It’s been 129 days since Twister first came inside as a sick, hungry and parasite-infested stray. It took nearly 30 days for him to get healthy and then he became our happy, healthy, bouncy baby boy. It took another 30 days to gradually introduce him and Meadow, first feeding them with a bedroom door in-between them and gradually moving to a hand-made mesh door that allow them to see each other. We were trading spaces and gradually getting them used to each other’s scents. It took him two tries to leave the safety of his room for the big wide house. It took even more time for Meadow to move when they were in the same room.
But yesterday and today? We finally became one. What do we mean by that? Well, the cats now share the space freely without human mentoring. Twister now wears a bell so he can’t surprise Meadow. Meadow now moves around the house, albeit somewhat cautiously. We still keep an eye on them a little bit, but otherwise, they have learned to figure it out. If he gets too close, she hisses and growls. Only if he touches her does she swat and she’s got terrible aim. What’s more? If he is in his room, she goes up and sits by his door. If she’s sleeping on the carpet, he picks a spot about five feet away and sleeps alongside her.
It took a massively long time to get them to this point. First, we wanted to be super cautious that there were never any real dust-ups. So, if they even got close to fighting, there was parental oversight to break it up before it got started. Secondly, Darryl was worried that neither cat’s personality – or his/her happiness – suffered as a result of becoming a family. For Meadow, that meant moving slowly as she was clearly scared. For Twister, who had never even been inside a house before August 27th, it meant allowing him time to adjust to a world filled with human rules. They could both roam free while the other was napping and tucked away behind a closed door and their time together was carefully coordinated so both felt safe, either with one of us between them or her up on a barstool where she assumed (wrongly) that Twister couldn’t reach her.
For Twister, he has had a couple of bouts of illness still and the medicine has sometimes made him feel sluggish and tired. During those times, it was important that he didn’t have his sister’s dislike weighing on his shoulders too and was surrounded instead by loving humans and a calm environment.
But now? Well, the kids are doing okay. Meadow now purrs again, even in Twister’s presence and a week ago, Twister – a prolific purrer in his own right – finally started purring downstairs. More than that, M&T’s parents don’t feel like they need to constantly supervise them. Take right now for example. I’m sitting in the fireplace room typing my little heart out. Twister is likely under the dining room table and Meadow is probably on her barstool. Soon enough, she will retreat to her bedroom for a nap and I suspect that Twister will head to the top of the stairs for his. Where will we be? Somewhere in the house, but not keeping an eye on them. An ear maybe, but not an eye. (We can always hear his jingle bell collar and her hiss or growl.)
And so, we are finally one family. Did I think it would take five months? No. At first, I thought it would take a few days, then a few weeks. In October, I realized it would take longer but thought we’d be one by Thanksgiving. Once Thanksgiving passed, I thought it would be Christmas. After Christmas? I could tell it was getting better but I actually thought it would take a little longer. Then, the Saturday after Christmas, they were both out and we had a project we were doing and essentially forgot about them. They were fine and that’s when we turned the corner. Yesterday, Darryl let out Twister in the morning and despite a brief hour when he went back in so Darryl could ride in the basement and I could go to the grocery, he was out.
In the end, I obviously wish it had gone faster. It was a very busy five months and we were constantly in cat management mode. But do I regret that we took so long? No. Likely one fight wouldn’t have put paid on the whole adoption, but you never know. And because it was important that they both maintained their personality and their sense of happiness, we resolved to take it as slowly as they required. Did I often wonder if we’d manage to get to this place? Absolutely. There were times when this seriously felt like an exercise in futility and I wondered how other people managed to introduce two pets.
But, we’re here. They’re both happy and they (read: Meadow) have established their terms of endearment. I believe from here they should become significantly less work. But more than that, I know that they will both continue to spread the joy and happiness that each has brought to our lives, from our sweet, sweet shy but loving girl to our outgoing, rambunctious and energetic boy. We are a little family of four now. And we are, well, complete.
The Yuppie Homesteader 