Stretch Run

Squeaky and Fluffy got their second set of vaccinations on 9/24, and are now in their last week at my home. This Thursday it will be time to schedule their spay/neuter, and they will return to the shelter to begin the next phase in their lives--finding a permanent home.

It didn't take Squeaky long after my last post to finally get the confidence to attempt the leap over the gate in front of their door. Now, he jumps it the minute the door is open, so the game of peek-a-boo around the door has ceased. Their new favorite game is "jump over the gate before Mommy catches me".

Since it was becoming clear the kittens needed more space to roam around, I have started letting them have free run of the house during the day once my resident cat, Pablo, has eaten and gone into his favorite cabinet to nap. They usually start out with a lot of energy, chasing each other up and down the hall as fast as they can run. Then, they make their way over to Pablo's dish to finish up whatever canned food he left behind. Eventually, they settle down a little and spend most of the rest of the day hanging out in whatever room I'm in.

Fluffy is still far from being a lap cat, but her social skills have improved immensely in the last couple of weeks. She purrs instantly when you pet her, and she has begun to sit in my lap for short periods. She's still not a big fan of being picked up, and will usually leap down immediately if I do. But as long as it's her idea, she will sit in my lap and purr until something else gets her attention (which takes about 15 seconds max--she has the attention span of a 2-year-old human child!).

Squeaky continues to show his adventurous side. If there's a way to climb it, crawl into it, bat it around, or knock it over, he'll figure it out. He's a typical, rambunctious boy. He's also a real sweetheart. He really enjoys being held and petted, and for some reason, he likes to follow me around the kitchen when I'm cooking. Maybe he thinks I'm making food for kittens!

Assuming my initial estimate of two-weeks-old when I got them is correct, Squeaky and Fluffy will be about 14 weeks old when they return to the shelter for adoption. They have been in my home almost as long as I have--I moved in on July 11, and the kittens arrived on July 18. The house is going to seem strangely empty when they're gone.