I am attempting...

[telophase]

...to follow The Rules and give Nefer treats and play with her and such outside the door to my bedroom, where Sora is quarantined, in order that she associate good things with his scent.

So far, she keeps telling me "Why are you RUINING my favorite stuff by associating it with THAT LITTLE RAT?!"

She's also making a noise I haven't heard before -- it's not the chatter she uses when watching birds outside the window, but vaguely similar. More of the sound you expect to hear when watching someone without teeth eat something. As it's interspersed with growls and hisses, I can't imagine it's a good sound. :)

(She's growling and hissing less today - now she sits at the door and meows plaintively at me, very definitely saying "Make it GO AWAY!")

Comments

[octopedingenue]

I vote for long snaky rope threaded under the door to both cats for epic TUG-O-WAR.

I am being very entertained by this book at work; I will see if it says anything about hissy chatter. :D You should record her sounds for Youtube posterity!

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I tried to record them yesterday, but wasn't close enough to pick it up with the camera. I'll have to try again if she does it today.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

I remember that sound! My cat used to make it watching the raccoons through her window.

We tried to integrate a new cat into our household in similar ways. And my cat was similarly sulky and hostile. We couldn't keep New Cat-- bothered my mom's and my allergies too much, and then when we found the cat a new home, Midnight was all, 'hey, where did the new guy go?'. So Nefer is probably warming up in that sulky, grumpy, Sanzo-like way all cats have.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Hee! I may have to change her name to Sanzo and Sora's to Goku, in that case! XD

From what I understand most of the hissing and growling is posturing, but I want to be damn sure that it *is* posturing when I finally let them meet. But it seems to be working - Sora's quite nervous of the door when she's on the other side! This bodes well for his accepting a subordinate role, I think.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Hee!

Yeah, you have to be careful. But I think they'll be fine in the long run.

[octopedingenue]

If Sanzo kitty does the fan/pawsmack, I shall DIE.

Anyone who does not accept a subordinate role against a ten-pound sack of experienced muscle while one is an uncoordinated one-pound ball of fluff is Too Dumb to Live, or at least to be let off the kitten training wheels for a good while yet. Best of luck!

[nightambre.livejournal.com]

wow...in my strep induced haze I completely missed this bit that you got a new kitteh?

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Yup! Yesterday - look in my LJ for yesterday to see the photos and videos. XD

[llamameeljueves.livejournal.com]

I wish I could add another cat to the house, but my current one is ... against so. You have to see my cat fighting with other cats through the window panes....pouncing and pawing each other like mad...good quality the windowpane which allow them to fight to death without a scratch.

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

Sheesh. Ours have always endured the trial by fire - open the carrier near the litterbox/food, and just try to kep an eye on them to break up any major squabbling. Thus far, it's worked pretty well.

[viridian5.livejournal.com]

Ah, the first days and weeks of introducing a new cat into the household. Good times. At least it settles down eventually.

[paper-legends.livejournal.com]

From all my studies & experience, which is a fair bit but I'm no Cat Whisper, a chitter literally means "get your ass over here." Depending on context, it can be said to one's prey, kittens, enemies, toys, and friends alike, but all with a modified tone. My guess is she's currently feeling hostile, but frustrated that she can't see the source, so she's calling it out. But mystery is good, here--keep her curious and reward her whenever anything new-kitty related comes up. I say keep doing what you're doing and even exchange blankets/clothing with one another's scents.

[sparkylibrarian.livejournal.com]

Hopefully Sora has a persistently Pollyanna outlook on life, which helped my kitten win over my older cat. It took a good 6 months for full acceptance.