Update: Angel v. Da Boyz

Angel, playing yesterday morning

We have been practicing site swapping, with Angel upstairs, then downstairs, and Da Boyz downstairs, then upstairs.  If they ever met on either side of a closed door, there was hissing, growling, and paws flying.  And Angel was meowing, meowing, meowing all day long, no matter where she was.

Therefore, The Hubby and I decided last week that everyone will be kept apart.  Angel now is full time upstairs, living in the area that used to be an apartment.  There are four rooms, plenty of windows, perches, beddies, toys, etc.  This is where Angel and Chuck used to live when they first came home with us as wee kittens.  Angel is also on a mild mood stabilizer, temporarily.

Manny and Chili Bruce occupy downstairs, which includes the front room, dining room and back hall (and the kitchen, if some person forgets to latch the screen door), with many catification climbers, scratchers, boxes, beddies, toys, windows, and of course, the human(s) during the daytime.  When it's meal time the humans, we 'park' them in the front parlor, so we can eat in peace without two cat noses in our vegan sloppy joes, salads, or oat meal.  Both cats have each grabbed a sandwich right out of our hands, and run off with it, and who cannot forget The Struggle Is Real post!

Chili Bruce, looking at camera, and Manny
chillaxin' on Sunday afternoon,
on a coat-covered chair

Thank you Pamela Merritt from The Way Of Cats Blog, for answering my questions, and being encouraging when we were at our wit's end.  Point of note: Feliway Diffusers have done nothing.  Thanks also to all of my blogging and non-blogging friends, who've offered one-on-one encouragement, and the benefit of their own experiences with similar situations.  You know who you are, and I appreciate all of your help.

This situation is far from settled; we will keep working with Angel, Manny and Chili Bruce to see if relations can be re-established.  For this past week, this new set-up has worked.  No humans are being driven from the house, and no cats are ready to attack...well, except Da Boyz who must have a tussle or two every day.  Brothers...!!!

Angel is VERY bonded to The Hubby, and recognizing this key to her emotional strife has helped all of us.  He knows that he must spend quiet time and playtime with her a few times a day.  We will rearrange some furniture so he can comfortably interact with her AND keep his old, creaky bones comfortable too.  Of course, I too share Angel's space often, but it's really The Hubby who makes her heart go pitter-pat.  Obviously, I don't mind sharing him with another female; after all, I have The PO'M who is my boyfriend...

Patty O'Malley, on my lap

Shy Angel

Angel on the round rug, waiting for hugs

She watches

Angel has lived with us for over eleven years, and she still stays at arm's length most of the time.  Neither she nor Chuck, her litter mate, are lap cats, but Chuck will come toward us while Angel prefers to stay on the edge of things.  She is a typical Gamma cat-type, as characterized by Pamela Merritt at The Way Of Cats.  Pammy has classified Alpha, Beta and Gamma cat types.  Angel's Gamma-ness tends to keep her wary of excitement, preferring for quiet, one-on-one lovin' when she initiates it.

Which is why, before the alarm is due to ring, Angel will start a quiet meowing, as she calls to us for love and reassurance.  After years of trying many things to get her to be quiet in the mornings, The Hubby and I have learned (more like, have been trained!) to simply join her on the round area rug, and give her quiet petting time.  When she has a human to herself, in the gentle morning, Angel is like a rose at full-bloom.  She is adorable, beautiful, loving and gives of herself.  Those are precious moments for us.  Angel, our shy wall-flower!

P.S. I'm telling you, go to visit The Way Of Cats to learn a TON of cat stuff!  Patty O'Malley is most definitely an Alpha: staying involved in everything, demanding attention.  Chuck and Sweetie fall into the Beta type: curious and communicative.

Kittens!

My co-worker adopted two litter-mate kittens a couple of weeks ago; a boy and a girl.  They have not yet revealed their real and true names to her, so when we are on a break, we talk about names.  She already has two adult cats and two doggies, and she is slowly integrating the babies into that menagerie.  She is a little concerned that the adult cats are not taking to the kittens well, but the dogs just love the little, bouncy fur-balls.  She knows it takes time sometimes, and I advised her to visit The Way of Cats blog to read about cat personality and integration of a multi-cat household.  Lots and LOTS of good stuff there!

Patty O'Malley is better; the bumps on his skin are going away.  The bumps were the result of scratching and are not ticks like I thought, so hopefully he'll be bug-free for awhile.  Mia is very skittish after I gave her the spot-on treatment; she runs away if I lift my arm.  Must have scared her, so I will work to restore her trust in me.

No word yet from the people a few blocks over, with cats living under their front porch.  Don't want to appear to be stalking, but I do drive or walk by a couple of times a day.  Guess you'd say I'm compulsive...?  Maybe it's because they are all black and black-and-white, just like Chucky and Angel.

Have a wonderful weekend, all!  Some of us have Monday off for Memorial Day, to remember our fallen heroes.  It is the tenth anniversary of the passing of my father also, so there is a lot of feelings flying around as we work on the Cat Hotel, pull weeds, and hit the sales at the mall.  My father did not like animals, emotions that he never really explained to us.  Every one of his children (and most of his grandchildren!) have dogs and cats, however.  Chucky and Angel were in utero when he passed; Angel is named for him.  

Will always love you, Puba!