It was fascinating watching cats negotiate with each other

[charlie and algernon]

I moved into a new house over the weekend where I'll be roommates with a girl who already has a cat in the house. We did kind of a hybrid of the isolation technique. When I first started bringing my stuff over, we put Holly (the current cat) in another room as I'd need to have the front door open. So we just kept Holly in that room when I brought my cat, Esther, over with the last of my stuff. This gave Esther a chance to roam freely and stretch her legs after the car ride over.

So a couple hours later, the roommate brings Holly out, the cats see each other, both growl, and holly darts under the bed in the roommate's room. A short while later, ESTHER goes under that bed too and ... nothing happens, thankfully. Apparently Esther even turned her back to Holly.

But that's not most fascinating part. So Saturday and all day Sunday pass and the cats basically keep to themselves, staying away from each other. Sunday night, Holly is in the kitchen and Esther is in my room. I'm in the living room, in the middle.
Esther walks out, both cats see each other and proceed to stare each other down, a few growls are emitted from both. But then I witness what amounts to a mutual, gradual standing down of the armed forces, lol!
First Esther sits down, then Holly, who was already sitting, puts her head down.
Then Esther looks away, then Holly looks away.
Then Esther goes back towards my room, then Holly walks into the living room and jumps onto a chair.
Then Esther returns and the staring starts up again.
Esther sits down again and tucks her paws underneath her. Holly relaxes again.
Esther puts her head down, Holly puts her head down.
Esther closes her eyes, Holly closes her eyes.

The standoff is over!! LOL!

I haven't been around much since the disarmament and certianly haven't seen the cats together, so I don't know if the Cold War is over. But I at least know that the Cold War won't turn hot. :woohoo: