Penny came home yesterday.  She is still very scared.  The woman at the shelter said that she had had it rough, and she would take a while to get comfortable.  She didn’t want to get out of the carrier when we got home, even!  I made a spot for her in the bathroom---bed, food, water, toys---and let her hang out in there for a bit.  Then last night I sat with her and finally got a good cuddle!  I was so excited.  Today we’re going to show her the bedroom and see what she thinks of all that space.  Herman was not so happy, but he got a couple of new toys out of the deal, so he’s been busy with those.  Anyone have any tips for getting them to be nice to each other? 
Penny is very pretty . . . dark gray with interesting light markings and a white belly.  I think she might be part blue abyssinian?  She’s very long with tiny feet and long legs and a long tail.

Awwww!!! I still remember the day we brought our little brood home! They were so tiny then! We set up shop for them in the master bathroom for a few days until they got the hang of being with us, then they moved out into the great big world… aka: the living room. They also hid in the carriers for a while, but after a day or so they stopped using them as the safety zone. Now that the laundry room is the cat bedroom, they both run in there when they feel threatened. I used to keep the carriers around in their room as optional cozy den space so they wouldn’t be afraid of them when we needed to pack up and go somewhere, but my kitties got so darn huge! We just ran out of room for everything, so now the carriers have been moved out to the garage. But I made sure their cat beds fit into the carriers so they’ll feel a bit calmer when we have to take trips.

It’s been so long since I’ve had to do any introductions, but you’re on the right path. Set up a Penny Space so she has a secure area to hunker down in if she gets nervous, let her get used to the rest of your place bit by bit at a pace she’s comfortable with, and introduce her to Herman on some neutral ground (ie: away from everyone’s respective litterboxes and food dishes). And make sure you lavish plenty of attention on Herman too, so he doesn’t get jealous! She’s a kitten, so that will make it easier, older cats usually don’t see them as a threat, and they can make a big show of how good they are tolerating the little whippersnappers! : P Pretty soon he’ll be thinking it was all his idea to bring in an assistant groomer!

Don’t forget the pictures!!

Hey, just checking back to see how Penny and Herman are doing together!

Pictures??