it's a boy!

Meet my new boyfriend. His name is Tristan, named after the flirty character on All Creatures Great and Small. He's about a year old, maybe a year and a half, and he's considered a "classic" tabby, whatever that means. I got him from the Howard County Animal Shelter. All they know about him is that he's a stray who found his way there.

He's the most affectionate cat I've ever met. He loves to knead - the floor, the air, the nearest person. He loves to bump heads and rub his face all over you (I get European kisses on each cheek), he's careful with his claws and his teeth when he's playing with your fingers, and he even lets me rub his tummy. He also drools a bit when he's happy - the shelter volunteer calls this "liquid purring."

He likes watching the letters magically appear on the computer screen as I'm typing. He finds this fascinating. Earlier, I was watching a video on YouTube, and he was engrossed in the movement on the screen. He also curls up in my arms, and we watch movies together.

I brought him home the day he was neutered, and he seemed unfazed by both the surgery and the new surroundings. He immediately wanted to eat, and I'm going to free-feed him for a bit because he's on the skinny side.

He and Lyra are slowly getting used to each other. The first few times they met, I had Tristan in a carrier with the door closed, and I let Lyra see him. She did all the hissing and growling and advance and retreat while he remained quite calm the whole time. He meowed at Lyra a few times, the kind that sound like asking a question, and I got the sense that he was trying to make "contact," as it were. Since then, they get nose to nose, and there are the occasional swipes, usually from Lyra. The windstorm a few days ago sent them both scurrying under the bed, although at opposite ends. I must remember to thank Mother Nature for helping the introduction process along.

They have their evening crazies together now, which is mainly Lyra chasing Tristan all over the condo. He does stand his ground against her when he wants to be left alone. This lasts off and on for most of the night. They both like to sleep on the bed - Tristan up near, and sometimes on, the pillows, and Lyra down near my feet...so she can pounce on them. They're eating out of each other's bowls, and playing with each other's toys, which I assume is a good thing. I don't know that they'll ever be lovey-dovey with each other, but they at least tolerate each other.

I'm trying some stuff called Feliway, which is a homeopathic remedy to calm cats. It's supposed to be good for introducing new cats into a household. The shelter gave me a DVD of "now that your new cat is home" and they mention it, so I thought it would be worth a try and the vet even carries it. It definitely seems to be helping.