Meeting the Cat
The first morning after I went home from the shelter, my mom introduced me to Ayla the cat. When I first arrived home, Ayla didn’t know whether she could trust me, even though I looked a lot like Sable, so she hid from me in the closet. Mom wanted me to get familiar with my new surroundings that first day, and so it wasn’t until the next morning that she formally introduced me to Ayla. I was really excited about Ayla and wanted to be playful with her, but mom helped me understand that Ayla was scared of me. So with mom managing our introduction, we met face to face in a calm manner. I learned to be nice toward Ayla and to give her the space she needed to feel comfortable, and once I did that, Ayla realized that she was safe to come out from hiding.
This is the first picture mom took of us that morning:
Ayla and I are pals now and get along great, which is really good since we share the same house! I’m so glad to have her company because mom can’t be home all the time and I would get really lonely staying home all by myself. Mom says Ayla was looking for Sable the night she passed away because she was yowling really loudly, so she says Ayla likes my company too, which makes me very happy!
Do you wonder if you could add a dog or cat to your household with your existing pet? This article offers advice on how to introduce dogs and cats: