Tabby and Mr. Meow: Friends (And Playmates) At Last

by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger

02 Aug 2007 11:44 AM

Mr. Meow letting Tabby share his leather chair.

Ever since I found Tabby and became a foster cat mom, she and Mr. Meow have had "issues."

If you're new to reading my blogs, let me catch you up:

The First Three Weeks

Things were fine to start with. They tolerated being in the same rooms together, but kept a healthy distance.

It was during Tab's fourth week with us that things started changing...

The Pregnancy

During that fourth week she suddenly got just plain nasty towards Mr. Meow. She'd chase him from our bedroom and eventually got so territorial he was no longer allowed upstairs. And then she developed a ravenous appetite...and a belly.

So off to the vet we went, suspecting she was pregnant. She was.

But once she was spayed, I held out hope her personality would change back once her hormones stabilized.

The Great Cat Rehabilitation Project

Implementing a positive reinforcement approach, I praised the cats every time they did something good around the other. It took some time, but they finally started making huge strides in the getting along and tolerating being in the same room department.

There was even further progress when Mr. Meow not only dared to come back upstairs (and Tabby stopped chasing him back down), but ended his bed boycott.

I knew things were right in the house once more. But now...

Partners in Crime

Now they're playing together in the huts. (Pre-Tabby Mr. Meow played in both a yellow and blue hut and a red one, which Tabby claimed as hers.)

Tabby's still got dibs on the red one, but she likes to let Mr. Meow at least go in there...just so she can charge at him and chase him out. It's become a new game between them.

But where once Tabby did all the chasing, now she's getting a taste of her own medicine. Mr. Meow's feeling his oats, too, and has been having fun lying in wait for her around corners and surprising her with a chase down the hall or up the stairs.

It's funny to hear them early in the mornings or right before bedtime horsing around together. Sometimes I sneak to watch them when they're not paying attention and it's obvious they're having fun with one another.

Finally. Phew!

Learn more about Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k.

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