March 28, 2024

Making our house their home

About two months in to adding two little fur balls to our family I have to say, so far so good. In fact, it has actually been pretty great have our kittens, Moe and Carl.

The first couple of weeks we were really just getting used to each other and figuring out what the needs of cats are. I haven’t had a pet cat in about 25 years and even then I wasn’t the one caring for it. I bought all of the expected amenities, including the cheapest litter I could find. That was one of the first lessons I learned in having a cat, don’t skimp on the litter. It smelled terrible and provided no relief from the kitten’s duties. I decided I would definitely splurge on good smelling, higher quality litter for our house.

The kittens started out in a little area of our basement that I thought would keep them safe and happy. We got them a cat tree, bed, house and toys to play with while we weren’t home. It wasn’t long and the two outgrew the space and were looking to explore the rest of the house.

I started by letting them roam around the basement including my craft room and, their new favorite spot, under the stairs. That seemed to keep their curiosity for a while, but they were itching to have the run of the house.

Our only issue with giving them wide open space was our dog, Homer. To that point, Homer had taken no interest in the cats besides wanting to get a good sniff of them. The cats on the other hand wanted nothing to do with him. The slightest sound of him walking down the hallway sent them running and hissing along the way.

I had tried a few little tricks to get them in the same room at the same time to start building the relationship. Finally, knowing I had a couple of full days at home, I just let them all loose and dealt with the consequences. To my relief, the cats and Homer did really well, finding their own spaces or the cats just scurrying away under the couch or to another room if they got too scared.

To begin, they stayed together only while we were home with the cats going back to the basement if we left. After several days and one morning where I was running a little behind, the three were left on their own the entire day to roam around the house, and because everything worked out, that is how we live now.

Having the kittens is still my girls’ dream come true. They giggle at them, play with them and even help empty the litter box on occasion. One new highlight has been the kittens sleeping with the girls. I can’t claim that they stay in their rooms, sleeping at the foot of their beds all night, but the girls each pick a kitten, cuddle up to him and, sometimes, they even fall asleep together. Dreams really do come true.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com