Conference misery::feline

    Patrick, The Very Best Of Luck!  I hope it works out for you all.

Patrick,

	Maybe you could reconsider your decision to sell your place first.
	Even though it's a townhome, it DOES have that basement.  You also
	indicate that her place only has a little more living space.  If the
	living space is about equal, that basement would be my deciding 
	factor.

	At move time, I'd probably take several days off after all the 
	animals come together.  Maybe put hook and eye locks on bedroom 
	doors so the animals can smell each other for a day?  Wish you all
	the best!

			Susan S.

Hi, Susan,

One of the big problems with my place is that it has no yard for the dog.
Another is that my townhome covenants only allow two animals, with a 20lb max
on each. (yes, I know I have four cats now, but to add three more, plus a dog
that exceeds the total weight restriction by 30 pounds would be stretching
things a bit too far).  

She has a little more living space, but it is laid out quite a bit better
than my place. I don't know how her cats stand it, but she only has one
litter box for the _three_ of them.  I have three litter boxes for my four,
and it seems I'm constantly scooping.  sigh. This is gonna be a tough one,
but we have some time to plan.  I suspect that I'll have to isolate my gang
in the study, with a couple of litter boxes in one corner and food/water as
far away from the boxes as possible.  Not a very cheery picture, but I think
that all but one of mine will be able to adjust relatively quickly.

Patrick and the gang (Chester, Farley, Jeremiah, and Mellie)

    I'm sure with time all the animals will learn to atleast
    tolerate each other.   I do think it is best to isolate your
    cats in one room just so they can get use to the new environment
    before they meet new friends.   What I would recommend is to
    isolate your cats..but for a few hours each night isolate the
    other animals and allow your cats to explore the rest of the
    house in peace before introductions!  
    
    You can all live comfortable...but it will take more work on your
    part to ensure the litterboxes stay very clean.  We use normal
    litter...but we have started scooping the urine as well as the
    stools.   We actually do this atleast 4 times a day...and all 
    litterboxes get completely changed once a week.
    
    Good luck...and keep us posted!!  It sounds like you'll make a
    very Happy Furry family!!!  Just make sure you pay ALOT of attention
    to your kitties because they will be going through a lot of 
    change!
    
    Sandy
    

    
    re. 0
    
    Can you guys add on to the house? Or fence it the yard and let all the 
    animals come and go as they like? Install a pet door and leave the litter
    box(es) outside in a sheltered area?
    
    
    Eva

�Can you guys add on to the house? 

Not easily, and that's more of a long term solution to a (hopefully) short
term problem.  (You see, we'll need more floorspace, more bathrooms, and a
basement for my hobby workshop :-) )

�Or fence it the yard and let all the animals come and go as they like? 

Well, the yard is fenced, but all my kitties are strictly indoor types, as
are two of her three.  And I've never seen a fence that could hold in a cat.

�Install a pet door and leave the litter box(es) outside in a sheltered area?

Same problem as above, it involves the cats going outside and being exposed
to an environment that is known to have coyotes and foxes.

Thanks for the suggestions though, Eva.  

-Patrick

    Patrick...it is possible to build in a complete fenced in area
    for your cats.   What you need to do is also fence in the roof...
    
    We have a GREAT outdoor area for the Pat Brody Shelter cats..
    and in 4 years we have not had one escapee and there are
    normally close to 120 cats there.  The only other critters 
    who have made it in the enclosed area are the
    little mices (poor guys) that can fit through the fencing.
    
    It's a great area for the cats....and we built covers
    for the litterboxes so they stay dry for kitties..as well
    as the covers make great perches to lay in the sun.
    
    This really could be a semi short-term solution for you!!!
    
    Sandy

    
    >in 4 years we have not had one escapee
    
    Hmmm - I seem to recall an escape last summer, just after I had taken
    those pictures of all the shelter cats - I have a picture of the guy,
    a big grey brute with a face only a mother (and soft hearts like us)
    could love.  What was his name?  He "came back" a few days later.
    (He knew a good deal when he saw it.)
    
    Still, having seen the Brody Shelter's facilities, I'd have to say it
    was an inside job...he must have bribed one of the "trusties".
    
    ;^)
    
    len.
    

    Ah Len...your right it was Malcom that had escaped.  BUT your
    right it was an inside job because one of the volunteers left
    the darn door open!!!  
    
    Malcom is still doing fine....and still has a face only a
    mother could love!!! (but he's one of my favorites!!)
    
    Sandy

    Just wanted to let you know that it is possible to introduce
    bunches of cats to each other successfully.  I added 4 cats to
    my 4 cat household (making a total of 8) and they're all pretty
    much getting along quite nicely after only 6 month.  They actually
    started getting along a couple of months ago.  And, I only have 
    735 square feet of space (up from 640 in the old apartment).
    
    It's tricky making it work when you only have one bedroom but it
    can be done so I figure it can be done in larger spaces.  If you're 
    interested in tips, let me know.  I'll tell you what worked for me.
    Your mileage may vary.
    
    Jan 
    can send mail   

Yes, Jan, I'd very much like to hear about your experiences.  For instance,
how many litter boxes do you have, or are your cats indoor/outdoor?

-Patrick

    My cats are indoor-only.  I currently have 4 litterboxes but would
    like to add 1-2 more.  Unfortunately, with 735 sq. ft. and wall-to-
    wall furniture, I'm still trying to figure out where to put them.
    Having 4 boxes means a complete cleaning every 3 days.  A behavior
    specialist I spoke with recommends one litter box per cat plus an
    extra.  This is for ideal situations.
    
    I've been most successful adding cats when I was able to keep the new
    cats isolated in a separate room for a while.  In a one bedroom that
    meant my cats had the run of the house while the new cats stayed in 
    the bedroom.  At night, I switched litterboxes, food bowls, etc. and
    put my cats in the bedroom with me and the new cats in the rest of 
    the house.  This gave them a change of scenery as well as a larger 
    space to run it and I got to sleep with the established residents.
    It also allowed both sets of cats to get used to each others scents.
    
    Feel free to ask more questions.  I'm not sure what else to tell you
    and am having a hard time thinking details up at the moment.
    
    Jan

Well, we embarked on phase one this weekend.  (getting married on June 14th).

My townhome now has no kitties (weird!).  I moved Chester and Farley over to
Yvette's house this weekend.  They spent Saturday closed up on one room, and
after that we've let them have the run of the house.  Y's cats are adapting
very well, there's growling, but not any overt hostility.  Farley is getting
pretty bold, but Chester is still taking the transition very hard. The big
problem, however, is the dalmation (Lia).  She wants very badly to "taste"
Chester and Farley. I spent some time with Lia in the room with C & F. and
she and F sat nose to nose for a long time, with me encouraging and praising
both of them.  As long as C & F are stationary, Lia's OK, but if they move,
she wants to go after them.  I'm going to get a baby gate for their "room" so
they can have a space to themselves without having Lia in their faces.

My ex volunteered to take Jerry and Mellie until we can get into our new
place (date unknown), in exchange for my looking in on her cats and our
daughter's Guinea Pigs while my ex travels this summer.  Seemed like a good
way to not overload Y's house while trying to sell it and very much
appreciated.  Jerry's doing just fine, and wonders why all the other cats
(Mellie included) are so upset.  My ex's cats are upset, naturally, but since
it's only been one day, it's to be expected.

So... when we move into the new house we're having built, we'll finish by
bringing Jerry and Mellie back into the household.  I've we're displaced from
both our places before the new one's finished, it could get real complicated,
but we're trying to keep optimistic that that won't happen.

BTW, Y's converting her cats to indoor only, since that's what mine are. And
Lia just might spend more time outside than she has in the past, depending on
whether she stops trying to "taste" the new kitties.

Patrick and the gang (Chester, Farley, Jeremiah, and Mellie)
and Yvette and her brood (Steadman, Rudy, Duster, and Lia, the brain-damaged
Dalmation)