I am happy to introduce my newest Foster Kitty from VOKRA: Butters! Butters comes from the streets just like Phaedra. He's tough on the outside and soft on the inside, a  big cat weighing 21 pounds with massive lion paws and a kink in his tail. We brought him into meet Phaedra because we wanted the two of them to tire each other out. They both had the same issues like biting when they got bored or under-stimulated so we thought they'd be a perfect match.

Butters last Foster Mum brought him in and I tried to keep him in the bathroom for at least a few days. We do this so the cats know they have a safe space to go. Unfortunately, Butters was miserable in there. He would howl and scratch at the door. I tried letting him out the first day just to see how they would interact and they immediately started hissing and growling at each other. He spent about 5 full days in the bathroom with me switching him and Phaedra occasionally so he could stretch his long legs.

After a while I just couldn't take keeping him in the tiny bathroom without a window. I let them both out into my apartment and bribed them with chicken baby food. This is Phaedra's most favorite treat, it smells foul but it's basically liquid chicken so it's great for a treat or training. I dunked a spoon into the can and the both came over and licked it off. Both their faces bumping into each other. After this, it was smooth sailing. They slowly but surely have been getting closer and closer.

It took a while for me to tell if they actually liked each other or if they were only tolerating each others existence.  Butters is quite a bit larger than Phaedra so he would dominate her in their play fights and kick her off the bed. After a while she started putting her paw down and demanding that she remain the Alpha cat in the household. After that exchange took place I saw much more of the traditional bonding between cats I expected to see. See below:

How to tell if your cats are bonding

1. Equal Exchange of play fighting. Each cat equally initiates the fights.
2. No growling or hissing, meowing is ok.
3. They are comfortable eating together.
4. They are comfortable sleeping in the same area.

Thanks so much for reading about my cat bonding experience. I was lucky it was successful and I hope they continue to bond over the next few months so they are ready to be adopted!

November 02, 2017 0 comments