Territoriality

This is a very short nonfiction piece loosely based on the theme of war about a recent event in my household.

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Our adult daughter, Sophie, recently moved home from a distant state after the traumatic break up of her live-in relationship. She explained that living in his house was no longer an option. We knew she would arrive with her beloved cat, Posey, in tow. But we also have two adored cats, Nalen and Juniper, and our household has revolved around them in the decade since our daughter left.

Our vet gave us an article to read about introducing a new cat to a household with existing felines. We followed the advice exactly as written for the first week. Posey stayed in Sophie’s bedroom most of the time. Once or twice during the day, we put our cats in the basement so Posey could explore the house and get fresh air on the screened-in porch. All was calm, despite our male cats laying outside the bedroom door, noses scanning the air.

After a week we fed the cats on opposite sides of the bedroom door so they were forced to smell each other more deeply. Then we opened the door, allowing them to have some eye contact while not allowing them to push in or out. Finally, we allowed Posey to come out of the bedroom and pussyfoot throughout the house, always accompanied by a human at a close distance. Except for the occasional hiss, they seemed to co-exist, maybe even ignore each other.

After another week we were feeling almost cocky about our ability to bring these cats together. Perhaps one or more of us were cat whisperers. And then it happened. Nalen and Posey were sitting about two feet apart in the hallway when Posey started walking away. Nalen immediately followed her and then gave chase. Posey ran faster, but not before there was fur flying, growls, and a skirmish behind the sofa. Juniper entered the scene, ready to join the fray. I managed to catch Nalen while Sophie grabbed Juniper, and both were deposited in the basement with the door firmly shut. Eventually

Posey came out from under the sofa and scurried onto the porch to lie on the Adirondack chair, breathing heavily.

Later that day we made a trip to PetSmart to purchase Feliway, a plug-in cat pheromone product highly recommended by friends and family who had experienced aggression between cats. A week later, there have been a few more altercations. But all three cats, while unsettled, are free from injury.

At breakfast I read the morning newspaper as the cats each occupy a space on the porch. During this hot, humid summer, the violence in the neighboring city escalates weekly. Four children have been the victims of homicide this year alone. Often it seems the children are collateral damage, not part of the turf the shooter was defending.

For now, Posey spends much time in the bedroom with occasional visits to the porch, door latched against the two male resident cats. They tip toe into her room while she is out and ferociously sniff her bowls, her litter, every place in the room where she sleeps. But they have not used her litter box or ruined any of her toys. Perhaps the pheromones are working. If only Human Appeasing Pheromones could be sprayed over the whole city for the rest of the summer.

By Kathy Miller

From: United States

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