The Introduction

So, the reason I decided to get Mokey was because Gobo seemed so lonely. We had a stray kitten outside of my apartment, and I let it into my apartment to explore for a bit. Gobo kept his distance, but was definitely interested and curious. When the kitten left and I shut the door, Gobo sat by the door, crying. That was when I was like, "Ok! I'm getting Gobo a friend!"

Gobo is normally an extremely friendly cat, so I didn't think I'd have any problem introducing another friendly cat to him! I was advised to get a female kitten because Gobo could then be the dominant one, and there wouldn't be any issues. At first Gobo was curious...he sniffed Mokey and followed her around the apartment. Then, he got mad and jealous. I made sure to pay extra special attention to Gobo, so he wouldn't feel replaced, but he just wanted her gone. He stayed away from Mokey (even though she was so friendly, and she just wanted to play), and he'd growl and hiss whenever she came close to him.

I guess that after 6 years of being my "only child," Gobo didn't want to share the attention. Gobo stopped eating and drinking, and hid in my closet and under my covers at all times. He was depressed and I didn't know what to do!!! I was so upset that I cried about it, and called some friends who are cat owners to ask for any advice! I was really worried. What if I made a mistake? What if Gobo stayed depressed? What if this changed Gobo's personality, and he stopped being friendly and cuddly?

I emailed Ginny (the woman who had fostered Mokey), and she was so sweet and helpful. She talked to me on the phone and told me to just relax. She assured me that I made the right decision in getting Mokey, and that Gobo would eventually accept her. She told me to just give it time. Everyone told me to just give it time, but I'm really impatient! I hated seeing Gobo so depressed, and I wanted him to be friends with Mokey. My friend, Anna, told me to try Feliway. It's this thing that you plug into your wall (kind of like a Glade Plug-in), and it lets out some sort of cat phermone scent. It's supposed to help cats in stressful situations (a move, introduction of a new cat, etc.). Well, I don't know if it was the Feliway, or just that enough time had passed and Gobo got used to Mokey being around...but it worked! Gobo started eating and drinking again...and he and Mokey were getting along finally. HOORAY!

So, Gobo and Mokey are now friends. Gobo is always chasing Mokey around the house, trying to clean her! They wrestle a lot, and sometimes it worries me because Gobo is so much bigger than Mokey...but I think she is fine and is feisty enough to hold her own. She finds little, tiny corners to hide in, where Gobo can't reach her. It's funny because Gobo will sit there, waiting for her to come out...and Mokey will just stay in her hiding spot, but occassionally stick her paw out and smack Gobo in the face!