Posted on Apr 14, 2014
By Ellie Laks, Founder of The Gentle Barn
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.