Cat & Dogs & Boyfriends, Oh My!

Yeah, yeah, I haven't blogged in awhile. I've been super busy with work & moving over the last few weeks. After four years of being the super duper commitment phobic couple, I moved in with Chip about two weeks ago. Not only is this a merging of furniture, it's a merging of pets. We've got quite the zoo over here.

I brought Bear & Gabriel over first, figuring I'd let them settle in with Rite before I brought Wes over. Wes is an alley cat I rescued a few years back - someone abandoned him, and he ended up hanging out on my patio. For 2 months, he stayed there, with me refusing to feed him or take him in. As sorry as I felt for him, I knew taking in another cat was not a good idea. I tried to find a home through the local rescue groups, no kill shelters, friends & coworkers. Of course, with him already being about a year old, no one wanted him - everyone wants the cute kitten. Finally, an ice storm hit, & Wes was sitting on my patio with ice hanging off his whiskers. Of course, I couldn't leave him outside to freeze.

Unfortunately, Wes wasn't neutered when I found him, & he was aggressive towards Bear & Gabriel. At one point, he left a 3 inch long gash on Bear's abdomen that required antibiotics. After he was neutered, he calmed down considerably, even making friends with my Mum's cats while he was there for a few months during my transisition into academic life. Bear & Gabriel have never forgotten though, so I've always kept him seperated from them, either in his own room or outside. It's not the best situation for him, but I figure it's better than the dangers of alley cat life.

Rite came to us pretested for kitty friendliness = some Greyhounds have very high prey drives & cannot be around small dogs or cats. Rite had four kitties in his foster home, and has even made friends with some cats around the neighborhood. I was more worried about how the kitties woud react to Rite then his reaction towards them. Gabriel is a very shy kitty & easily stressed, so I fully expected him to hide under the bed for at least a month once he realized there was an 85 pound dog in the house. To my amazement, he was even more brave than Bear. The first night, we put up baby gates and set them up with their own "safe area". The next day, I put Rite in his crate & let them explore the rest of the house, so they could get used to Rite without feeling threatened. Gabriel was the first one to venture near the crate - he carefully creeped across the living room, tip toeing like a panther about to sneak up on prey, and stuck his nose in the crate to get a good wiff of Rite.

Bear, Gabriel, & Rite have been living in harmony ever since. Bear quickly claimed her spot as Alpha of the house, as usual. Rite cowers if she hisses at him. They're still getting used to living with a dog, but every day they get closer to their normal routine. Gabriel still hasn't curled up in bed with me yet (Rite sleeps next to the bed), but I'm hoping he will soon. He has enjoyed sneaking up on Rite while he's sleeping & sniffing his paws or his nose, or just watching him - he is definitely the curious cat.

Wes is coming home this week, but I've been trying to find him another home. Wes has never received the attention he deserves, & I know that he'll receive even less now. Two cats & a dog is enough of a zoo, & adding a kitty that has to be kept away from the other cats will be a struggle. Unfortunately, I've faced the same problem I had when I first found him - it's about impossible to find an adult cat a home. As much as I hate to give him up, I know it would be better for him to have a home where he could get more affection. The Humane Society is not an option though, since I know he'd probably end up being put down, so I'll keep him until a suitable home is available.