I am in so much trouble....

Tags: Pets, Cats, New Cat
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About a month ago I was chatting with a neighbor. She told me that a friend of hers had died and that she needed to find homes for his two cats. I told her that if she couldn't find a home to talk to me again.

Today she showed up with a cat!

A huge (and I do mean huge), beautiful black cat. A lovely animal -- one of those sit in your lap and purr real loud even though they just met you kind of huge, giant, fluffy cats.

Mr. B and Mo are out playing golf. I never mentioned a new cat to either of them because I didn't know I was getting a new cat.

This cat has always been indoors and I have never had an indoor cat. Thank heavens it still has its claws. I'm hoping to transition it to an inside/outside (no litter box) cat since that is the only way that Mr. B might ever accept this cat into our home.

My dog doesn't like the cat (so far) but he likes cats in general. The cat doesn't like the dog much at all but isn't too put off by him. My cat hasn't met the new cat yet since she's outside goofing off somewhere.

So.....

How do I introduce this cat to the family of humans and pets?

How do I best transition this cat to life as an inside/outside? (She's about two years old.)

Any advice appreciated!

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@boomerang,

Ho, ho, ho, you are in trouble. I await responses with you. Our cats were outdoor indoor cats, for better or worse, but I don't remember all that much about transitioning except that each new cat learned from the existing house/garden cat. We also had a big red dog many of those years, and, again, the new cat learned from the elder.

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@boomerang,

Quote:

Today she showed up with a cat!

A huge (and I do mean huge), beautiful black cat. A lovely animal -- one of those sit in your lap and purr real loud even though they just met you kind of huge, giant, fluffy cats.

Ah she knew you'd be a soft touch once you'd actually seen this beautiful creature, boomerang. Of course she should have asked, before arriving on your doorstep with cat in tow, but she was probably desperate to find this beautiful cat a home. Most folk wouldn't even consider anything but a kitten. A real problem & lots of wonderful mature critters end up being put down once their owners die. Good on you, boomer, you're a good soul! This cat will be your loyal, devoted friend. They know!

But now, to the proplem of telling the family & the other critters about the new member. Good luck!
(I'll return later to find out how you faired. In a bit of a rush now.)

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In trouble how? Congrats on the new addition to the family.

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@boomerang,

Boomer, try putting a littler box outside until the cat gets used to doing business out there.

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I thought Mr. B would have a conniption fit about me bringing a new pet into the house without so much as mentioning it to him. I met him at the door saying "Please don't be made at me....." and he's being really nice about it.

Mo, of course, thinks the cat is terrific and loves loves loves it already.

So hurdle number one is accomplished.

Of course the cat has hardly moved from under the dining room table so we haven't dealt with any bad cat behavior yet. If it claws up the furniture or pees around the house Mr. B might not be so nice about it then.

The dog is pretty much ignoring the non-moving cat but my cat (Biscuit) hasn't come in the house yet so she's still in for a surprise.

I put the litter box out in the garage -- that's how my pets access the yard, through a series of pet doors from the house to the garage from the garage to the fenced back yard. I'll take her out for a pee in a bit and hope she doesn't disappear into the mess of the garage.

So....

How to introduce Missy the new cat to Biscuit the old cat?

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my roland is a big black beautiful cat. long and lean and powerful.

all I can say is the animals will all work it out with each other.

Mr. B doesn't like cats?

why do you want it to be indoor/outdoor.

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@boomerang,

carefully...

have a water bottle handy, and talk nice.

(I would hold the new one and talk to biscuit as it happens)

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

How to introduce Missy the new cat to Biscuit the old cat?

Put new cat in a room away from old cat. Let old cat sniff at the door and let them get used to each other's smells first before the visual contact.

Then get them very hungry and introduce them at feeding. Put your old cat in a room with food and across the room put the other cat and its food. Let them size each other up while they eat.

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I caught Mr. B petting Missy and saying "You're so fat it's going to cost a fortune to feed you." so I'm guessing if Missy adapts that she's in.

Mr. B loves animals, all kinds of animals but he has a different relationship with them than most people -- he doesn't humanize them at all. Cats are expected to live in the barn and catch their own food. Dogs are expected to earn their keep. He thinks I spoil animals.

I know they say you should keep cats indoors, Chai, but I've never had an indoor cat. Cat's love to be outside. I have a hard time denying them that.

Anyway, Missy is curled up on my lap purring to beat the band while Diamond the dog gnaws a bone at my feet. Despite the fact that she's gone from living with an elderly man to living in chaos town she seems to be doing okay.

And Mo wants to change her name to Godzilla.

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Oh thanks, Robert!

I was just going out to fetch Biscuit to see what happens. I'll give that a try!

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@boomerang,

Go with Godzilla - cats don't care about their names (and the name Missy is....er....dumb)

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@littlek,

yep, and you can call it god for short. (the dog will love this aspect)

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

Cat's love to be outside.

only if you let them.

my cats have absolutely no desire to go outside. If a door gets opened, they back away.

if this one was indoors, that's probably her preference.

but....whatever. Just means more fleas, dirt being tracked in, injuries, worms, shortened life span, dogs, cars.

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@chai2,

So it goes. Some of us have had very happy cats outside/inside.

I'm not trying to convert you. Situations and opinions vary.

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@chai2,

This cat will encounter all those things inside but cars since my other pets go outside and come inside at will.

My cat, Boomerang, lived 22 years as an inside/outside cat. Her "sisters" lived 16 and 19 years as inside/outside cats. I'm not so sure I buy that shortened lifespan arguement.

All of my pets are welcome inside whenever they want to come in. They have their own doors. If this cat wants to stay in that's fine but the food is in the garage and, for now, so is the litter box.

I know that many people feel very strongly that cats should be kept inside, I'm not one of those people. To each their own.

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@boomerang,

Golf?

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Lady Diane brought Dante home as a total surprise, me and sally dog (had never met a cat before) were sitting in the kitchen when lady D and Dante cat came in the kitchen door. Dante walked right by Sally dog (who was very c0nfused) and Dante totally avoided me for over a week. Dante is an indoor cat but every now and then sneaks out the patio or kitchen door but never goes more than a few feet (just curious I guess) 3 years later and Dante often sleeps with sally dog and rules the house.

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@boomerang,

Stink was inside outside till I moved from Tennessee.

If Bubba ever gets over her stupid kitten from hell phase, I may let Stinky out with me some here again when the patio is done. He loves to watch the wild animals play.

In the city he was only inside. (bubba will be inside only for at least another season)

I am in so much trouble....

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