We got a new cat - looking for advice from cat people

As long as it takes, they like to know where they are before moving on to new territory. It will work out, I promise.

What he ^ said. And congratulations.

This is a very interesting article about cat personalities.

It sounds like yours is a neurotic cat, our current cat is also neurotic.

Our last cats were friendly, and the difference is quite evident.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/25/cats-hunt-feline-personalities

I think you're right. We'll just let him settle in as he sees fit. Thanks.

Well, an update - it's been an eventful two months. So Milo finally came out of the crawl space on his own after about 10 or 11 days - we fed and watered him downstairs and had his litterbox available. No sooner did he come up than hubby opened the sliding door that night and he dashed out. He was gone for 10 days. We moved his food, etc. to the back deck. We think he was under it the whole time, but he wasn't making use of his things. We posted his pic everywhere online and checked the local resources -- to no avail. We were stressed at his getting out (there are coyotes here and he hadn't been outside here before), but finally resigned ourselves to no Milo.

Finally, on a Sunday we decided to rescue two brothers. We brought them home with all their things and one settled right in (Gizmo) and the other (Tink) escaped to the crawl space. The next evening, who does hubby see at the back door but Milo. In he sauntered and he settled right in, all affectionate and purring. What?? It took Tink about 12 days to emerge and he spends most of his time in our bedroom closet.

There have been a few bouts of hissing between Tink and the others, but they seem to have made friends. Each has their own perch and each has adopted an owner.

I've never adopted an unknown cat, so this has been a real eyeopener. I've been watching a lot of Jackson G...'s videos and learned a lot.

They're all relatively happy, each has their mojo, and they're strutting around with upright, curled tails so I think it's all good. So, now we have three cats , all of whom are adorable.

It almost always works out. Love and patience and regular routine the key.

wow, going from a dog person to a cat person is not easy. I have never had a cat and probably never will, I would be overwhelmed by one, never mind three of them. I guess, they are happy in your house - enjoy them!!

Hubby had a cat when I married him - Roy. He was easy peasy, but then, he was in his own home. I had cats when my kids were younger, but they were kittens, so, again, it was easy. Adopting adults is completely different, I've found. But they seem to have worked things out, and I am enjoying them immensely. Roy and our dogs all lived to between 17 and 19, so I expect to have these around for a dozen years

So Milo brought in two birds tonight. Both unharmed, but likely traumatized. They're finches or house sparrows. Anyway, I relocated them outside with some ground-up almonds and water. I'll check on them in the a.m. before I let the cats out. At least Milo was gentle - no injuries.

Update: Milo seemed a bit lonely (he had a friend at his old place) so 2 months ago I rescued 2 kitten siblings (M & F). They were 14 weeks old. I know dogs better than I know cats, and I've never had plural cats... so, I watched a lot of Jackson Galaxy videos... introduced them slowly, had different food stations, etc., etc., etc. From the get-go, Milo wasn't happy. He may be a one-cat cat - who knows? He infrequently hisses at them (and they're not cowed one bit), gives them a wide berth, sometimes gives me the side eye if he sees me petting them... stalks off, but always comes back.

I don't know if this will stay this way - who can predict? I figured that since he's such a chill cat, he'd relent, let it go, whatever, but so far... not.

And today was their spay and neuter day so that was quite funny with them trying to get the cones off, but they seem to have accepted them. Milo did look at them strangely (does he not remember his own ordeal? Or does he?).

Anyway, I know no one can tell me if they'll ever get along, but I would love it if they did. We call him Uncle Milo and hope he adopts/accepts them.

Any opinions or your own experiences? I do realize it depends on the cat(s), but I'd love to hear them.

I've got an older cat and when I introduced the new kittens, she was totally unimpressed and wouldn't have a thing to do with them, spitting or growling if they so much as looked at her. But she never attacked them and basically just stayed away from them. In the past two years I won't say she's "warmed up" to them but they will now stay in the same room together and the old one submits to being sniffed when she returns in the morning from her nighttime excursions in the wild. The other two are indoor cats so I'm sure the scents she brings in are really intriguing. Every now and then there's a bit of playful interaction but she's still decidedly aloof.

Thank you for your experience - I think that sums up our future here. I'm really glad I got the two kitties - they are so loving and playful together so at least they have each other.

Our cat doesn't like children or other animals.

Our last two were brothers and v. friendly. sitting outside and soliciting strokes off strangers all day.

And one of them got on with other cats as well.

Our cat died on Friday.

It was completely unexpected.

She was a rescue cat, 12 years old when we got her, but we thought we'd have her a bit longer.

Our other cats were on the way out, but she seemed fine.

She had a treat, a stroke, the went outside and died.

We found her in the morning in her favourite spot.

Awww... that's sad. Yeah, 12 is pretty young, since cats can live another 10 or more years. Our cat, Roy, died at 18, but I've heard of longer. At least she had a treat and was in her favourite spot. What was her name?

She was 12 when we got her 14 when she died.

We have video of her eating her last treat before she went out, other people have seen it and said there's no way we could have known.

She looked fine, she really did.

We won't be getting any more animals until we have our own place.

I'm cleaning my dad's house tomorrow then it's going on the market.

She was called Muffy, (not our choice.)

(With changed pronouns I hope the same can be said of me.)

Dignified to the end. Sorry for your loss.

Thanks, but I'd rather not discover you in my back garden if that's OK.

Disappointing but perfectly understandable.