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Enter new pets, adopted several months later, fully grown pets, with issues known and unknown. 2 male cats, 2 female dogs, double down this time!
First the cats were frightened of the dogs and hid. Slowly all became aware that no harm was meant by any under this roof, and so it became a somewhat peaceable kingdom. The cats play together and enjoy each other. The dogs are inseparable, both have to go when one has a vet appointment; despite not knowing each other before we adopted them and being totally different breeds and dispositions, they adore each other. Ruby is afraid of nothing! Mariah is scared of all noises and became severely ill on her first 4th of July with us. Which one do you think is which from the photo?
We tore out the carpet and put in hardwoods after that first 4th of July.
Several years pass and the big orange and white Angora cat Simba (his name when we adopted him) becomes diabetic. I have nicknamed the cats Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, Simba being larger and not quite as fast as the brown Tabby, Miles, who strikes with the speed of a snake and finesse of Bruce Lee. Miles (I contemplated long and hard for a fitting name for a handsome cat) has also taken to believing that my husband is the lead male cat in the house, the only male allowed, and thus hides in the closet when my Ralph is home. Simba is the curious cat, the one with the sense of humor and he absolutely adores Ralph. He is the smartest cat I have ever had and I've lived with many, many cats through my life. Miles is like a cougar, long and sleek. Simba is just like a lion, with large paws (tufts of hair in paws) and a beautiful mane.
Fast forward some more years when everyone is older now. Miles (unknown age but older than Simba's 10 years) still hides when Ralph is home and will only come out when he is absolutely sure the "leader" is not around. The problem is that these cats are indoor only cats and the litter boxes are not near the closet. Miles won't pass by Ralph so I have to carry him to the litter box in the morning on weekends. Ralph many times stays up late and he gets up early to give Simba his insulin injection. This means less time for Miles to sneak out to the litter box, and means more stress for me, worrying if he has woken in the night and used the box, or slept through the night and then really has to go but is afraid to run past Ralph!
It's not Ralph's fault - he hasn't done anything to Miles and he has no mean intentions towards him. We even had an animal communicator come over, early on, when Miles still crept onto the bed once we were asleep. Miles told the animal communicator that in the wild there's only one male allowed but during the night everyone stays together for protection. She tried to communicate back that we wanted him to join our family at all times, but he is just not comfortable. I've tried pheromones, drugs, holding him on my lap next to my husband - no steps taken have worked.
So now he lives here with acceptance - we accept his irrational fear of Ralph and I do carry him to the litter box to ensure he has gone. As he gets older, we may have to change the location of the boxes, or isolate him in a room during the times when Ralph is home more such as weekend.
What is sad is that Ralph doesn't get to see how cuddly and sweet Miles is - he only sees him running away to the other side of the house into a hiding place. He doesn't get to see Miles and Simba rough housing together. Simba is still trying to show Miles that he is the king and Miles allows it because he knows he can take Simba down whenever he wants to.
I swear that when these pets die I will not get more pets. I am tired of the stress, the messes, the hair, the expenses. They are more trouble than children are.
Yet, oh! the pleasure they bring to us, the love, the humor, the companionship....time will tell.......and everytime I see animals needing a home my heart softens just a wee bit. Then the logical mind screams in my ear, "Are you CRAZY? Don't you want to travel? I thought you were sick of accident clean ups, trying to find pet sitters!" We'll see............
