One of the things that we have noticed since we started having dogs and cats as pets is that addition or subtraction of one animal significantly changes the dynamic of all of their inter-relationships. This is not always for the better.
But sometimes it is.
We recently added Maggie, a young kitten to our household. We were not sure what that would look like. Not only do we have a large dog, but we have three other very independent and quirky cats.
There has been some fighting among the cats over the past year. One of our cats is very old, one is very grumpy, and another is just plain weird (he’s my favourite). It is not strange to see a tuft of fur from one of their fights.
Then came Maggie.
She conquered our Great Pyrenees, Lily, first. I’m not sure that either one of them realize they are different species. They have a very special relationship that includes both playing and cuddling.
Then there was Whitney, our old cat that we have often called the matriarch of the family. As far as we know, she never had kittens of her own, but she has a mothering personality. She has not failed with Maggie, and can be seen holding down a squirming Maggie while she grooms her.
Our two males, Wisdom and Gandalf, are the ones we were worried about. There are times Gandalf doesn’t get along with anyone and Wisdom has been known to pick on Whitney. Gandalf has been far better with Maggie than we could have hoped. And while Wisdom still growls and hisses on occasion, he is much more comfortable.
But the strangest thing is that is that Whitney, Wisdom, and Gandalf are also getting along much better with each other than they ever have. The entire animal dynamic in our home has shifted.
I am sure it will change again at some point, but it is great to see this difference and how this poor orphaned kitten has been welcomed by everyone in the family.
