New Cat on the Block

Twelve days ago, Terrie and I brought home a little bundle of love.

Nadia is thus the new cat on the block, the first four-legged addition to our household since we moved in together in late 2016.

During these seven years, we have had to say goodbye to Zoe Lyn, our beloved tabby, and Nilla, our beloved husky mix (who you can read more about in Terrie’s tear-inducing blog over at her site: https://comfortdujour.com/2023/03/24/over-the-rainbow-bridge/).

It has been amazing to welcome Nadia, who is everything you can dream of in a kitten—curious, cute, nosy, perky, fast-as-lightning. She gets into everything and is remarkably assertive for a little bitty thing.

But there’s been a fly in the ointment of our happy household. Taz Marie (Terrie always gives her cats a middle name), our 12-year-old calico, has gone into a funk upon Nadia’s arrival. Despite following the advice of all kinds of online, YouTube and neighborly advice on bringing a new cat into the household, it has been a struggle to get Taz to accept Nadia. She hisses and growls, she runs off and hides, she doesn’t eat. And since one of Taz’s nicknames is “7 Pounds of Fury,” her not eating is kind of a big deal.

What’s unusual to us is that Taz could knock Nadia upside her head to force respect. Much as she used to rapidly whack Nilla on the nose back in the day when Nilla would get a little too much into Taz’s comfort zone of closeness (in other words, when Nilla would try to sniff Taz Marie’s butt).

We are, however, determined to stick with it. Eventually, we hope, Taz will give up the begrudgement ghost and work her way up to tolerating Nadia. There have been some encouraging signs. Like the image with this blog of the two girls eating a treat (fresh salmon!) only a few feet apart. In the world of cat simpatico, that counts a bunch.

When I was growing up, my two older sisters fought pretty regularly. Maybe we just need to get over this and let them figure it out? Terrie and I welcome your ideas.