's territory and leave her scent around and about. Cats communicate with each other via scent and those scent glands are located in the paws of the feet and in the face. So if Rhubarb rubs her cheek against a corner of a wall, she's leaving a note for Olive. Let Olive explore the bathroom while Rhubarb is out of it as well. If your daughter feels uncertain about the introduction, have her drag it out about 2 weeks, allowing the two to leave scent messages for each other. There may still be some "rought adjustment" once they're both around each other -- but that's nothing more than establishing dominance. I have seen cats show jealousy of owners' attention on new cats. One of ours will push another off our lap to get the scratches the first was receiving. Then she'll turn her nose up at us and pretend we don't exist.

Laurie and Bill said...

We only have one cat, so really can't help you with that!

But congrats on the 114 orders for the cookbook! Good job!

Karine said...

Mixing their scents is a good idea, so take a blanket, rub Rhubarb with it and then rub Olive with it and show her the blanket. Cats, as stated by an earlier commenter, will argue with each other to establish dominance. My two cats did it and they are a mother and daughter! As soon as the baby grew enough to be independant and was completely weaned, the mother cat would smack her around every once in a while to let her know she was still the boss! Now they get along fine though, they play together and cuddle together on the bed. Give them time and they'll probably get along fine, if not right off the bat then eventually. It can take a while though, so be patient and don't be alarmed if they get into arguments. Let them fight it out as long as no one is getting hurt.

John Going Gently said...

give the kitten somewhere dark and safe to run to, like a cardboard box on a table.,...
worked well for our albert
x

Unknown said...

Your daughter is on the right track. My daughter was told to do the introductions that way and it went well. The cats still had the odd spat - they have to get the pecking order sorted. The cats have now been living fairly harmoniously for two years. She finds that if they get bored, that they then have a bit of a row - neither one ever gets hurt though it's more like a hiss here and a hiss there and a half hearted swipe and it's all over. Love your blog and your columns.
Jean

EG CameraGirl said...

Keep us posted on how the cats do!

chksnowqueen said...

The only time we have had two cats in the house, they were brother and sister, and mother and son, so no advice from me. Wishing your daughter feline harmony and best wishes with getting them to accept each other.

Congratulations on the success of the cookbook!

Christine

peppylady (Dora) said...

What cute kitty. My grandma name was Olive and she was a little spitfire. I never heard of someone name a pet Rhurbarb.
When I enter new pets I do it very slow and let them do it at there own pace. But the newest Cat Rosie into clan here well she thinks she a dog.
Good luck on your recipe books

DeniseinVA said...

Looks like you have had lots of good advice here. I haven't had a cat for years so no help at all, sorry. Congrats on coming along with the recipe book.
An English Girl Rambles

Rose said...

I have never had any problems introducing cats to each other...never even thought much about it. However, my nephew tried to introduce another cat to their kitty, and their cat went wild. So, I would say caution is a good thing...

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