We’ve had a stray cat hanging around for 3+ years now. I’ve felt so bad about him being out in the freezing cold winters and the hot and humid summers but I knew he would have to be neutered and have his shots before I could even think about bringing him inside. Even if I did that, I was always afraid of Jack and the stray getting into a fight to the death because they are both males and Jack has always been a bit on the aggressive side. He still picks on Honey Bear every chance he gets. 

I finally decided to get the poor cat, named BobCat due to his bobbed tail, neutered and vaccinated. It was money well spent but I worry that BobCat will disappear and that’s $143 lost. It could have been more but our vet’s prices are reasonable. Thank goodness. 

So, that was last week. I put a Seresto collar on him for fleas and ticks and gave it a day to work. Then began integration with Jack, Alice, and Honey.

First, I brought BobCat inside in a carrier. He looked around and peered through the little holes at the television. He turned and looked at us through the door. The other cats stopped in their tracks when they saw him. He stayed in the carrier for about an hour.

He looks like a bunny from behind!

I finally took BobCat out of the carrier and put a harness and leash on him. I put him in my lap and he soaked up all the lovins and cuddles he could get! 

I didn’t get any photos of him exploring the house because he was still on the leash. I had to ensure I had control to avoid any fights to the death! Unbelievably, we had no conflicts and all 4 ate their evening meal together! Afterward, BobCat went back outside to give the other 3 a break. I feel bad that it got so cold last night but poor BobCat isn’t ready for indoors all the time quite yet.

This morning, BobCat came back inside but this time with a vest and leash, no carrier. (The harness I had on him yesterday was a bit too tight. The vest was just right.) He must have slept in my lap or alongside me in my chair for a couple of hours! He was so content and lovable. He even fell asleep for a bit! 

I removed the leash and eventually the vest because the other 3 cats decided to hide in my bedroom. I closed the door and let BobCat roam the house, checking everything out on his own terms. He checked out all of the litter boxes. He looked under, around, and behind everything in the house. Every time he passed one of the cat toys, he stopped and kicked the shit out of it and then took off. It was quite funny to watch!

When Jack wanted out of my bedroom, I opened the door and let the 2 of them eyeball each other for a short while. Thankfully, no fights BUT Jack’s patience started to wear thin so I put BobCat back outside. He’ll have to stay another night outside. It’ll be colder tonight than it was last night but he has an insulated dog house to sleep in. 

This integration thing is going to take some time, especially since Jack is such a jerk! It took 3 stinkin’ years to get Jack integrated with my other cats. At that time I had 5 others. BobCat won’t be the problem! 

Wish us luck! If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!