Sassy cats – Readjustments

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Gracie: Mine, mine, mine!

When things change adjustments happen. Then readjustments. It’s been five weeks since we lost Mollie. I always wonder what cats think when one of them goes into the porthole to hell (cat carrier) and doesn’t return.

When Hazel left, Morgan was affected. They were besties. She would look for her and was a lot less active. Hazel’s passing was abrupt. She didn’t feel well for a very short time (at least that we saw) so we were all shocked.

Mollie’s last two weeks were difficult. Sasha would snuggle with her and the other two cats would sit with her in the guest bedroom. A show of support? Or calculating who would get which favorite spot? Afterward Sasha didn’t show any signs of curiosity. Do they know? There were changes with the two grays.

All hail Morgan, queen of the catdom. All servants and serfs are required to pay homage. Greenie treats will do nicely as will some nice fat mice.

Morgan is now the elder cat at eight years old. She moved into that position with dignity. She took over Mollie’s bed which was too small for her so I bought the same model in the next size up and put it in the same location. She has also taken over bopping Sasha when she gets out of control. It’s as if she knows that she is the supreme leader now. All hail Morgan!

Gracie is an odd cat. She’s friendly but quirky. She took over Mollie’s big floor beds which have a lot of cushioning. She has also moved upstairs. In her last year Mollie spent most of her time upstairs and now Gracie seems to be doing the same. Gracie is somewhere between 5 and 7 so she’s not a young cat but not senior either.

It’s been interesting watching the cats adjust. I have a great crew and I’m grateful for that. Everyone gets along (there is the occasional head bop when appropriate). No aggression. No litter problems. At the moment no one is sick. I am blessed. How can I screw this up?

Gracie: Trust me! She will screw this up!

58 thoughts on “Sassy cats – Readjustments”

  1. It is interesting to watch cat politics and society. We had multiple cats (who always showed up desperate in sleet or floods…what can you do….once inside the threshold, they know…) at one time. Olde Tyger graciously accepted a pushy young Siamese girl, just walked away from realm duties – it was like “Oh, thank goodness you’re here to take over; I’m so tired. Just stay out of my sunny spots…they always say knowing when to retire lets you live longer…)
    That last Gracie pix is adorable.

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  2. Oh, dear, I missed your post about dear Mollie. I’m so so sorry. I’m also glad to read that the rest of your brood is adjusting well. I think there is a bit of “Okay, I’m in charge here now” when an elder cat passes and the next oldest gets to reign. That was definitely true with our Maxine. Once she became the oldest cat, she enforced the pecking order. She grooms no one but herself. She tolerates a few licks from Junior (next in succession), but loses her patience quickly. She ignores Wendy (the youngest) as much as Wendy will let her. My condolences for your loss. May the rest of your kitties keep you comforted and entertained.

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  3. They are so fortunate to have you and you are blessed with them! ❤ ❤
    So sorry about the loss of Mollie! Somehow I missed that post. I know she will forever be in your heart and know that you touched her life just like she touched yours!

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  5. I am sure your cats, which are a close-knit clan, felt/feel grief after Mollie’s passing … even if they did not feel the loss amongst themselves (which I’m sure they did), they saw you mourning Mollie’s passing … they knew you were not the same.

    I wanted to tell you about Carol’s remaining cat who is named Smudge. She had to take Smudge to the vet for a consult for psychological problems. Smudge has been waking Carol up in the middle of the night every night since Dudley died. Not only that, making a gutteral, screeching noise and pacing all around the house looking for him, never sitting down – lots of nervous energy and wouldn’t eat. So off they went to the vet where he was put on tranquilizers to calm him down. She had Dudley euthanized around the same time you lost Mollie. Smudge and her other cat she lost 18 months ago were Dudley’s kittens. She got all three the same time. In each case, both Smudge and Harley June were taken to the vet specifically for the purpose of being euthanized. Like you, Carol could not bear to see them listless, in pain, not eating anymore. Don’t think for a second that Smudge was not filled with terror when Carol put him in the crate and took him in for a psychological consult. She says he is not the same cat.

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    • One of the benefits of multiple cats is that there are still cats here both for them and for me. I’ve cried in their fur more than once and they still chase around and annoy each other. I worked with a woman who had two cats. One got ill and passed. She had to get another cat for the remaining cat. It wouldn’t stop pacing and crying. That worked for them. Like people, all cats are different. My pack likes a crowd. Sasha would not have done well in a one cat house. She loves chasing and playing with living creatures. Fortunately Gracie is young enough to enjoy it too. Morgan mellowed out when I lost Hazel. That’s when she lost her “kitten” side and seemed to grow up overnight. They were really buddies.

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      • That’s pretty amazing – they’d be like kids and one of them goes away, whether to school, or unexpectedly passes away. Same thing – doesn’t matter if they are humans or cats. Carol said the change started a few days later after Dudley didn’t return home. Dudley had spent a few overnights at the vets recently for tests and observations, so I guess it finally sank in that he was not returning home and that’s when the issues began. You’re lucky you have a happy bunch. I know Carol says she won’t get any more cats now – no pets, and after Smudge is gone, it is just nurturing the ferals. I was amazed about the tranquilizer regimen to calm him down. My friend/neighbor’s cat got dementia and it happened fairly quickly. Missy started arching her back and hissing at Marge then peeing behind the couch. She’d never had any trouble with Missy (though she was anti-social with all family members and me who would go to feed her while Marge was on vacation). Carol said the “yowling” is eerie and was going on for long periods of time without stopping.

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  7. I’ve never had multiple cats so I never experienced the changes they go through when one leaves the clan. I can’t imagine they don’t feel grief… or at least loss, but nature gives them the ability to move on (better than we do). You are such a great cat mom… I don’t think you’ll screw anything up.

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  9. Sounds like everything has settled into a new routine………..I know it takes a while before you stop looking for the missing. You have a new Supreme Commander in place now and it sounds like she’s taking that position seriously. All is well – enjoy it!

    Hugs, Pam

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        • That is not good. I once had a cat that my other cats did not like (or maybe it was the other way around). Eventually as she got old and cantankerous, I had to separate her for her own good as she would attack. That was not a good time. It was like that for a year before whatever she had (kitty dementia maybe) ended it all.

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            • It was. Fortunately the little trouble maker was 18 and happy to be confined to an upstairs bedroom with fabulous windows. She never once tried to sneak out so I’m sure she preferred it. I would spend some time with her every day but sometimes she’d go under the bed when I came in. Talk about rejection! She was a weird one! I’m convinced she had some form of dementia because she wasn’t like that when she was young.

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  14. The optimist says, don’t worry about screwing it up….focus on enjoying it! And the pessimist says, I know I should, but I can’t seem to focus on the good…only the bad. I hope you can be the optimist and put your energy into enjoying your fur babies.

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    • Mollie was the alpha but she was a kind ruler. Morgan seems to be following in her footsteps but time will tell if Sasha emerges. Sasha is a lot more vocal and pushy about what she wants but when it comes to the cats, she’s all “let’s play!”

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    • It’s been a while since I had a problematic cat. Lacy was a bear. She didn’t really like other cats. As she aged she got worse and after Jake joined us, I had to keep her separated. She preferred that. I have scars from that cat yet she lived for 18 years. That was back in the late 80s.

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