We both wanted a puppy but felt Teddy might have a hard time accepting one in his home. The pooch plays well with other dogs at his play group and with his doggie friends in our backyard but stresses when the dogs are in “his” house or checking out “his” toy box.
Teddy is attached to us. He’ll squeeze in between when either Ed or I hug our daughter, Jordan. We both agreed that a puppy wouldn’t be a good fit.
When Teddy joined our family, Abby was already a member. Teddy had been around cats at his foster mom’s so it wasn’t a difficult introduction. It took a little time before Abby shared her space with him, but overall, it wasn’t a difficult transition.
In late April, Ed and I adopted a light gray and white Domestic Short Hair kitten from Francis Kennels Rescue.
This 2-month-old kitten – excuse me, I just yawned and lost my train of thought because this whirlwind was up half the night pouncing on me from the top of our bed’s bolster.
Behaviors expected of a 2-month-old kitten, according to Vetinfo.com, include: hugging, ambushing, licking, tossing, pawing, mouthing, holding, tail chasing and pouncing.
Our Pippin, or “Pip” as we call him, is mastering these behaviors with gusto. He goes full throttle until he crashes and naps, refueling his batteries.
As I wrote this column, Teddy napped on his pillow. Pip ambushed and pounced on two plastic re-useable bags, one paper bag and one small cardboard box – items I had strategically placed all around the study. These “distractions” afforded me the time I needed to work without Pip jumping on and then off me, walking on the keyboard, lounging on my notes – you get the picture.
Even though we had two cats before Pippin, Bailey and Abby, neither was a young kittens when welcomed into our home. These “young” kitten behaviors are as new to us as they are to Pip.
We’ve learned that Pip needs to interact with us and others on a regular basis. This increases his sociability and his comfort level around humans. All our friends have eagerly participated in this project when they visit. The little guy is cute so it’s hard not to pick him up give him a hug or stroke his back.
Pip also gets at least 20 minutes twice a day of structure play. For kittens his age, play behavior is important. As a meat eater, he needs to learn hunting and protection skills. Pip has several battery-operated toys that he can jump and bat. His favorite is a battery-operated toy that twirls around colorful butterflies and dangling ribbons.
Teddy and Pip are getting along well. The 57-pound pooch lets the almost 3-pound kitten play with his tail and drink from his water dish.
According to numerous cat experts, the first few months of Pip’s life will be some of the most fun to watch because his personality will develop. And so far, Pip is developing into a playful, adventurous, cuddly bundle of fun. I just hope I can stay awake long enough to enjoy the show.
Karin Spicer, a magazine writer, has been entertaining families for more than 20 years. She lives in Bellbrook with her family and two furry animals all who provide inspiration for her work. She can be reached at spicerkarin@gmail.com.
5 common kitten play behaviors
- Pouncing on toys, toes and "prey"
- Nibbling at hands, fingers, wool
- Batting toys
- Jumping side to side
- Climbing vertically, perching high
SOURCE: catster.com
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