Al is my ginger cat. His full name is Alexie. He's named after Sherman Alexie, a writer who comes from this area, the Inland NW. I've had Al for a couple of years; he's the pet with seniority. I found Al in a grounds of a former work place. From the windows of the building I worked in, I watched as he introduced himself to people time and again. People would stop and pet him and move on. Al looked like he was in need of a home. I suspected that he wasn't from the neighborhood, but rather had been dumped off. So I took him home.
I thought he was a girl; he was so pretty. I worried he was pregnant. When I took him to the vet's office, I relayed my concern. When the vet got a good look at him, he said,"I'd be the biggest fool in the county to spay this cat. He's a neutered male." So Al went from the name Fiona (meaning beautiful in Scottish Gaelic) to Alexie right then and there.
Being a very laid back cat, Al adjusted to Riley with no problem. There is a little sibling rivalry at times, but all in all they do well together. Riley is sweet natured and is not prey driven like my former dog Ellie had been (she tolerated "her" cats only because her pack leader expected her to do so). However, Riley is playful and must be supervised with Al. The "Don't touch" command is working well. When Riley looms over Al, I just say, "Don't touch" and she backs off. It took some work to get her to that point, but Al played along and didn't complain. Al is a very self-possessed cat and doesn't spook easily.
