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Introduction Learning Experience Decision Time Dolce met Vito Next Steps
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Cat Born in wild adopts our backyard
deck. Dolce Mia adopting a cat? I don't think so. This cat we named Vito Mio (Italian male gender for "My Life") was born in the wild along with his brother in early spring of 2003. Shortly after giving his brother away we found out that the Humane Society was to put him to sleep because of an auto-immune issue. We decided not to pay attention to Vito's running eyes, sneezes, and weak appearance, as we feared the same, but rather let him have a say over his own life, hence, came the name Vito Mio. I assumed the worse; the mother abandoned these kittens; was not well nursed; or the mother was herself ill. Back to Top Vito was probably the runt of the litter, and that he did not get enough nutrition from his mother. Because of the weakness of the kitten we decided to slowly get him to accept us first. Over the last several months Vito befriended us, and we all here have fallen in love with the cat. Mind you, we are dog lovers, not cat lovers, so we thought. I did have a Blue Point Siamese about 20 years ago because of our work schedule we could not have a dog. Guido was his name. Vito, a surprise to us is just like him in character. Wants attention, loves to be held, come when you call, purrs loudly. This doesn't fit my understanding of a kitten or cat. I thought only Blue Point Siamese were the only cats that acted like dogs (ie. Happy to see you, be with you, and come when you call). My mistake! Back to Top There are many reasons why the auto-immune system fails, and one is that not enough nutrition and anti-bodies are introduced in the early stages of life. For a kitten in the wild, this can mean death. The real question is what can we do to make things better for Vito? With that in mind, I believe that if we provided the proper nutrition for the cat, nature would help with the rest. I am a firm believer that you do not treat the symptom, but rather the cause. It doesn't work in all cases, but you have to give that approach at least a shot. That is the approach we have taken and well Spring is gone, Summer has passed, and Fall is here. We are all here together. Vito looks like he is gaining weight, and sticks by the house a lot. The only time I have seen him leave is to play and hunt in the woods. My son built him a little house outside and he spends some of his day and nights there. We are not sure of what the future will bring for Vito, but we know now that he has a life with us as long nature allows it to be so. We are happy that Vito has adopted us. I still fear that if we turn him into the Humane Society for adoption that euthanasia will be on the docket, so the decision was made for us; Keep Vito. The decision to keep Vito was easy, however, the next steps will be very difficult. Back to Top Now we come to the purpose of this article, besides to entertain. How do we safely introduce a kitten into the Akita World? Dolce Mia has watched us with the cat all summer, and because of various reasons and concerns we haven't introduced Dolce to Vito. |
Winter is approaching and unless we give Vito away to a caring person, we will have to bring Vito inside for the worst part of the winter. The dilemma is that an Akita is an Akita. Animal aggressive they are, but not all things are black and white. Will Dolce befriend Vito, or will she accidentally, or intentionally injure him. A 94lb dog versus a 5lb cat isn't the best situation I can think of. I have tried to do a slow introduction to Dolce Mia, and while I am present, things go ok. Dolce Mia respects me and follows my lead. Holding Vito in my arms, I have let Dolce Mia smell Vito Mio vigorously, clean the cat by licking him, and perform other curious actions that only a dog knows. Dolce Mia being the most dominant female that I have ever handled leaves me with a wide level of suspicion and questions. So far so good. Back to Top I have several strategies up my sleeve. Safety of both animals is my primary concern and care must be given in this type of training. I am quite happy with Dolce Mia and her behavior, but caution is in order. We all must also realize that the genetic imprint of these animals is what drives their instinct. Training helps modify and control, but never changes the genetic imprint. Our next steps will be a multi step process including an introduction on a daily basis by Dolce Mia, behavior observations to insure non-aggressive behavior and appropriate corrections, introducing Vito into the home without Dolce Mia, introducing Vito and Dolce Mia inside the home, and eventually having to observe and control the ultimate chase game that feline and canine must encounter. From this observation we hope to determine the compatibility of Vito and Dolce and work toward a mean that will accommodate both feline and canine. If there is anyone out there reading this story, and has had experience with an Akita in this situation, please email us at webmaster@kcha.net. At the next update to this site, I will let you know if Dolce and Vito become friends. Donations Welcome Click here for more information.
Introducing Canine to Feline |
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