Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Dear Diva - Feature Question of the Week: Integration of New Family Member

Hello My Darlings!

I have an announcement......

I am adding a "Special Feature" to my blog called "Dear Diva".

I will feature ONE of your favorite questions.  You may send them to the following: divapaws4advise@gmail.com.

The subject today is: Integration and how you introduce and welcome a new family member
                              
Who this New Divo gracing my presence
As with any human relationship, forming them and creating a positive bond takes time. With humans a handshake or a polite "How Do YOU Do" breaks the ice.  Now with feline and canine species this take a little more time... (washes her face with paws and thinks).



According to my resources: 
Feline Social Behavior and  Feline  Organization
Domestic cats tend to be solitary. They do not usually form large groups with complex social structures as do dogs. Cats are also very territorial by nature, some more so than others. However because their social organizations is somewhat flexible, some cats are relatively tolerant of sharing their house and territory with multiple cats. It is not uncommon for a cat to tolerate certain other family cats, but not get along with others in the house.The factors that determine how well cats will get along together are not fully understood. 

Cats who are well socialized, meaning they had many pleasant experiences with other cats during kitten hood, will likely be more sociable than cats who have not been around many other cats. On the other hand, "street cats' who are in the habit of fighting with other cats in order to defend their territory and food resources, may not do well in a multi-cat household.


Mae West Quote: Too Much of a Good Thing is Wonderful
Getting along is simply a test of 'good manners'.  Having worked in the theatre for many years and dealing with Diva and Divos.  This brings strong personalities together --- often in confined spaces.   




The coolest new Divo in town.
I WILL have YOU under MY  spell.




You can still maintain your strong character traits with the new arrival.  A little dignity is sugar of diplomacy. The little nod of the head and a gentle bow will put you ahead in a healthy relationship. 

Who knows, you may become best friends, perhaps sharing food!  I'll speak more about this later.'

Wow ...we worked
 through the integration phase.
My Darlings, my word for you today is simply this: 'grace becomes YOU'. 

Ciao ......watch out for my next post.........................

4 comments:

  1. I'm all for grace. It's one of my main goals. Unfortunately, my dogs have not considered the values of being graceful in the presence of company. They get way too loud when they don't understand what's happening.

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    1. Dear Esther. Yes, dogs have differing optics to felines. Purhaps, you could train them to 'sit' or obtain the 'stacked stance' in dog training.

      Like children dogs can get excited and overwhelmed. Acknowledge them or as my human often says to me "settle" this usually calms me down and I can then focus!

      Cheers

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  2. I hope I can become a friend to Diva Cat, and that she wont run away from her Aussie visitor!

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    Replies
    1. Dear Aussie Friend, how lovely for you to drop in from "Across the Pond". We welcome 'new mates' to our blog page...please introduce yourself and consider becoming a member!

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