Cally, the Defender, 17 yrs old, female tortie; Sleeps most of the day
Barley, the Newcomer, 12 wks old, female calico; Cuddly and curious, but docile
So, many of my friends and family are asking, how did introductions go? Most, longtime fans of Cally, were worried how she might feel about an invading youngster. And I had my reservations too. That's why I made such an effort to choose a personality compatible to hers.
When I brought Barley home, the first thing I did was exchange socks between the two. That is, I rubbed a sock on each cat's face (getting that scent on it) and exchanged them. They both sniffed curiously. I then let them smell each other through the cat carrier. No reaction but sniffing!
So finally I let Barley out. She immediately ran all around the apartment, getting to know the lay of the land. She and Cally both haven't shown any problems taking turns with water and food, but they don't really interact much. A couple of times when Barley got close to Cally, she let out a little hiss and Cally gave a low, rumbling meow-growl. But they coexist on the sofa within a good 2-3 foot berth.
We almost had a litter box issue with Barley (she had a little accident) but when I called her foster mom I found out we use a different kind of litter. Once I mixed the litter with the one we use, and showed Barley, she went right away! Smart girl.
If it continues to be a problem, I'll set out the small litterbox I have in the same room to see if she just doesn't want to share with Cally. But contrary to the people on the internet who say the two cats mean three litterboxes, I have no clue how anyone could find the space in a decent-sized apartment for THREE boxes. I mean, seriously? Where?
Here are more gratuitous cat photos of the new baby.
