Cat Adventures update - 01
#1 - So, yesterday morning (5/20/2014) I'm sitting on our couch eating a bowl of cereal and Olivia comes out of her room eager for me to finish it so she can have her customary licks at the leftover milk. Stella's wandering around the opposite side of the couch when she notices me finish the bowl and put it on the floor about halfway between the two of them. Stella gets there first. Olivia looked at Stella, then looked at me with wide eyes and an expression that could only be interpreted as, "But... but.. that's supposed to be mine! How COULD you?!" And then she trotted sulkily back to her bedroom in a huff. All attempts at appeasement went ignored by her 'til I left the house.
#2 - Last night, Olivia decides at one point to go explore Stella's bedroom while Stella is out exploring the living room - Stella notices this and goes stalking into her bedroom, head low watching Olivia's every move. "How dare she! This is my room!" Eventually, Olivia notices her behind her and the growling and hissing commence... I walk in after the two of them and scoop Stella up and then walk her back to Olivia's room. This was, afterall, the third time Olivia had ventured into Stella's territory whilst the visit had never been returned by Stella. So, I figured it was time she gave Olivia's room a sniff or two. I plunked her down in the middle and she immediately started peering and sniffing around.. when Olivia realized we'd disappeared, she followed us back to the room and once again gave me the greatest look of betrayal-face. #kittyjustice
#3 - This morning as I was getting ready, suddenly the doorbell went off. In my hurried attempts to actually put clothes on, Andrew ended up getting out of bed after the second ding-dong. He leaves the bedroom door open as we both go to the front door to answer it together. (Since Saturday, we've been trying to keep our bedroom door closed so that neither of the cats claim it as their territory/I'd like to keep the dust and cat hair to a minimum in there.) Our neighbor to the left of us greets us when we open the door - she's just popped over to remind us that we need to put our trash out tonight for pickup tomorrow and where we should position the can and such. (PS- I love our neighbors already!) We ask a couple questions and thank her and then end the conversation fairly quickly. When we shut the door and turn our attention back inside, the two cats are having a stand-off just inside our bedroom door... apparently both had seen it open and decided "Now's my chance!" and gone darting towards it only to create a traffic jam of dominant combativeness. Hisses were exchanged and after a few moments Stella finally gave up the ground and retreated to her room, while Olivia trotted off to take her victory lap around the bedroom. Laughing, we follow her in and Andrew scoops her up very unceremoniously and carries her back to her bedroom - Livie's paws are stuck straight out and she has the most fearsome scowl of disappointment on her face. When he puts her down by her food bowls, she gives one last "mew" that I could swear translated to "spoilsport" as she walked away from him.
In all - they're still not getting along - but we're only 72 hours in and the distance between them is at least already shrinking.
#2 - Last night, Olivia decides at one point to go explore Stella's bedroom while Stella is out exploring the living room - Stella notices this and goes stalking into her bedroom, head low watching Olivia's every move. "How dare she! This is my room!" Eventually, Olivia notices her behind her and the growling and hissing commence... I walk in after the two of them and scoop Stella up and then walk her back to Olivia's room. This was, afterall, the third time Olivia had ventured into Stella's territory whilst the visit had never been returned by Stella. So, I figured it was time she gave Olivia's room a sniff or two. I plunked her down in the middle and she immediately started peering and sniffing around.. when Olivia realized we'd disappeared, she followed us back to the room and once again gave me the greatest look of betrayal-face. #kittyjustice
#3 - This morning as I was getting ready, suddenly the doorbell went off. In my hurried attempts to actually put clothes on, Andrew ended up getting out of bed after the second ding-dong. He leaves the bedroom door open as we both go to the front door to answer it together. (Since Saturday, we've been trying to keep our bedroom door closed so that neither of the cats claim it as their territory/I'd like to keep the dust and cat hair to a minimum in there.) Our neighbor to the left of us greets us when we open the door - she's just popped over to remind us that we need to put our trash out tonight for pickup tomorrow and where we should position the can and such. (PS- I love our neighbors already!) We ask a couple questions and thank her and then end the conversation fairly quickly. When we shut the door and turn our attention back inside, the two cats are having a stand-off just inside our bedroom door... apparently both had seen it open and decided "Now's my chance!" and gone darting towards it only to create a traffic jam of dominant combativeness. Hisses were exchanged and after a few moments Stella finally gave up the ground and retreated to her room, while Olivia trotted off to take her victory lap around the bedroom. Laughing, we follow her in and Andrew scoops her up very unceremoniously and carries her back to her bedroom - Livie's paws are stuck straight out and she has the most fearsome scowl of disappointment on her face. When he puts her down by her food bowls, she gives one last "mew" that I could swear translated to "spoilsport" as she walked away from him.
In all - they're still not getting along - but we're only 72 hours in and the distance between them is at least already shrinking.