Kitten (K)raziness

Wow! This week in kitten kingdom has been pretty crazy…

I thought it might get easier around this time, since they’re a bit more independent, but boy was I wrong. 

They are rapidly transforming into quickly moving, adventurous little lions with wide eyes and curious minds. They wake up from their naps and practically sprint across the living room floor, their wobbly back legs providing momentum as their front paws seek any form of human contact. Now I understand how my mom felt when my twin sister and I ran in opposite directions as kids and she had to decide which of us was most in danger…but luckily, the kittens tend to run towards me, at least for now. 

Turtle feels safest when she’s cuddled up behind something

A couple of days ago, Turtle found her way under the couch and I panicked for a solid 20 seconds before I heard her tiny, pathetic “mew” identifying her location. After that, I started stuffing blankets in the space between the couch and the floor so they couldn’t wiggle under there and never come out. They’ve found a way anyway. Now I just let them explore and take comfort in knowing that they’ll eventually come out from the dusty depths of the couch’s underbelly, as long as they know there’s food around. Turtle is now trying to teach herself how to jump, since she knows it’ll get her to the next “level” of exploration. 

Callie has figured out how to climb up the side of the couch using just her claws (much to my dismay, as she’s ruining the couch in the process) and if she’s not the first to be fed, she clambers onto me and pushes the other kittens out of the way. 

Callie enjoys her perch on the couch

Queso and Bandit have been the easiest when it comes to weaning off the kitten formula—they’ve realized how yummy wet food is and have begun to lap it up off a plate. Queso likes to stand with all four paws in the food as he eats, creating quite the mess to clean up after, but hey, as long as he’s eating, I’m happy! It’s taken over a week and a half for all four of them to get the idea. The first few times I put wet food out for them, they walked right through it, with no interest in eating it whatsoever. 

The kittens weigh over a pound now, which is exciting! They’re all continuing to eat well and seem pretty healthy. The fecal sample I sent to the vet came back negative for Giardia and all other parasites, and they’re getting healthier every day.  

Bandit loves sitting in the sunshine

The only problem I’ve had lately is getting them used to the litter box. I’ve attempted stimulating the kittens over the box so they get the idea, but they just lift their paws up and scream at me until I stop. They love to take turns sitting in it and observing their kingdom, but not once have I seen them use it on their own…Queso looked like he was peeing in it yesterday, but I couldn’t quite tell. And Turtle, the little monster, pooped right next to it—so close! 

The one thing I’ve read about multi-cat households is that typically each cat needs its own litter box, so I went out and bought three more litter boxes today. Hopefully if they each have their own, they might use them more often. I really hope they understand it soon. I’ve had one two many “shit shows” happen lately…the other day, Bandit sprayed me in the face with poop and the next morning, I stepped right in a pile of it and it squished up between my toes. It’s been the grossest week yet. 

Queso is very photogenic and poses for practically every photo

But it’s also been super rewarding! They are beginning to act more like real cats every day, jumping and pouncing and playing with one another. They are fascinated by Baloo, which has been pretty adorable. Bandit and Callie like to follow him around and watch what he does, then climb all over him when he lies down on the floor. Queso and Turtle try to bat at his face and play, but Baloo doesn’t quite know what to make of it. He got a little upset the other day when one of the kittens got too close to his bone, but he only politely growled and took it elsewhere. He’s been pretty amazing with them—he likes to lick the remnants of wet food off their tiny chins and he periodically checks on them while they’re sleeping, just to make sure they’re OK. The other day, he whined at me until I let them out of their cubby, just so he could play with them. I never thought I’d see the day where Baloo was so good with a cat! Usually, with grown cats, he chases them around and gets claws stuck in his face. This is honestly such a relief, particularly since we are planning to keep one of the kittens once they’re grown. He’s been a bit jealous and attention-seeking, but overall, I think he likes the little fur balls. 

Baloo loves to show off his ball to the kittens

Tonight the kittens will be five weeks old. That means they’re only three to five weeks away from being adoptable! We have some wonderful homes lined up for them all, but I really will be sad to see three of them go…

Stay tuned for more kitten updates and photos!

Hungry little monsters!