| Raising Fullballs |
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Raising kittens, for those with nerves of steels and no
particular attachment to their precious furniture, is
one of the 'small' blessings Mother Nature offers to us.
I found that no heart, however indifferent, can
remain so for long when faced with the innocent bravado
of a miniature tiger intend on getting TLC. I have seen
men who openly (and amendently) professed to be a dog
person, and gods forbid, have no use for a fluffball
whatsoever, sitting in a chair smiling big boy smiles
when a tiny creature starts purring in their laps.
Usually within days, even the most manly men surrender,
and it is just too funny to watch how they defend 'their'
kit when someone offers to take it off their labs. Devious
as women can be, we have often resorted to that trick of
'oh hunny, its just for a few days, until we can find a
home for it' to acquire a feline member of the household.
It never fails, and heaven hath no fury worth than a man
facing separation from the one little creature who adores
him so completely, and trusts him, and, well, you get the
picture :)
If at all possible, everyone should be able to enjoy raising a litter of kittens at least once in their lives. Of course, the aforementioned nerves of steel do come in handy when the gang starts walking and exploring their surroundings. Usually at about four weeks of age they are bravely tottering beyond the nursery. From then on out, the next four to six weeks will know no peace. Nothing is sacred, or beyond the inquiry of sharp claws. I found out just how adventurous little toms can get when I padded towards the bathroom in the middle of the night, and tripped over one of them. Reaching out to steady myself on the wall, my hand grabbed into another one, hanging upside down from the (grass) wallpaper. We looked at each other for a while, and when I could control my heart rate again, I carefully extracted 20 sharp claws from my wall. Never mind the bits of paper who came off along with the kitten. I have also resigned myself to have eternally shredded drapes and curtains. There just isn't much sense in replacing them, when the next litter will find out just as well how beautifully one can swing in them. Just be sure to have them securely fastened to the ceiling. There is nothing scarier then hearing your drapes (possibly WITH the curtain rods) crashing down in the middle of the night. Equally fast I learned that leather furniture is out. I mean, really, really out. No matter how fast the little ones learn not to sharpen claws on the sofa, they will not leave a leather chair alone. It is just too much fun, and thousands of little holes render the best recliner fit for the junkyard in just a few, short weeks. Cover a large roll of plastic or cardboard (to be found in carpet stores...they are usually happy to get rid off the rolls their carpet was delivered on, and if one buys a leftover piece of carpet to be glued to it, they're even happier) with something matching your home's design, and you'll have the whole brood hanging off it hours at a time :) I always measure them from ground to ceiling, they can be wedged in a corner without any further installment necessary. Oh, and, always, ALWAYS leave the toilet seat down! Kittens can jump, but they can NOT balance. Not a pretty picture, especially not when one uses blue cleaner. I found out that stuff is color proof. Anybody wants a blue shaded red tabby, perchance????? He's in good condition, only his coat is a tad bit shaggy from too much scrubbing and bathing..... Brightest Blessings, and always a full bowl of cream on thy tables (or in Minou's case, soymilk). © Sorceress SummerWind, April 1999 |
