So even though I knew it may take more time, I trusted that we would know when the right cat came along, just like we did with Ro. And I was correct.
About two weeks ago, I learned that the family I got Roland from had some stray cats that they were trying to find homes for. A handful of wayward kitties were hanging out on their property, and they felt so bad for them because it was clear that all these cats wanted was some love. Since the family already has several cats, though, they simply couldn't take the abandoned kitties in themselves.
My interest was peaked when I found out that one of the cats is a female Maine Coon, already spayed, and about the same age as Roland. The fact that I'd be getting her from the same family who gave us Ro got me even more excited about the prospect of possibly finding "the one."
I was then given this photo and I absolutely fell head over heels. Immediately. Undeniably. Irrevocably. Intensely. And then when I met her, the love grew times a million.
I'd like you all to meet our newest family member, Hermione. Hermione is the perfect fit for our family, and I can't tell you how obsessed with her we are. She's such a teeny thing, so sweet, and in her short time on this earth, has already had to overcome abandonment and had to live solely by her wits. I keep calling her my little ragamuffin cat, because she was essentially just a stray until we got her. Someone tried to adopt her at one point, but had to give her back because unfortunately their resident cat was beating up on and bullying her. So even though she isn't an official shelter rescue, I truly feel like we helped to save this little girl's life.
I had my mom come with me when I met Hermione, because there was another cat that this family was trying to home. I am happy to report that I've officially turned my mother, who has previously claimed to hate cats, into an official crazy cat lady. She bonded instantly with this 9-month-old green-eyed black cat, took him home, and named him Sancho. Isn't he adorable??? Now my mom can hardly bear to leave the house and her snuggle sessions with her new kitty baby. Really, who in their right mind can resist kitty snuggles?
I have to say, it's been an adventurous week with these new cats, especially in our household, since we're acclimating Hermione to our family while also making sure Roland isn't traumatized over not being the only cat anymore. I must admit that my anxiety reared its head a few times when the two cats first met. They were both clearly a little scared of each other and had a handful of scary sounding hissing matches. While I know that this is completely normal, I was still so worried that my cats were going to hate each other and I didn't want either of them to be traumatized. Also, I watch far too much My Cat From Hell, which only convinced me further that fur would fly if we weren't careful.
Luckily, it only took about a day and a half for them to start warming up to each other. After the first night, they were able to eat next to each other without hissing. After the second night, we were able to let Hermione roam the house freely and explore. She and Roland initially kept their distance, but at this point it's only been three days, and I can already tell that Roland is just very interested in Hermione and wants to play with her and be by her. And it's very clear that Hermione is slowly learning to trust Ro. She's starting to learn that he respects her boundaries and keeps away from her food bowl and litter box, so she seems to be way less standoffish when he is around.
Considering the fact that Hermione has had mostly bad experiences with other cats, and the fact that Roland hasn't even been around another cat since he was 8 weeks old, I'm ridiculously proud and impressed with how good both of them have been so far. I seriously can't wait until they get even more used to each other and start to play together and such, because I know Ro will love having a play buddy! Today he even tossed a toy at her for the first time! Hopefully soon she will start to play back!
In the meantime, we are continuing to work with them and help them adjust. I am extremely happy with how things are going and can't even describe the amount of feels that I've had over my amazing little family. Especially during moments like this...
I look forward to more adventures with Hermione and Roland, and can't wait to post more photos and fun stories on the blog so you guys can share in the excitement!
On that note, I am going to hit the hay to prepare for a lovely and relaxing Caturday with my two cat children and husband. I hope you all are having a fantastic weekend so far!
Xo*
Jess
