Last month we finally got to meet the two newest members of
the family. First Born and The Groom adopted not one, but two adorable kittens.
Hayley, a feisty female tuxedo cat, has been keeping them on their toes (which
she likes to bite) since late last fall. Simba, a charming male tabby, just
joined the fray last month. It took a while for Hayley to decide she wanted a
sibling, but now they are the best of buds.
It is quite humorous to hear The Love Couple talk about how
having two cats is the closest they want to get to kids for now. It is also
very telling to watch them in action with their fur babies, caring for them and
enjoying them, except maybe when it’s 3 a.m. and the two little monsters decide
it’s play time.
I think they would be outstanding parents if they so choose,
even at 3 a.m. I also think we would make pretty good grandparents, based on
the fact that I’ve already taken to spoiling my grandkitties. They deserve special collars and new
toys. I love when we chat on Skype on our computers and the kittens are causing
a calamity in the background.
You know how sometimes a woman might be around a new baby
(they smell so good at that newborn stage) and start to thinking maybe she’d
like another little one, especially if her growing children aren’t needing her
quite as much? Well, being around kittens made me want to have another. Cat,
that is. After all, we lost our sweet girl Reeses more than a year ago and have
casually mentioned bringing another cat into the household. Sophie, Second
Born’s cat, probably should have had a vote.
This past weekend we brought some donations to our local
animal shelter and thought we would take a look around while we were there. You
know, in case something of the feline persuasion popped out at us. We have
sworn off dogs until at least one of us is either working from home or retired.
Cats don’t need quite the amount of companionship dogs do. In fact, they often
let you know when your presence is required.
Spouse and I discussed ahead of time whether we wanted a
kitten (not necessarily) or an older cat (not one with a lot of medical
issues). We went in with the idea
that the right cat – and hopefully not more than one – would choose us.
Enter Marcy. A sweet, affectionate, petite girl at six years
old, Marcy was rescued from a hoarding situation with about 30 other cats. She
suckered us in with her cropped tail and persistent push of her head against
our hands the second we started to pet her. As cute as the kittens were, we
knew chances were pretty good that they would find homes. Not as many folks
want to bring home an older cat for various reasons.
The only one who keeps trying to vote the newest member off
the island is – you guessed it – Sophie.
I have faith that she will come around, especially since Marcy has a
very docile disposition.
We are learning the hard way that we simply lucked out
with previous cat introductions where we just opened the cat carrier and let
the two new roomies meet. That’s not going to fly in this case. We are studying
up on separating them, having them both eat by the door (on opposite sides,
that is), then slowly introducing them. I feel like I should take a leave of
absence from my job just to help the process along.
So we are loading up on methods of bribery like cat treats
and toys, and hoping the “kids” learn to play nice. This brings back faint
recollections of the toddler stage with our kids.
Now that I think about it, toddlerhood may have been easier
to survive.
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