We came to CCHS looking for a younger cat or kitten to join our household. Our older dog Bonnie really just socializes with people, and it seemed like older cat Cali would enjoy a kitty companion. Within 15 minutes of visiting the shelter we knew we found the perfect fit… Affectionate, mellow, and totally unafraid of all the bigger and older kitties in the cat room. We put in our application for 6 month old Loretta, picked her up upon approval, renamed her Slater, and introduced her to the other critters. As expected Bonnie just put up with anything Slater-Kitty dished out, including a takeover of her dog bed. Took a bit longer with Cali…not because of her territory issues but because Slater-Kitty seemed to have very defensive reactions we termed “Prison Runt Syndrome.” But after a few hissy-fits and a couple times Slater-Kitty literally got the poop scared out of her, things settled down. Within a week they shared food and water dishes politely. Soon after, the!
y shared toys. Now they greet each other with a “nose bump” (kitty equivalent of a high five?), play tag throughout all 4 floors of the house, and sunbathe together on our living room floor most afternoons. The cats have learned some of each other’s good and bad habits, and I think Slater’s presence has given Cali a new lease on life.