Hello!

I adopted a gorgeous 2 year old cat named Abraham on Monday (this is his third day here). I’ve always wanted to have a cat, and I found a cat at a local shelter who seemed really chill, curious, and affectionate. He used to be a stray. I have always had dogs growing up and interacted a lot with stray kitties and I love them. I currently have a 9 year old dog that I’ve had ever since she was a puppy. It’s just me and her.

I’m a very anxious person by nature and I don’t adapt to change well (I know, I know, maybe adopting a cat wasn’t a great idea). But I do already care greatly for Abraham and would love to give him a chance to see if we’re a good fit. I’d just like some advice/reassurance since Google just makes everything sound like death.

I had him in my guest bedroom for the first day until he seemed ready to explore the rest of the apartment. I had all his necessities in there: food, water, bed, toys, litter box. Surprisingly, he seemed ready by day 2. I also did a slow introduction to my dog and they seemed to get along fine. I DO NOT leave them alone yet. I won’t do that for at least two weeks or until I can trust they won’t be mean to each other. I know that above all else, time and patience are the key. It’s so early, but it’s a very anxious time for me.

Some questions: - Will Abraham have sufficient social interaction? It’s just me and my dog and I’m worried he’ll get lonely. Part of the reason I adopted him is that my dog (Amelie) seemed a bit lonely. Don’t worry, she gets interaction with trusted friends with vaccinated dogs. - What do cats do all day? When I come home, Abraham mostly …. Hangs out. Sleeps a bit. I’m going to make a habit of playing with him in the evenings after work, but he doesn’t really care to do that for more than 20 minutes - what kind of behavioral issues should I expect? I can already tell that Abraham is very food-motivated and tries to eat out of my dog’s bowl. I spray him with the water bottle and he usually just stops and won’t re-try. But he did try it yesterday and today. Any tips for training? I know the spray bottle isn’t ideal. - what should I expect for night-time? I tried to let him sleep with me and Amelie last night and he got up and meowed at the door after 1hr. I put him in my guest bedroom and once I feel comfortable, I just plan to let him roam the apartment. Will he eventually come to sleep with us all night? What do they do all night?

Any general tips are appreciated! I’m a little overwhelmed and I don’t want to keep him for too long if I’m not going to be a good cat owner.