K is for ...

K is for kitten! So this post is an example of good timing in two ways. First, "K" ended just when we found the little kitty, and second, we found the little kitty the day after Mom had to put our family cat to sleep (failed kidneys; it was very sad). John and I will be holding on to her until after Mom does her summer vacation. But I get ahead of myself.

Her favorite spot to nap: my neck

So, John calls me the other day at work and asks "if I could hear the reason why he was calling"... there were little squeaks going on in the background, so I guessed kitten or puppy. John said that there was a TINY kitten up in the bushes at work and they had managed to lure it inside and were trying to get it to settle down in a box of padding. So, of course, I rush home to see the little darling and she is just too small! The little thing had to have been lost for a minimum of several days because her bones are waaaay too prominent for such a small baby. But (according to the vet appointment on Saturday) she is in otherwise good health (with some de-worming still in the process). She weighed all of 1.1 lbs!

She is a super-climber. Loves to be up on your shoulder, but not too sure what to do next.

She spent Thursday evening curled up on my neck sleeping... or wolfing down a whole can of food in a day. Then, Thursday night was spent crying. Friday was better; John was able to check on her at lunchtime and give her some more food (did I mention she has been eating non-stop?). Friday evening she was playing more with Harvey (they had a rough initial meeting; he kept hissing at her and getting smacked on the nose for it) and we introduced her to the puppies. Hehehee! What a little fearsome panther she is around the puppies! She bows up and hisses like a feral alleycat, and if the puppies still don't get the message, she's got a growl in her that defies her petite stature. So cute! I know, I totally ruin her vicious reputation when I coo over her as she hisses at the puppies, but it is just too cute!

Saturday we got an appointment with the vet and got her all checked out. So far, so healthy; but the vet warned about incubation periods and told us to be on the lookout for any budding diseases. This whole weekend, she has alternated between sleeping on my neck (I am not kidding!), eating, pooping, and is starting to learn how to play. She is attacking strings at the catnip mice ... and Harvey's tail, just like a good little kitty.

So, we are getting to have the joys of kitten poops and peeing on blankets, then when she grows out of that phase, we will give her to Mom. Mom is cat-less now, but wants to wait until after her trip to visit family so as not to say hello to the new cat, and then leave it for a week. Aren't we nice?

Harvey is getting along with her better since about Friday evening. I think he has little social skills since Grey Momma is always hissing at him; but tiny kitten would make quick, non-threatening passes by him, so he would sniff her but not have time to get angry. We totally did not follow the rules for introducing a new cat