The one thing I haven't mentioned yet in this story is the reactions to Mable from the other four cats.
Hank is, as the Gen Z'ers say, big mad. He is very angry with us that we brought yet another child into the house. He knows she's there and it seems like he resents us for it. He's been much more easily spooked than normal, sometimes growls and/or hisses at Daisy when she tries to love on him, and has generally been a pretty big butthole about the whole ordeal. He has not, however, sat outside the bedroom door (or the bathroom door, when she's been in there) growling and sniffing at her like he did with Empress. This is a bit concerning to me, because I want him to have an actual interest in her and not just hate her.
We introduced him formally to Mable yesterday afternoon, as we let her toddle around the living room a bit. He slunk low to the floor, never let her out of his sight, and hissed/growled at her. She, in turn, hissed back at him, but stood her ground. Mable does not want to make friends easily, as Empress did -- she is cautious and likely scared when the giant orange behemoth sits there and hisses at her.
Empress's reaction to Mable was similar. She is curious but very cautious and does not know how to react to a little black tribble existing in the same space as her. Emmy hisses at her too, but less than Hank. Emmy will actually get up right in her face to examine her, while Hank won't yet. I think Emmy will warm up to her faster than Hank will, and that for the moment, she's just a little spooked.
Likewise, it appears that Mable actually wants to interact with the two goblins, but her own desire to is hampered by her own fears. I am sure within a few days or so, all of them will -- as they say -- get over it. We're going to put them together in the bedroom, one by one, so that they can interact with her one on one. Likely Hank will be first, and then we'll do Emmy.
As for the golden oldies? Well...
Sadie, as expected, does not give a single shit. On Friday morning when Daisy woke up early because of Mable's antics, we let her toddle around downstairs a bit. Sadie was sleeping under my desk at my feet, as she frequently does, as I was still working. Mable went right up to her and examined her, sniffed her all over, and Sadie was completely unfazed. She sort of gave me this look like "Oh, you got another one? She's cute. She isn't gonna go after me? Cool. She's fine." And that was that. Sadie has not cared at all, and I think she's used to new children occupying the house at this point. She is a very independent cat and very much has the don't start nothin', won't be nothin' mentality.
Pete has, not exactly surprisingly, been the most wonderful cat of them all when it comes to Mable. We introduced them within an hour of her being home, and he looked at her, and us, like "you...you had another child? And this one looks like me? I love her." And he has taken it upon himself to be her protector and big papa. He has spent more time with her than any of the others, mainly just observing her or hanging out with her. When she has gone after his tail, he's firmly but not angrily whacked her with his paw, like "we don't do that, I love you and you will not attack tails." When Hank growled and hissed at her, Pete came off the couch to put himself between her and Hank to "protect" her. It wasn't done in an aggressive way -- he didn't challenge Hank or anything, but it was very much a protective move.
Mable has not yet cuddled up with Pete, flopped out with him on the bed or anything like that like Empress immediately did and like Hank did, but I'm sure it's coming eventually. Pete just loves being in her presence. He likes to smell her and groom her and give off those big dad vibes. I like to say that I am the best cat dad I know, but I'm not -- really, it's Pete. Pete has been so kind and loving with all of these kittens, and so incredibly patient even when I can tell he does not want to be. Mable may be the cat that Pete needs -- he bonded strongly with Hank, and then when we got Empress, Hank had no time for Pete anymore and I think that hurt Pete's feelings. When we got Empress, she bonded with Pete a lot, but her one true love has always been Hank. Sadie fights Pete half the time, so while they've been together the longest they're basically roommates and don't interact more than they have to. Maybe Mable will finally be Pete's little child who will bond the strongest with him.
And then he'll die and it'll devastate her. Because, not to be morbid, but let's be realistic here -- Pete's time on this planet is likely coming to a close sooner rather than later. It was the driving factor behind Daisy adopting Mable -- always having a black cat in this household -- and for the moment, two.
Last night -- her third night in the household -- was much quieter per Daisy. She slept cuddled up to Daisy's chest and neck (which, let's be real here, is fucking adorable) and she did not bug her that much for playtime. I'm hoping this becomes more of a pattern as she settles in and becomes used to us and her new environment.
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