MSI Press Blog

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...

  Precerpt (excerpt from prepublication book) from Raising Happy Cat Families by Luna Norwood -- Coming in from the Cold And then there is the situation where a feral cat literally comes in from the cold (often not by request). One moment, they’re out there, surviving in the chaos of open space, and the next—they’re dropped into a world bounded by walls, filled with strange smells, expectations, and no visible escape routes. For a feral cat, this abrupt shift in territory can be deeply shocking. Outdoors, territory is fluid and layered: open air, moving sunlight, shifting alliances, and the constant demands of self-defense. Indoors, by contrast, is static and enclosed. It smells of humans and other cats. Boundaries are suddenly vertical—cat trees, shelves, window sills—not horizontal. Social rules are tighter, proximity is unavoidable, and the absence of hiding places can feel like exposure rather than comfort. Some cats take this change in stride. Many do not. While some cats thr...

  Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from Raising Happy Cat families by Luna Norwood Snyezhka, a Siamese-Tabby blend, was an easy rescue. Night after night on our house surveillance camera, we would see this small tan cat stop by our downstairs door, where we left food for the street cats, and eat with relish. One night, I was in our basement area in the early hours of the morning when Snyezhka came up our hill and to the downstairs door for her nightly feast. As she ate, two large tom cats pounced on her, clearly ready to mate her. But she was not in agreement, and she fought them off. Half their size, with twice their spirit. I opened the door, quickly grabbed her, and brought her inside. She did not fight me. She appeared relieved to be safe from her suitors. She slept on a chair in the basement room all night. I placed a disposable litter pan near her, the kind that come with a removable lid, seeded it with some poop from one of our litter robots, and she used it a couple ...