Lessons Learned from My Cats

It’s been three days since I brought little Molly home. I had expected my older cat, Baby, to have trouble adjusting to a new kitten. I expected my younger cat, Huey, to love having a new playmate.

 

 

Baby is 5 years old. He is more serious and plays less than his brother. Baby is calm, quiet, loving and devoted.

Huey is 3 years old and loves to play. He has boundary issues and often insists on playing with Baby, whether Baby wants to or not.  He is outgoing, talkative, playful and funny.

Baby took right to Molly. He played chase with her and followed her around.

Huey growled and hissed and made wild animal noises I have never heard come out of him before. At first, I thought he was Alpha catting her. Making sure she knew who was boss. I made sure she was not in physical danger from him but left them to work it out themselves. It became clear pretty soon that Huey was scared of her.  

Once I realized what was going on, I changed my behavior. I made sure that I paid extra attention to Huey. Petting him, praising him, playing one on one with him. I wanted to help build his confidence and make sure he felt secure.

Just a few long days later, he is playing with her. He still hisses and growls at her when she startles him, which is often.

 

Molly is only six months old and still has a lot to learn about being a cat. She now has two wonderful, very different, boys to help her grow up to be a confident and secure cat.  

Things don’t always go the way we think or want them to. We must be willing to adjust to whatever life throws at us.  Others may not behave in ways we expect. We may not always be able to anticipate their reactions and motivations. We need to be sensitive to others and be willing to adapt if we want peace and harmony in our lives.