We found Belle a home this week and we are so happy! We drove her all the way to Newport Beach, about an hour and a half from The Gentle Barn, to become part of a loving family with two very sweet puppy dogs and another kitty friend. The pups loved her right away, but the other cat was not pleased with the new addition at all. In a few days though, he stopped pouting and the two are slowly becoming friends. They will be snuggling on the couch together in no time at all!

Introducing dogs who are both submissive and social is pretty easy. Introducing cats presents many more complications, especially when the original cat in the home has been used to living as the only feline. Cats can be pretty dramatic and cry and hiss like their world is over. When given enough time and space they eventually come around, particularly when it is a female / male mix. When the two cats are the same sex the territorial wars can be worse at first. When it is male and female, usually one of them thinks the other is cute and they warm up to each other pretty fast. When we place cats into homes that already have cats, we let them know that it might not be a love scene with harps and violins playing, it might take time and we always ask for the family’s patience to give their new baby enough time to settle in and become a part of the family.