MSI Press Blog

  This book is the first in the Charming Cats series for cat owners and cat lovers. Information about integrating cats into families, herding cats, and more, along with illustrations, fill the pages. By Luna Norwood.  Book description: Welcoming the Whiskered: Understanding and Integrating Cats into Your Home Bringing a new cat into your life—or into a multi-cat household—can be a delicate dance of trust, territory, and feline politics.  Welcoming the Whiskered  is your compassionate, practical guide to understanding the complex emotional and social lives of cats so you can create a harmonious home for every whiskered resident. From the first tentative greeting to long-term bonding, this book walks you through the crucial steps of gaining a cat’s confidence, managing introductions, and navigating the dynamics of alpha and beta personalities. You'll learn how breed tendencies, territorial instincts, and emotional cues shape your cat's behavior—especially when visitors...

Bobolink's last loving and painful minutes, nestled against owner, Luna .   Integrating New Cats When Older Cats Are Dying Integrating new cats into an established cat family is always a delicate dance, but it becomes even more complex when one of the older cats is nearing the end of life. The emotions in the household shift—grief, vigilance, and quiet respect settle in—and the dynamics between the cats can change in ways that are subtle, profound, or both. In most cases, the cat who is dying has been part of the family for many years, often serving as a social anchor. The newcomers, in addition to finding their place among the living members, must navigate the emotional space left by the one who is leaving. Snyezhka, Happy Cat, and the Distance of Newcomers When Snyezhka was dying from breast, liver, and lung cancer, it wasn’t the new cats who stepped in to care for her—it was Happy Cat, her longtime companion and the beta heart of the household. Happy Cat washed her when she coul...

When people hear that we live with a large and peaceful cat family, their first question is often, “How do you manage to get them all to get along?” The second is, “Aren’t some of them from the street or shelters?” The answer is yes—our family includes cats born feral, cats adopted from shelters, and cats who were clearly abandoned by former owners. Integrating them takes time and care, but with the right approach, they can not only settle in, but thrive as part of a loving feline household. Over the years, I’ve come to notice distinct differences—and some striking similarities—among these three backgrounds when it comes to adoption and integration. Understanding those patterns helps enormously when preparing to bring a new cat into an established family. 🐾 Different Beginnings, Different Needs Feral Cats These are cats born outdoors, often to generations of unsocialized cats. They may never have had a positive interaction with a human before being rescued. They tend to rely hea...