More Dixon Pets

This page last updated Sunday, April 01, 2001

Early in 1999, we added two adult cats, Penelope and Ziggy, to our household. We have been carefully letting the new and old animals get acquainted under controlled circumstances to try to avoid any major conflicts. This is the story so far...

This is Penelope. She is a small, black and white (jellicle) cat. Penelope is the new senior cat of the household at ten years old. She does not take any lip from the two younger cats.

This is Ziggy. He is four years old; the same age as Stoney.

For the first week, we kept the animals separate. We would keep Penelope and Ziggy in a 'guest' bedroom while Stoney and Moose were out and keep Stoney and Moose in the master bedroom while the other two got acquainted with the house.

First Contact:

Here is Stoney reaching under the bedroom door trying to reach me or the other cats (not sure which).

Here Ziggy goes to investigate. Both cats seemed more curious than anything else. A day or so later, we finally let Stoney into the room.

Penelope hissed and spit. Ziggy went under the bed. Stoney went after him. Here Stoney is smelling Ziggy, and Ziggy is permitting it. He is cautious but not angry.

Now that the cats are becoming familiar with each other, we have started letting the all roam the house at will. We are still not sure that Moose would not try to side with Stoney in any disagreement the cats might have; so, she is still banned from the upstairs area. We have rigged a heavy gate at the top of the stairs to try to keep her separated but let Stoney go were he pleases. This is a heavy piece of plywood attached to the stairs by bungee cords. We had previously tried a child-gate, but Moose had learned to climb over it!

Here are Ziggy and Stoney "sharing" the upstairs couch.

Here are Ziggy and Penelope looking out the window from their cat tree.

Here is Penelope, playing with a catnip mouse.

Ziggy by The Gate.

Ziggy is halfway down the stairs and looking back at Stoney, who is lying at the top.

Stoney playing with a loose thread from The Gate.

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