Lori - More 2nd Day Pics And New Events

TBT:  First, more pics from the 2nd day.  I'll get to newer ones in upcoming days:

She felt safe enough to eat after a 1st day not eating.

She likes sitting on The Lap.

She looks at me with adoring eyes...

And likes to be closer.

She feels safe on me.  Doing some washing...

And touches me with love...

She is not bothered by the camera and seems to look bravely at her new world!

She is going to be the gem of my old age...  The last youngin.  And I "almost" named her "Gem".

Second, some mention about adjusting to the new home Tues/Wed/Thurs.  I don't want to be confusing, showing first couple day pics and then talking about the most recent later days, but I will lose track of some events if I don't mention them now.

Tues afternoon, the adults were out of the house so I carried Lori around letting her see most of the rooms.  Mostly, I just stood still and let her look around a few minutes in each room.  I also let her sniff places the adult Mews tend to nap.  

Then Marley was at the deck door and I let him in.  They seem to be getting along well.  But for then, I just let them look at each other.  They were both relaxed about it.  I brought Lori back to her room, as I felt she had had enough stimulation for the day.  And I continue to spend about 10 minutes per waking hour with her in physical contact and playtime.

Wed morning, with the adults outside I carried her around again and then let her wander around on her own.  She enjoyed that and she went all around investigating furniture.  To my surprise, she is both a climber and a jumper!  She went straight to the top of the cat trees for several minutes, going in and out of the huts and looking outside from the platforms.  And she unhesitatingly jumped down 4'.

To my further surprise, she then went right down the stairs to the basement, so of course I had to follow her.  No telling what she might find down there.  But she just poked around stuff and went back upstairs.    And then back down and back up.  Apparently, she is familiar with stairs!

Wed afternoon, with the adults INSIDE, I carried her around again so she could see them all.  Ayla and Laz were NOT thrilled!  They both hissed at Lori.  But they also left for the bedroom after a few minutes.  I guess those were "I'm confused" rather than "I'm angry" hissies.

After I put Lori back into her room (with some contact and playtime) I went and comforted both Ayla and Laz.  They need attention too, and may be feeling a bit ignored.  Ayla tends to self-isolate anyway.  But I have been giving Laz so much attention for the past 18 months (wow, it really HAS been that long?) he may sense a change.  And I sure don't want a relapse after all that work!

Thursday morning, with the adults outside, I gave Lori a full hour to wander around in peace.  She seems quite comfortable here.  She enjoys exploring nooks and crannies.  Sometimes she disappeared for 10 minutes at a time only to appear again from under furniture or behind a drape.  

She even tasted a bit of adult cat food leftover in the kitchen.  She isn't quite ready for that yet (I have a new box of 24 cans of kitten food which will last her until the end of the month).  The box is half Fancy Food Kitten Chicken (which she is accustomed to) but also half Kitten Salmon.  

I'll be happy if she keeps liking chicken (and she ate the 3 cans of FF Turkey Kitten I bought), but the adult Mews are mostly Fishy-fans and (at some point) I would them all to like the same foods.  

Laz is a kibble-lover, which makes things complicated enough and I'm working on getting him to like canned.  If a sprinkle a few kibbles on top, he goes for those and usually keeps on eating.  I don't really want a 3rd specific individual preference with Lori.

Ayla is less fussy.  Poultry is "usually OK" but she prefers the fish.  Marley eats almost anything (and anycat's).  It is odd.  Before Laz arrived, Ayla and Marley preferred poultry...

Thursday evening!  There comes a time when a new cat (even a kitten) has to face the other cats in the house at floor level and nose to nose (and probably noses to butts, but I didn't see much of that).  Since I was doing cooking and kitchen-work, I was right there in case some anger-issues showed up.

Lori went around the house like when the others were out.  It didn't go "purrfectly".  Marley came over and they sniffed noses.  But it seems Lori is A Very Confident Kitten.  When she decided Marley was being a bit pushy, she whapped him (gently).  That surprised Marley, but he stayed politely close, sat down "breadloaf-style" and let her walk all around him calmly.  Marley is a Wonder sometimes!

Ayla hissed again at her from the top of the easy chair, though the hiss didn't seem to have much anger in it.  Ayla just seems to want other cats to leave her alone.  Even Lori didn't consider Ayla's hiss much of a threat.  I wish I could speak "cat" better.  There must be subtleties in hisses I can't interpret.

Laz, as you may suspect, is my major concern.  He attacked Ayla when he was younger and uncertain of his position in the house.  He is probably still a bit sensitive/uncertain of his status.  I WILL say he is SO much calmer the last 6 months.  He and Ayla haven't so much as hissed at each other in some months now.  He MIGHT even be relatively normal now, with only the deepest memories of his bad original home.  At least he seems almost like those first couple years never happened.  But you never know...

So I have to relate a funny story that I am still trying to decide about.  Laz turned a corner into the kitchen only to find Lori standing there (she puffed).  He raised his paw in surprise.  AND SHE WHAPPED HIM!  

Laz ran to the top of the stairs and then Lori chased him down the stairs!  Laz fled...  I listened for fighting sounds but there were none.  Lori came back up in a few minutes.  Laz stayed in the basement for an hour.  I gave them both positive attention later of course.

I understand that sounds bad for cat-relations, but 9.2 lb Laz retreated from 2 lb (I really have to weigh her) Lori?  The good way to look at it is that Laz has learned not to attack female cats in the house (Laz an Marley "wrassle" brotherly sometimes).  And that Lori is willing and able to defend herself.

I should also mention that I have brought Lori into the bedroom to sleep with me for several hours each of the past 3 nights.  Door closed so she HAD to stay around me (for socialization and not other-cat hissies).  She LOVED that, curling up next to me under the covers and purring.  But only a few hours.  She needs her room (litterbox, food, water, stimulation-reduction) until she adjusts further. 

Then I leave the bedroom door open for the adult Mews.  They like my night-time company too.  Laz loves getting under the covers  if I lay on my back with the left knee up so it seems like a tent and he can drape on a the right leg.  Marley likes getting under but not directly in contact.  Ayla sometimes gets under if Laz is not there.  It's a balancing act...

It has been quite an interesting few days...