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...

  Wooper by herself in the hallway The Would-Be-Only Cat in a Multi-Cat Household Some cats clearly—or subtly—present as preferring to be the one and only. Sometimes it's fear. Sometimes it's jealousy. Sometimes it’s both. These cats may coexist with others, but their emotional well-being and overall health often show the cost of that compromise. It can be difficult to differentiate between cats who are genuinely frightened of others and those who simply don’t want to share the attention of their beloved human. Either way, their needs are different from those of cats who seek feline company. Wooper is a classic example. We adopted her from our veterinarian’s office, where she had lived for a while after being rescued by the vet’s neighbor—found as a tiny, abandoned kitten in the grass. She was sassy with the clinic staff, which we took as a promising sign that she might handle the dynamics of a multi-cat household. At the time, we had two boys and one girl, and we hoped she mi...

  Moo, personality plus, cleaning his paws, without a worry in the world All cats are unique. No two are alike even if they are the same breed or from the same litter, Like people, But Moo is particularly unique. MOO was trapped as a feral kitten on the streets, TNR'd, and delivered to a shelter for adoption, but nobody wanted him. Not even the shelter, where he was so frightened that he did not move from one spot in two days, urinating and defecating on himself, not eating, and trembling non-stop. They called the TNR liaison and asked her to take him back and put him on the street, that he was not adoptable. Instead, she called me. He was just a scared kitten, about 12 weeks. He had no happy space of his own, no toys, no chance not to be on display. We put him by himself in our cat room, with toys, trees, food, water, and litter. All his own. We intruded only to refill and clean dishes. He began to explore and to play with the toys. Then, we invited super friendly, giant cat (but ...