Shadow’s One Month Anniversary
So, our little black cat, the one who showed up unexpectedly at our house the morning of November 8th has been with us officially one month, today. We named him Shadow, a name perfectly suited for him, as he tends to lurk in the shadows of our house, blending into our counters, furniture, and more. He also likes to shadow the other cats, trying to make friends as only an energetic 6-month-old young cat will do, which they don’t find quite as endearing as I do. Especially Jazmine.
I’ve done the cat rescue/acclimate into a multi-cat household for years, but this rescue has been especially challenging and trying. Jazmine, forgetting she was once a rescue herself back in 2014 that my then other seven cats had to get used to is not happy to be sharing her living space with a new furry stranger.
She continues to low growl any time he’s near, which is frequent because he’s not at all shy and enjoys being in the middle of whatever is going on at any moment. This translates to negative energy, which translates to an exceedingly high level of cat-pheromones in the air, causing all 8 cats to be a bit bonkers. So, as you can imagine, I’ve been trying to keep up with bouts of territorial spraying, loud fights, and general mayhem.
I’m confident things will get better. Shadow is truly a sweet boy and not a troublemaker at all. We’re incorporating as much positive reward association as we can with them collectively to help manage the situation, such as frequent doses of treats and playtime. We also took them all out last weekend for an outdoor excursion in our fenced in backyard – something they all love – and having Shadow part of something so enjoyable to them was a great way to encourage bonding.
Jazmine, of course, didn’t share my enthusiasm or positive thinking. Patience, I just keep telling myself, patience…

Shadow: What’s that? You want to play, you said?
He sure is a handsome boy. I think they will all get used to him eventually and all will learn the boundries.Have a great day.
Ah young energy.. not quite what the “elders” were looking for.
Shadow is simply gorgeous. Hoping that peace will grace your household very, very soon.
Happy one month anniversary Shadow! Settling in takes time, but it looks like things are progressing nicely. Beautiful kitty photos today!
So handsome! Happy one month Anniversary, Shadow!
Sometimes there is adaptation and acclimation in multi-cat families when a new member joins — sometimes not, as is the case in mine; but if your home is large and your love likewise, it will all work out. Shadow is so handsome!
Eeek! I missed something along the way,…….welcome Shadow! He is a handsome fellow for sure. If anyone can work things out with the cats, it’s you!
Shadow is beautiful, and we hope that time will soon bring peace back to your home. Purrs
Made it through the first month !
Shadow is a handsome boy. I hope Jazmine soon realises he is here to stay, and even if she doesn’t love him, she will become tolerant of him.
Shadow is adorable…but then again, we’re partial to black cats. We hope he and Jazmine become friends soon.
I am so glad Shadow found a loving home with you. XO
Ah, of course Jazmine would be a holdout. She thinks of herself as number one! I just love that last photo. It looks like a studio shot! Beautiful.
Good luck; I think you are awesome for being so loving
We LURV housepanthers, and also have full confidence that you’ll find ways to calm your clowder down to a low roar. The young’uns make the oldsters all whiney!
Shadow is super handsome. I was just saying this morning that I want another black cat. I told the kitties’ dad that maybe one will show up on our porch on Christmas Eve. That happened years ago; though, the cat wasn’t black, and we didn’t keep her. She went to live with a girlfriend of mine. “Bouts of territorial spraying, loud fights, and general mayhem…” sounds like our house on a daily basis. Never know who is going to get along from one day to the next. Hugs, Janet & XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer