Hello Itchmo Members!
A friend of mine told me about Itchmo and said that he uses it quite frequently. After having a gander, I can see why - this site is full of useful information!
I couldn't find an answer to my exact question, so i'll start off my first post with this:
I recently adopted 2 little grey tabbies from a SPCA in Annapolis, MD (about 3 months ago) - 1 of them was about 10 months old (Luna) and the other was nearly 2 years old (Mya). While they look nearly identical, they are not related and were not kept in the same cage at the SPCA. I was really only looking to get 1 kitty, but my aforementioned friend said that getting another 1 wasn't really that much more work over having a single cat and that it was a good thing in that they would have one another to play with while i'm gone. Given that my schedule is erratic, I decided that route best. So after meeting a few kittes at the SPCA, I really took a liking to both of the ones I have now. Luna was swatting at me as I walked past her cage - she was so adorable and ready to play.
Mya was just a sweetheart....she was perfectly content with cradling her in my arms and petting her while she was laying on my lap. Before taking that leap of faith in adopting 2 kitties that don't know one another, I figured it would best to see how they reacted to one another when introduced - the introduction at the SPCA, through the cage, showed no signs of hostility, much less a sign of deep interest...they were both very nonchalant about it, which gave me the impression that they would be okay in the same household.
When I brought them home, I immediately opened their cages and let them come out, the youngest one (Luna) was very weary and liked to hide in the basement....while the older one (Mya) quickly assumed the role of alpha female. She would actually sit on the bottom stair leading into the basement and keep Luna down there. That only lasted about 24-36 hours, as Luna didn't take too kindly to that and started fighting her way up the stairs. Since then, Luna has become the alpha female and Mya has resorted into a gradual state of hiding more and more. They still play and wrestle a good bit - but I have this suspicion that Mya was not raised around other kitties, while Luna was. Luna's very playful, or at least what I perceive to be playful, and Mya doesn't seem so interested in that....so what usually happens is Luna tries to play with Mya, which turns into Mya yelping and running away. I get the impression that Luna plays a bit too rough for Mya's taste. And I see why....Luna used to be smaller than Mya, now Luna is nearly 1.5 x in size of her...moreso on the weight side, but slightly bigger in physical appearance. With Luna's added weight and physical size, Mya doesn't stand a chance....Luna whips her all over the place. When they do play around (or fight?) I notice that they go for each other's throats...or rear ends, with their teeth. That's usually when Luna gets the best of Mya and Mya lets out a big yelp...or starts hissing. The yelp and hissing make me feel like it's no longer play....rather than an act of genuine aggression.
At this point, Luna roams the house like she owns the joint...and she's such a sweetheart. In contrast, Mya likes to hide in my closet or under my bed - occassionally, I'll walk in my room and see Mya sleeping or lounging on top of my bed. Rarely does she ever come out in the open and hang out like Luna does....even less of a chance if there's people over. However, Mya's elusiveness has been a gradual process....as about 2 months ago, she wasn't so elusive - she would actually come down from upstairs and eat breakfast/dinner in the kitchen, where Luna eats. now, not so much. I've found that the only way I can get Mya to eat a full helping is to take the food up to her in my room, and at times...she won't eat unless I remain in the room with her and/or pet her. I've tried placing a dish of food in the room and closing the door to let her have some privacy and time away from Luna, but when I check up on her in 30mins or so....the food hasn't been touched. So I end up sitting down with her and coaxing her to eat. She seems perfectly healthy...pee's and poop's on a regular basis and in the litter box. her coat is one of the softest coats i've ever felt on a cat...and she's a complete sweetheart with me when Luna isn't around. When Luna's around, it's inevitable that one or the other will start playing....which leads to Mya going into hiding. I've taken both kitties to the Vet, in which they checked out perfectly healthy and around 8lbs each. I'd say Luna is closer to 10-11lbs these days, and Mya may have lost some weight...she's awfully thin, which I contribute to her eating/social problems.
While I have lived with cats in the past, usually roommates, this is my first experience with adopting cats and caring for them. I'm quite happy with them and certainly feel rewarded by their sweetness towards me. I'm just not sure what to make of their behavior at the moment...especially Mya's.
Any ideas would be most certainly appreciated! Thank you!
Jim P.
Baltimore, MD
