I haven't written in ages due to a nasty case of sciatica. It's hard to sit for any length of time, let alone concentrate. Bear with me, please.
A wee paw just shot out from behind my laptop screen and attacked the mouse, signaling that nap time is over and play time is beginning. A long nap behind the screen permitted me to get some work accomplished unassisted. Zoey just discovered the computer today. She is enthralled by the tapping of my fingernails on the keys and wants to do all she can to help. That is, in between chewing on my work papers and attacking the mouse. Then there's watching Phantom on his stand. That's pretty fascinating as well. The life of a kitten is just one amazing distraction after another - for the kitten as well as for any humans in the vicinity. I would be hard pressed to find anything as cute as playing kittens. It's no wonder cat videos are so darn popular.
Zoey and her brother Zeke are around 12 weeks old. They were born in the deck furniture cushion bin/cat shelter on our deck to one of our many semi-feral cats. (One that would have been spayed back in the days of disposable income.) There were three "orange" tabbies in the litter, but one was not destined to survive. When it died in the bin, Mom (Halle - named for hubby's favorite actress) moved her surviving brood into the garage where they camped out on an old dog bed on a shelf. Once their eyes were open and they became a bit mobile, mom cat moved them to a safer spot. To our delight, though she kept moving them as their needs changed, Halle never hid them, allowing us the chance to acclimate them to humans from a very early age. After the shelf, she moved them onto the floor behind some cardboard. After that, she took them under the deck beside a thick clematis on a trellis. When that spot proved lacking in protection, they moved across the way to den under a turned-up wheelbarrow in the side yard. This offered much better shelter from the rain and fluctuating early summer temperatures, as well as a wealth of play opportunities. All the while, I was able to track them, spend time near them, and eventually earn their total trust.
From before their eyes were open, I picked them up and held them to my chest, talking softly. Zoey was the larger of the two and Zeke was the vocal one. Zoey nestled in against me, while he put up a fuss, alerting his mother that the nest was being disturbed. Halle growled a warning at me more than once, but never really did anything to prevent me from interacting with the kittens. She watched with a wary eye, but grew to trust us with her babies. Not only us, but Bailey the boxer.
Bailey has been sticking her nose in their space since they were born; in fact, it was she who alerted me that there was something quite interesting in the cushion bin. She has been fascinated with them from the beginning. And they have tolerated her invasive muzzle and awkward, from a kitten point of view, efforts to play. There has been a fair amount of hissing and puffing-up, but they really don't mind the dog at all as long as she respects their space. Sniffing is fine, boxing is not. The kittens lay on the deck near her and have no problem walking under or around her. They're still a bit hesitant to be out in the open yard with her, though, feeling just a little too vulnerable with those big paws racing around. I am sure that they will both do well with a cat-friendly dog who respects their space. It wouldn't surprise me at all to eventually see them curled up next to a canine buddy.
A few evenings ago, a thunderstorm developed while we were cooking dinner. Much to my surprise, a meowing kitten climbed the screen at the deck door, loudly complaining about the conditions on the outside. I opened the door to see what I could do and both kittens marched right into the family room. This wasn't their first foray into the house. Zoey had spent several hours one rainy afternoon snoozing away in a cat bed. They had both come in for a dish of wet food in the morning or take a quick tour to check out the in-house happenings. But to have them "ask" to come in was something new. They were so relieved to be in out of the rain and noise and flashes that they settled down for a long nap in a cat bed by the door; a nap which stretched into the next morning. The following evening, they both came in again and spent the night. (I think Mom was willing to let us take on the night shift as long as she got them back in the morning.)
While I hesitated to let them mingle with the indoor cats, I also knew that acclimating them to the house is crucial to getting them adopted into a family where they will get all of the love and care they could want. I needed to know that they behave well inside - including using the litter box. The first time I introduced Zoey to the box, she showed no hesitation in putting it to its proper use. Zeke, being a little less willing to embrace new things, jumped right out at the initial experience, but I soon caught him taking advantage of the "facilities." Whew!
Zoey's play session was short lived. After a snack, she is back asleep behind the laptop. (How can a furry creature be comfortable next to a heat emitting machine on an 80+ degree day? One of the mysteries of the universe...) She has always been the more independent of the two, ready for new adventures and to meet new beings. Zeke is a little more tentative, but is a very sweet little guy. The saga of the sweet little marmalade siblings in search of a forever home continues. While we are thoroughly enjoying their time with us, we are so anxious to know that they will find a home/family where they can entertain with their antics and show their appreciation with purrs and ankle rubs a plenty.
