project: feline integration

Rex is Science Guy’s cat. His full name is Rekohu, the Moriori name for the Chatham Islands, meaning ‘misty skies’. He’s two years old, a British Blue, very sociable, playful, a great chaser. He likes to push things (pens, remotes, phones) off surfaces and peer over the ledge like he just totally dominated. George on the other hand, is quiet, needs a bit of reassurance and tends to be nervous around people. He’s a good sleeper and eater. How to get these diverse little guys to share their new home?

Following information superhighway research, we went with the ‘safe zone’ method. Rex was in the study with his food, bed and litter tray, for the first night while George had the run of the house. This way they would know another cat was in the house, without them being an immediate threat. The next day we shut George in the bedroom and let Rex explore. We did this for 24 hours before introducing them to each other. There was some howling and growling, and we let them talk it out before Rex went back to the study. Slowly we let them get used to the other being in the same space.

After a few weeks, I think we can declare project feline integration a success. The growling when the cats caught sight or smell of each other has subsided. George seems a bit nervous when Rex goes ballistic chasing his ball up the hallway, but they both sleep on the bed with us (I’m pretty sleep deprived, but everyone else is happily starfishing). Rex is stoked he has a bigger audience. Oh and he has fallen in love with the underfloor heating in the en suite. He can usually be found sprawled out on the tiles, eyes glazed over as if to say, This. Is. Awesome.