Save the Sprouts!

Of the two kitties I trapped yesterday, baby boy red was released back to Melville Street, where he did not run when trap door was opened, and he just stayed there and ate the food that was placed for him last evening.  The other cat gof lucky.  Fritzi from Ferndale and Webster Crescent is in my bathroom.  And WHAT A LOVER is he?  What a lover.  Amanda, Chewy's foster, has offered to foster him.  I also had a mother offer that her daughter was interested and I would hear back from her.  Fingers crossed!  :)  I will have better pictures of him soon.

FRITZI

PS, I am still trying to find a decent camera!  UGGGH!

So a family came over yesterday to meet the last of the reds - the buff colored kittens I had four of, two have been spoken for, and two left.  I had gotten home from work and was puttering around in the back yard - weather is so nice these days - and prior I had turned on the burner to steam some Brussels sprouts.  The family arrived to meet Tucker and Buster, and we gathered on the porch where they ooohed and aaaahed over the little ones.  I went in the house for something and was BLASTED the smell of burning Brussels sprouts!  And MAN, what a smell that is!  It lasted for hours!  And I nearly burned my pan.  How many times have I done this?  I actually ruined my last stove with that, my beautiful pot melted on top of the burner.  I CANNOT have the burners on when I am dealing with kittens.  You just get carried away with them, right?  

The good part of the burned Brussels sprouts is that the family wound up wanting to adopt BOTH kittens.  HURRAY!!!  I am so thankful to them!  Here are some good reasons why its good to adopt two kittens rather than one.

1. It’s twice as much cute fluffy fun … if one kitten is adorable, then surely two is even more adorable? 

2. So they can play together. Kittens love to play. They have a wide variety of play behaviours: play with objects such as cat toys or shoe-laces, chasing, running, hiding, leaping, and even chasing their own (or  another cat’s) tail. Play behaviours peak at about four months old, and then tail off, but adult cats like to play too. There are several ideas about why play is important, such as practising hunting behaviours, developing motor skills, keeping fit, and learning about the environment and social bonds. As with other animals, play seems to be important in feline development. Having another kitten around will increase the opportunities for play, and they will continue to play together as adults. 

3. Kittens learn from each other. As young animals, kittens have a lot to learn, and they will be able to learn from watching the other kitten and copying their behaviour. 

4. Because cats are social creatures, but they need early experiences to learn about other cats. Cats that have grown up with feline company are more accepting of it when they are older. A cat that has always been an only cat is not so likely to be happy to get more feline company. If you think you would like another cat in the future, it makes sense to get two as kittens. 

5. So they can be properly socialized and learn feline communication and behaviors, such as how to greet another cat, how to show affection, or to ask another cat to play. This isn’t something we can teach them – they have to learn it from other cats. Interestingly, dogs can also learn how to greet a cat the way it likes, with a nose-to-nose greeting. 

6. So they can just be cats. Having a second kitten around gives it the opportunity to do the things that being a cat involves – observing other cats, snuggling up together, grooming each other and so on. 

7. If they will be indoor cats. Indoor cats can easily get bored; the presence of another feline gives them something to do and counts as environmental enrichment.

Of course there are some drawbacks. The costs will be double, for food, cat litter, vaccinations and vet visits, and almost double for insurance (insurers will often give a small discount for a second animal). If the kittens are male and female, you have to remember to get them spayed/neutered in time, even if they are indoor cats, because cats become sexually mature between 5 and 8 months of age. Because of this, cats are usually spayed or neutered between 4-6 months, although it can be done earlier. 

Getting two kittens together means that they can play together, learn from each other, and keep each other company. In general terms, it seems like the answer to the question, “should I get one kitten, or two?” is two.

CONNOR's Profile (don't you just love his nose?)

Someone asked for an update on Connor.  Connor is doing well.  I went for a brief visit on Sunday to see him.  He looks good.  And for a foster mom that never pilled or cared for a cat, Joanne has done wonders.  Not only grooming him, and loving him, but administering four different medicines.  I have a follow-up appointment for Connor on the 25th and then I will know more, but its all looking good for Connor!  :)  Sunny skies ahead!  :) 

"Reputation is what men & women
think about us.  Character is what
God and angels know of us."