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I haven't posted anything about our resident cats, temporary or permanent, for awhile, so here's an update on Harlow the Shelter Kitty!
He's been with us since 10 September. While we can't legally adopt him per village ordinance, which restricts homeowners to three cats, we are able to indefinitely foster him for the shelter for some reason. We've discussed it, and decided that if we're able to successfully integrate him in with the three permanent feline residents that that's what we'll do.
We slowly started letting Harlow out into the rest of the house about a month ago for short periods of time. At first things were pretty tough, especially between Ra and Harlow. Ra was all like "get outta my house, you!" and mightily unhappy about a New Cat in "His House". Can't say as though I blame him--he's lost his two "sisters" and they were replaced by a younger "brother" and a younger "sister" all in the past year, so...yeah, more change is hard for an old man who's not at the top of his game anymore. Lars and Dorene have largely been alright with Harlow--only a minimum of hissing and batting at each other when Harlow's around. I think that might be because they might remember having to coexist with other cats during their recent times at the shelter, but I can't know for sure.
Anyway...
Last night we decided that things were going well enough that we could try leaving Harlow's Safe Room door open and allow him to wander the whole house freely while we were asleep. Things went pretty well, at least we think they did, LOL. I did hear some random and scattered hissing before I fell asleep, but none of their possible "arguing" was loud enough to wake either J or me up last night, so...We think it went pretty darn well!! :)
We'll still be keeping Harlow in the Safe Room when both of us are out of the house for any reason for at least a week or so if things continue to go well with the integration. We also have to keep feeding him in the Safe Room because it's really the only available place in the house for him that's not close to another cat to interfere with him (or he with other cats) and his "special" light kibbles. But, otherwise, Harlow the Shelter Kitty is on track to becoming more of a member of our household.
Wish us luck?
He's been with us since 10 September. While we can't legally adopt him per village ordinance, which restricts homeowners to three cats, we are able to indefinitely foster him for the shelter for some reason. We've discussed it, and decided that if we're able to successfully integrate him in with the three permanent feline residents that that's what we'll do.
We slowly started letting Harlow out into the rest of the house about a month ago for short periods of time. At first things were pretty tough, especially between Ra and Harlow. Ra was all like "get outta my house, you!" and mightily unhappy about a New Cat in "His House". Can't say as though I blame him--he's lost his two "sisters" and they were replaced by a younger "brother" and a younger "sister" all in the past year, so...yeah, more change is hard for an old man who's not at the top of his game anymore. Lars and Dorene have largely been alright with Harlow--only a minimum of hissing and batting at each other when Harlow's around. I think that might be because they might remember having to coexist with other cats during their recent times at the shelter, but I can't know for sure.
Anyway...
Last night we decided that things were going well enough that we could try leaving Harlow's Safe Room door open and allow him to wander the whole house freely while we were asleep. Things went pretty well, at least we think they did, LOL. I did hear some random and scattered hissing before I fell asleep, but none of their possible "arguing" was loud enough to wake either J or me up last night, so...We think it went pretty darn well!! :)
We'll still be keeping Harlow in the Safe Room when both of us are out of the house for any reason for at least a week or so if things continue to go well with the integration. We also have to keep feeding him in the Safe Room because it's really the only available place in the house for him that's not close to another cat to interfere with him (or he with other cats) and his "special" light kibbles. But, otherwise, Harlow the Shelter Kitty is on track to becoming more of a member of our household.
Wish us luck?
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