My two foster girls (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...ng-two-kitties!) are going to their Furrever home tomorrow! They are being adopted by a delightful family I have cat-sat for for a long time. They lost one of their two male cats recently and were about to look for a new pal for Tuck, the remaining boy, when I suggested "How about TWO new pals for him?" And they came over and met the Girls and decided to go for them!

The two girls, ages 5 and 11, will be starting out in the room of one of the daughters who is away at college. The adopters have told me that Tuck is somewhat territorial. Another possible consideration: the Girls are both declawed, whereas Tuck has his nails (see http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...ats-with-claws).

So I am writing to ask for advice and suggestions on the best way to introduce him and the newbies to each other.

I figure the Girls should stay in their room for a few days to get used to yet another new environment. Tuck will no doubt wonder why he is shut out of that room and sniff the aromas of the new arrivals.

Any thoughts on when to let him in or to let one or both of them out? Anything we can do to smooth out the process, make them more attractive to each other while they go through the intro period?

They are all cats of a certain age, so I think once the shock wears off they will settle down around each other. My regulars have mixed with the Girls with just the occasional obligatory hisses but no actual conflicts. (Mine all have nails, too.) The Girls are lovers, not fighters, and I imagine if Tuck gets hostile with them they'll just retreat.

But I REALLY want this process to go smoothly and the adoption to work out! These people will give them a WONDERFUL home, just as they have always done for their cats, and even better, I'll be able to keep in touch with the Girls and visit them when I cat-sit there again!

Thanks SO much for any words of wisdom!


Pat and Kitty and Kellie and the rest of the gang