Paso Robles and Mountain Lioness finally curled up and snuggled with each other. They lived together for the past year and a half. They always got along fine and played with each other. Daily they stalked prey together while sitting on window sills and looking out through screens in the Florida Room. I would often see ML chase PR into a bedroom, and then a few seconds later PR would chase ML back out of the bedroom.Their antics were almost cartoon like. However, I never saw them touch each other, curl up together, or groom each other.
Cats have social circles. If cats are in the same social circle, they will touch and groom each other.
If cats are not in the same social circle, they will often tolerate and get along with each other. However they do not touch or groom each other. In a multiple cat household, there can be multiple social circles. When I had the five cats, there were three social circles. The Egyptian Maus were all in the same social circle. The other two cats were in their own social circle. Sunwapta loved all the cats, so he was in all the social circles, making the third circle.
I was concerned that ML and PR were not in the same social circle since I never saw them touch and groom each other. I often saw them sitting next to each other, but never touching each other. I started to come to terms that they would not be affectionate with each other. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw them curled up together. Maybe they both just needed to mature a bit. They are both around two years old.
I think that PR had the upper paw. She would sometimes sit on me and sleep next to me. ML never would. Then a few days ago, ML started to sleep next to me sometimes for a short time. Then ML finally crawled up on my chest several times while I was laying on the sofa. A day later while ML was laying on the end of the sofa near my feet, it was PR who came down off her perch on the center cushion of the sofa, and laid down next to ML. ML groomed PR a little bit, licking her head, and then they both curled and snuggled up to next to each other and went to sleep.
I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.