So we have ended our catless stretch. A couple of weeks ago, we adopted two kittens, each weighing easily less than a pound apiece, but their size belies their ability to get into mischief. Two fuzzballs, one a calico, one a tabby. Named Chessie, for the Chesapeake and Ohio mascot from years past (the calico), and Merry, short for Meriodoc the Hobbit. My first cat out of college was named Pippin, so now I have completed the set of inquisitive hobbits.
Kittens make you see things with fresh eyes. Shoes are evil, and the strings have to be set free and loose. Ceiling fans, too. They go round and round, and must be stared at in wonder. And then there are the occasions when some of their body emissions do not find their way into the litter box. That’s definitely the down side of things.
So many strings! Each one must be played with. And then there are the endless bouts of wrestling between them. Only once have I seen this wrestling become serious, and that is when I shared a slice of deli ham between them. The growls were real in that case. The rest of the time, they are only playing, and we only object when they are wrestling while atop us in bed at 6 AM. See, it is growing light by that time, so everyone should be up and about.
We can hardly wait for the upcoming holiday season. We can only hope that they do not choose our Christmas tree as their own personal mountain to climb. I can hear them right now as they chase each other through the house, the pitter-patter of their little feet skittering along the wood.
The other downside for these cats is they had fleas. We got them from the neighbor of one of our friends, and we feel good for helping these two kittens escaping from their less than desirable surroundings. Apparently the woman of the house refuses to get her animals spayed and neutered, so litters continue to be brought forth in steady procession. The lucky kittens get adopted out, the less lucky get turned out of the house and onto the street once they lose their kitten charms. Since these kittens are so small, a bath in Dawn dish soap and Johnson’s baby shampoo are the only things we can use to get at the fleas. We’ll see if we can keep these cats as indoor cats, because their flea control will be so much easier if we can eliminate them now, and the cats never become exposed to them later in life. It will be a challenge to keep them inside, since they have already taken to camping by the door whenever we go outside. My reflexes will be tested as I remember how to discourage their exploration by forcefully removing them from the vicinity of the door whenever they want to expand their horizons. Since we love our outdoor living room, that will be a challenge for both of us.
They are at peak charm right now. I had forgotten what it was like to have two cats fall asleep atop of me, the two of them intertwined and exchanging positions slowly over time. When it is difficult to figure out where one cat begins, and the other cat ends, you figure that they are comfortable and happy to be where they are. And, after all, that is all you can hope with new kittens. That they are happy to be with you, and you are their 2nd best plaything (after each other).
Even A Broken Clock 