Adopt the femalebut have her spayed. Maes and females get along better.
I had a cat that was 8 years old. I brought in a 12 week old kitten. They got along fine, but the older cat ruled over the younger one. She was a diva, anyway.
Thanks again to all who responded.
Leroy Brown (Leroy) and Big Jim Walker (Jimmy) have been introduced. I think all of our fears were for nothing.
There was a lot of hissing at first, and we started thinking that we should have named them ‘Cain’ and ‘Abel’. But the adoption ladies warned us that this happens when they’ve been separated for awhile, and then come back together.
After a half-hour, they seemed to remember that they were brothers. They’re slinking all over the house together, exploring bathtubs and toilets and laundry room. They both love watching TV. Each has his own favorite toy; they play games with lots of feints and bravado, but no blood or fur flying.
Of course, we haven’t gone to bed with them yet; but I’ve been coming down with a bad cold or ‘flu for days, and it hit me big-time today. I probably wasn’t going to sleep much tonight, anyway ;-)
We are thinking that these are the Best Cats Ever; but that’s what every cat-lover thinks, about every new cat.
(It’s sorta like Christmas Trees: each one is the prettiest one a family has ever had!)
I’ll leave you with my favorite Jim Croce song; and thanks again to all. (When I figure out how to do it, I’ll post kitty-pics on my FR page.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO1rMeYnOmM
-JT
Post on your ‘fridge...
Cat Rules:
1) The cat is not allowed on the furniture.
2) Alright, the cat can go on the furniture, but NOT on the kitchen counter.
3) OK, the cat can go on the kitchen counter, too, but just not when I’m preparing meals.
4) Fine, The cat can go wherever it wants, whenever it wants, as long as it doesn’t swat me in the face at 4:30 in the morning, demanding to be fed.
5) Yes, the cat will be fed at 4:30 in the morning.
6) Dogs have masters, cats have staff.
Giving A Cat A Pill:
1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse’s armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat’s mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill you just swallowed is not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with desert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Get a screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Clean and bandage slashed, bloody arms and face. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw bloody, shredded T-shirt away and get a new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire dept to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat’s mouth open with small adjustable wrench. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm, and removes pill remnants from right eye. Also, be quite still for your tetanus shot before beginning your 10-day regimen of antibiotics. Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for vet to make a house call.
Cat Bathing As A Martial Art:
1. Know that although the kitty cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don’t try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, we recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)
2. Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. We recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.
3. Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule.)
4. Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo.
5. You have now begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.
6. Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He’ll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don’t expect too much.)
7. Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been through. That’s because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg.
8. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.
9. In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.
10. You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn’t usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But at least now he smells a lot better.
How To Give A Cat A Bath:
1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.
2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water and have both lids lifted.
3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape). CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out for anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a “power wash and rinse” which I found to be quite effective.
6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can and quickly lift both lids.
8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.
Cats don’t need to be bathed, thank goodness. So glad to hear of your happy ending and loved all the advice. The energy and exploration levels settle down after a few years. A playful cat is a healthy cat. I treat for fleas with revolution in july and stretch it six weeks if I can to end of august or into September. I am careful about chemicals, in NE so don’t treat for fleas year long, no shots while flea treatment is in system. This works well for my current clan and those that I cared for previously. Good health and times to your wonderful family. C*C
Cats like to be outside; in fact, they almost worship the out of doors. Shutting them up inside goes against nature. - I, of all people, know. “Brutus”, our cat who rejected all the names we gave her (Zippy, Lambchop - both rejected), only gladly finally accepted “Brutus”; not caring that I don’t like the name. She acts up, thinking I control the weather; driving me nuts with her nagging until the thermometer gets up to at least freezing before I’ll let her go out. She will come inside when it’s well after dark and she has run herself ragged outside. - The rattlesnakes & copperheads out here are in hibernation right now; but I dread springtime when the sneaky snakes and predators are out. Cats still have the *wild* factor in their makeup; believe me.