I have a great multi-species family. It consists of 5 felines, one house rabbit and one human husband. All the Fourlegged kids as I call them are rescues and yet they all co-exist very well. I am not saying that from time to time they don't squabble or may hiss and snarl at each other, but they know when to stop or they listen to me (who I believe they think of me as the "alpha cat"). Even the Cats in the house respect Rex, our 6 year old rabbit. It can be challenging at times but I feel that if you communicate with your Fourleggeds on a regular basis, any challenges can be neutralized or stopped. I titled this blog "The Paw Stops Here" as a take off on the expression--"The Buck Stops Here". We can no longer give into the belief that animals are beings with no consciousness, thoughts or feelings. It is our responsibility and privilege to care and nurture our Fourlegged with love, respect, companionship if we want a close relationship. And you don't abandon a family member because they are not the perfect cookie-cutter image you have of a specific being. You work with them and get outside guidance if necessary. I want to write our experiences of the great relationship my husband, David and I share with our multi-species family. We really love being together and "sharing space" a term I heard (your are correct, telepathically I heard this) from my first Fourlegged kid, Oscar--a beautifully marked brown tabby who had a presence of a old soul. People who didn't like cats loved him.
Because cats do like to have their own territory whether it is inside sitting on their favorite couch or sunbathing in the garden, like our Emma, they want to claim a place that is theirs, a sanctuary for them to be quiet and meditate or dream when they are napping. But if they have a trusted companion they will allow a friend to stay and nap with them in their special place. They may not sit or curl up next to each other, but they will be in the same close vacinity.
First, let me introduce you to the members in our household and then in the days to come, I will share the wonderfully amazing (to me) things that happen in our household every day. I can give you examples of cats, who are supposed to be independent, unresponsive beings who come when we call them. Who show us how they communicate their feelings to us in different ways. How we have gotten them to honor the boundaries in the house and how they honor each other, even a cat who was born outside and even though she prefers to stay outdoors will come into the house and though I have seen her be agressive with other outside cats is a perfect lady with the other 4-leggeds who live in the house, including Rex our bunny.
The Fourleggeds range from 2 to 10 years. Because they are all rescues, We only know of their approximate ages. The Babycat of the family is Fiona (the Fearless) who is two years old. Fiona came to live with us when we found her yowling up a storm underneath our front porch when she was aprox. two months old. She was so tiny, we thought she was a month old, but after a trip to the vet, it was determined that she was twice her age, she was just tiny. I call her Fiona the Fearless, because even though she was so tiny, when my husband David picked her up she didn't have a problem coming right into the house. Fiona is a Fluffy black cat with expressive round citrine colored eyes, small in stature, with a tuft of white fur in her chest area. I believe the white patch is a way of letting us know that one of our elder cats, Cleo who died a day earlier, had led Fiona to our house as a way to help us cope with our grief. Fiona is very dainty and feminine, fluffy with a very bushy tale that almost resembles a quill pen. She is very regal looking. But don't let the "fru-fru" look fool you, she loves to pounce on two of the other cats and she loves to play hunt. When she was younger, she loved using my husbands socks as her prey. She would carry her "prey" in her mouth through the house and then drop it and try to tear it a part with her teeth and claws. She will still occasionally find a lone sock and make the Prey call that she captured and show the other cats what a good hunter she is. Because she is so fast in reflexes and the graceful turns she makes when she is play hunting I believe she would be a good hunter if we let her go outside. She is independent like all cats are, but when ever I need to find out where she is all I have to do is call out "Where is my Fiona the Fearless" and she will saunter out where ever she is in the house. She learns quickly what the rules are and is pretty good at following the boundaries, but when it comes to food, she is quick to be first in line to receive treats and then it is every cat for herself. Although I will say if I need her to sit to get her treat as a way of not stealing the other cats treats, she will sit if I ask her to and keep talking to her to keep her focus. We do have a routine in the morning where she will call me through the bathroom door so I will let her in and then I sit down so she can sit in my lap. She likes me to inspect her ears, tail, her fur and her feet to make sure she is ready to start her day. She also likes it when I kiss the top of her head. I place 3 short kisses at a time. I wait a couple of seconds and then she moves her head back to tell me she wants me to give her some more kisses. It is such a cute ritual, but It makes me feel as if we are sharing some quality Kitty-Mommy time. I feel Fiona, like the other members in the family, really know we love them and respect who they are. They in turn do their best to follow the rules of the house. Next up: Oski the cat who is a cross between Bart Simpson and Dennis the Menace. Until then "keep your eyes on the prize and keep reaching with your paws!
Because cats do like to have their own territory whether it is inside sitting on their favorite couch or sunbathing in the garden, like our Emma, they want to claim a place that is theirs, a sanctuary for them to be quiet and meditate or dream when they are napping. But if they have a trusted companion they will allow a friend to stay and nap with them in their special place. They may not sit or curl up next to each other, but they will be in the same close vacinity.
First, let me introduce you to the members in our household and then in the days to come, I will share the wonderfully amazing (to me) things that happen in our household every day. I can give you examples of cats, who are supposed to be independent, unresponsive beings who come when we call them. Who show us how they communicate their feelings to us in different ways. How we have gotten them to honor the boundaries in the house and how they honor each other, even a cat who was born outside and even though she prefers to stay outdoors will come into the house and though I have seen her be agressive with other outside cats is a perfect lady with the other 4-leggeds who live in the house, including Rex our bunny.
The Fourleggeds range from 2 to 10 years. Because they are all rescues, We only know of their approximate ages. The Babycat of the family is Fiona (the Fearless) who is two years old. Fiona came to live with us when we found her yowling up a storm underneath our front porch when she was aprox. two months old. She was so tiny, we thought she was a month old, but after a trip to the vet, it was determined that she was twice her age, she was just tiny. I call her Fiona the Fearless, because even though she was so tiny, when my husband David picked her up she didn't have a problem coming right into the house. Fiona is a Fluffy black cat with expressive round citrine colored eyes, small in stature, with a tuft of white fur in her chest area. I believe the white patch is a way of letting us know that one of our elder cats, Cleo who died a day earlier, had led Fiona to our house as a way to help us cope with our grief. Fiona is very dainty and feminine, fluffy with a very bushy tale that almost resembles a quill pen. She is very regal looking. But don't let the "fru-fru" look fool you, she loves to pounce on two of the other cats and she loves to play hunt. When she was younger, she loved using my husbands socks as her prey. She would carry her "prey" in her mouth through the house and then drop it and try to tear it a part with her teeth and claws. She will still occasionally find a lone sock and make the Prey call that she captured and show the other cats what a good hunter she is. Because she is so fast in reflexes and the graceful turns she makes when she is play hunting I believe she would be a good hunter if we let her go outside. She is independent like all cats are, but when ever I need to find out where she is all I have to do is call out "Where is my Fiona the Fearless" and she will saunter out where ever she is in the house. She learns quickly what the rules are and is pretty good at following the boundaries, but when it comes to food, she is quick to be first in line to receive treats and then it is every cat for herself. Although I will say if I need her to sit to get her treat as a way of not stealing the other cats treats, she will sit if I ask her to and keep talking to her to keep her focus. We do have a routine in the morning where she will call me through the bathroom door so I will let her in and then I sit down so she can sit in my lap. She likes me to inspect her ears, tail, her fur and her feet to make sure she is ready to start her day. She also likes it when I kiss the top of her head. I place 3 short kisses at a time. I wait a couple of seconds and then she moves her head back to tell me she wants me to give her some more kisses. It is such a cute ritual, but It makes me feel as if we are sharing some quality Kitty-Mommy time. I feel Fiona, like the other members in the family, really know we love them and respect who they are. They in turn do their best to follow the rules of the house. Next up: Oski the cat who is a cross between Bart Simpson and Dennis the Menace. Until then "keep your eyes on the prize and keep reaching with your paws!
