newest family member

[swarfrat]

Since that other place is down...

A week ago the wife drug us to a benefit softball game. On the way home, my 8yo finds a kitten in a busy parking lot far far from any homes, just businesses. Against the protests from my wife... She came home with us

Took her to the vet, got the appropriate shots and medically cleared to mingle on their own time table. Our adult cat hasn't been thrilled, but seems to be accepting it. Provided the furball will just chill out. Kitten is NOT skert despite being 1/10th her weight.  But she was grooming the kitten while kitten was chowing down on HER food so that's a super promising sign.

When they both escape at the same time the first thing they do is go eat each other's food.

She was about 5 weeks when we found her and super hungry if the poop output over the next 18 hrs compared to after free feeding for a day means anything.

 

[ragamuffin]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

[swarfrat]

So through complete random chance (we did pick the first cat,  but mostly on description of being dog-like) - we ended up with two black cats. I'm not a superstitious person, but practically speaking there are certainly elements of 'bad luck'. They're incredibly bad luck on phone camera exposure compensation. The bigger thing is that in low light they race around under foot, and if they want to hide - you pretty much can't see them.

 

[BroccoliRob]

whenever i go into someone's home (with their permission ofc), I always shout "confront me with your Floor Boys!" so their pets come up to me. Try it some time.

( you can substitute floor girls or floor children in place of boys as needed)

 

[swarfrat]

The two cats can't stand to be apart but when they're together they fight constantly. I did some reading up and it seems that..

The kitten is an obnoxious brat, and just needs a good butt whooping. The adult cat does like her but kitten just doesn't know when to shut up or not play rough . As long as it's just tumbling and not hissing and growling we now let the adult proceed to knock some manners into the youngun, in true momma cat fashion. This is the way of cats. If not allowed to do so, the established cat can get really stressed out if the newcomer manages to gain dominance, so I try to let the beatings proceed, hoping she'll learn

I've seen this many times now. Adult is chill. Kitten wants to bat her face. She gets pounded. Keeps trying. Escalates until separation. But 10 minutes later she'll be grooming the kitten.

 

[zebra]

NCD!  (New Cat Day!)

Lol, my cats are always trying to steal each others food...which is a hassle, because they're on a diet - one needs to lose a little weight, the other needs to lose a lot.  Their bowls are placed at either ends of the apartment, and after a few bites, they try to swap, both of them thinking they're getting the better of the other.

Like you said, cat society is a real thing.  I don't have to keep them both from eating each other's food - I just have to keep "Slim" from stealing "Chonker's" food.  Chonker can defend her own food.  If she defends her own food, she'll be too preoccupied doing that to steal food from Slim, and order would prevail in the universe. 

Or so I thought.  As it turns out, I'm realizing that the feline desire to steal food seems to be an evolutionary trait ingrained over tens, if not hundreds of millenia.  :dontknow:

 

[swarfrat]

We're still keeping them separate for now. But the first thing they do if allowed out is go eat each other's food

 

[SeattleScotty]

Aww, lovely little kitty. I love seeing the kittens we have for adoption at work (I work in a dog grooming salon inside a pet store.) They are so much fun!

 

[stratamania]

Aww, lovely little kitty. I love seeing the kittens we have for adoption at work (I work in a dog grooming salon inside a pet store.) They are so much fun!

Ah, that explains your forum picture and name I guess. But what is the Sea part?

 

[swarfrat]

We ended up rehoming her. We blamed it on our adult female cat, but honestly - what looked like murder at first ended up being an experienced momma cat teaching a spoiled brat who didn't back down from anything. Once she got her pinned - she wasn't biting, she was grooming. (The real reason was the adult female human in the house who was determined to seethe and make everyone's life a living hell until it was gone. In retrospect, I should've stood my ground. The blow it dealt my son would probably be rated as 'soul crushing'. He'll be talking to his therapist as an adult about this kitten)

Despite her wildness the kitten was actually snuggly. Our adult cat dearly loves me, but 3ft is generally close enough. Only when I'm the only person awake does she want to get up in personal space. (But if I go up the stairs, forget something, go down, get it and go back up - she'll follow me down, up, down, and back up.)

At least in her new home she has an age appropriate buddy, as well as two adult cats, and she'll be adopted with her buddy. We still get pictures once in a while, and she's a real sweetheart.