Right now, I hate everything except my cats. And food, particularly ice cream. And wine. And mindless tv. And sleep. Aside from those things, everything is stupid.
Rather than piss and moan about my grief, and I happen to be deep, deep into the anger stage, I’ll update you on the one thing that feels worthy of my time these days.
Integrating the little diva that is Sophie into my household.
Sophie has been inside about a month now. She rarely ventures out of her safe room when I leave her door open. And even then it’s only to charge at Sadie, who’s gotten a little too close to Sophie’s territory, which she has no qualms about defending. Even against the formidable Sadie. Sally pretty much steers clear of the whole business, allowing Sadie to do her dirty work.
It’s my own fault Sophie feels no compunction about staying safely ensconced in her room. She’s got her own litter box, lots of great places to sleep, a window with a lovely tree full of birds and squirrels, loads of toys, her own food and water bowls, tuna service each morning, and the piece de resistance, a magnificent new cat tree.
If you look closely in the mirror, you can see her little black paws hanging off where she prefers to spend her time.
That’s right: Sophie would rather spend her time lying atop a mattress leaning against the wall than on her spectacular cat tree. Not only that, she prefers the bare mattress to a sheepskin rug.
I have seen her lounging on her tree. Once. But I know she’s been on it when I’m not looking as the treats I’ve left have disappeared from each level. And today we made a little progress with out-of-room exploration. I lured her to the end of the hall to briefly play with a toy. But now she’s back on top of her mattress.
How pissed off do you think she’s going to be when I remove the mattress for the sofa bed that’s on order?
We are making progress with integration. The hissing has abated considerably. And all three girls are willing to scarf down chicken in unison on either side of the open door. I’ve also been successful at having Sadie and Sophie engage in simultaneous interactive play on either side of the open door, with the help of my neighbor.
All this leads me to the conclusion that I will have a fully integrated three-cat household in about two to three years.
I leave you with a few more photos of the little diva.
unConfirmed Bachelorette 
Silly kitty — how funny that she wants the bare mattress over the sheepskin.
She definitely looks like she’s got a life of luxury and is fully enjoying it!
And, as for you, I am glad you have your cats to get you through your grief.
–Fern
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She’s definitely spoiled. But I can’t help myself. After all those months lost outside in the big, scary world, I want to make it up to her. I couldn’t save my brother. But I saved Sophie.
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What a beautiful little girl. I might have a little help for you in regards to getting her to use the tree. A few years ago I found some catnip spray(pump bottle). I found when I bring something new for the cats like that I spray some of that on it and I never have to do it again. I have 5 cats (2-14 yr old, 1-13yr old and 2-1 yr old) and it works on all of them. I also have found a tv show and website that has helped learn some things about cats I never knew (and I have had cats for over 30 yrs). The name of the show is My cat from hell, website: mycatfromhell.com. You don’t have to have a cat from hell to learn some new tips. Check it out. You might be able to intergrate your babies a little faster than 2 to 3 yrs. Good luck.
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Catnip! Great idea. I have no spray, but I sprinkled some nip on the various levels, and the next thing you know, she was all over it, rubbing her little face everywhere. For a hilarious look at the “dangers” of catnip, check out this award-winning short film. http://badassdigest.com/2013/01/26/watch-the-sundance-award-winning-short-film-about-the-dangers-of-catnip/
I’ve seen a few episodes of My Cat From Hell. Amazing transformations. I’ve also been reading several books by Pam Johnson-Bennett. This little kitty needs all the tricks I can get my hands on. Thank you for the advice!
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I also forgot to ask where in the world did you get the tree. I want one.
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It’s made by Armarkat. Here it is on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Armarkat-Pet-Products-A7401-Beige/dp/B003BYQ18M/ref=sr_1_6_m?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1366556218&sr=1-6&keywords=AeroMark+International+Inc. but they have lots of different styles available from several vendors. I wanted one big enough for my chubby cat, and sturdy enough at the base that they could get rambunctious and not topple it. This one is made well and was very easy to assemble. I highly recommend.
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It’s great to see that Sophie is integrating well. I’m SURE that it will be much better long before your 2 to 3 year estimate! 🙂
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I sure hope so! But I was only sort of joking about the time-frame.
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Two to three years! 😉 She likes to be there, for sure, but to be in control, in charge probably.. 😉
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She’s a clever one. 🙂
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One month and she has come a long way! Don’t fret. Is the door open all the time?
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She has come a long way! I only leave the door open when I can supervise. Usually when I do, I put her stepsisters in my bedroom so she can look around without them lurking. When they were out and about, Sophie was more intent on defending her territory than exploring. She’ll get there. We have all the time she needs.
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You have so much patience! I’d have told them to get over it, and they’d all hate me by now.
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Trust me, I’ve been quite tempted! I want them to be friends, so I’m following the recommended protocol of the cat behaviorists. But I do doubt them on occasion!
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Nice to see Sophie having adjusted well to the indoor life. She may fight you for the mattress when it’s replaced by the sofa bed. 🙂
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She definitely was an indoor kitty before she happened upon my doorstep. She’s very content. I took the bed apart and leaned the mattress against the wall to keep her from hiding beneath it. My little plan seems to have backfired a bit. Hopefully, the cat tree will be an acceptable replacement.
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