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Kitten, part three (Blessings, Kupo)
Friday, 11 August 2006 22:27The second night the kitten spent with us was interesting. I asked Garret to pick up a pack of those cheapo toy mousies from the grocery on the way home for him so he'd quit playing with the blinds fob, and he did. Grady got three mousies, and kitten got three mousies. Grady batted his around until he noticed I wasn't watching him, and the kitten played with his until the wee hours of the morning.
How do I know this? I slept in the guest room with kitten that night. If I hadn't been exhausted his playing would have kept me up. His appetite had increased over the course of the day and he was getting more elaborate with his litterbox burying. It was good to see that he was no longer hiding from me whenever I came into the room, and enjoyed belly rubs. I woke up a couple of times in the night because he was chewing on one of my feet, but for the most part it was a good night that just kept on improving.
That morning was a little heartbreaking. He had gone from hiding to not hiding, and then to wanting very much OUT of the guest room. He wanted to play with Grady, who had planted himself outside the guest room door. The night before, Garret and I tried to put the two together by holding each of them but Grady was the one who threatened. The kitten, as usual, was not bothered in the least. He let Grady sniff him and even took a couple of playful swipes while being sniffed. The swipes were not popular, though -- the big cat's ears flattened and he started to growl. Visit over!
The plan was to take some time off in the afternoon, package up the kitten and his food, then drive him to Hooterville to be checked out by their vet. I went to work a little early to try and get a few things done beforehand. When I got home at 2 both of the cats were deep in conversation on either side of the guest room door. Kitten wanted OUT OUT OUT! I caught him and held him at the floor in front of Grady. The two sniffed each other for a good two minutes -- they looked like they were kissing! -- until Grady made a weird noise, SMACKed kitten on the head, then ran off in the opposite direction. He stopped about ten feet down the hallway to wash his face and stayed there.
Again: kitten unfazed.
It was time to go, so kitten, carrier, and food went into the car. I positioned the carrier so kitten could see me and put my fingers through the gate's grill (something that always calms Grady in the car). Kitten rubbed and licked my fingers, a little uncertain why he was in the carrier, but he did okay.
As we got closer to the shelter he started to flip out a bit, crying, biting, and scratching my hand. I felt terrible. I couldn't help but wonder if this reminded him of how he got to our neighborhood in the first place. Did some trailer park teenager put him in a carrier and talk calmly to him as she found our cul-de-sac? Did he think I was going to just drop him on the side of the road and drive off?
*shudder*
The people at Hooterville were amazingly friendly and fell in love with kitten right away. They all wanted to hold and snuggle him as the vet inspected him and gave him all the required medicines. An adoption counselor was there, too. She was very positive that he'd be adopted as soon as he recovered from neutering. There were a LOT of kittens in one of the cages there -- must have been a dozen in one big pile -- but my little guy got one of his own. He was such a trooper. He only mewed a little bit, and it was more of a "hey, what's goin' on?" than an expression of fear. It was a nice feeling to know he was in good hands.
I did have to fill out paperwork. The form wanted a name for him, but the one I'd been calling him (boopy) was just a nickname I call all little cute things (like Grady) and was silly. I thought of the cutest thing I'd seen recently and then wrote the first word that came to mind for it: Kupo. All the vet techs started calling him that when they read it.
It took me a little while, but I said my goodbyes and left him behind. I knew it was time to go when he started paying more attention to the mousies I left with him than me. He'll be fine. He's safe here.
I love telling people his story. I feel good about being able to clean him up and nurse him back to health. I feel happy that I got to see his personality before separating from him. I am tempted to go back and get him. I miss him.
How do I know this? I slept in the guest room with kitten that night. If I hadn't been exhausted his playing would have kept me up. His appetite had increased over the course of the day and he was getting more elaborate with his litterbox burying. It was good to see that he was no longer hiding from me whenever I came into the room, and enjoyed belly rubs. I woke up a couple of times in the night because he was chewing on one of my feet, but for the most part it was a good night that just kept on improving.
That morning was a little heartbreaking. He had gone from hiding to not hiding, and then to wanting very much OUT of the guest room. He wanted to play with Grady, who had planted himself outside the guest room door. The night before, Garret and I tried to put the two together by holding each of them but Grady was the one who threatened. The kitten, as usual, was not bothered in the least. He let Grady sniff him and even took a couple of playful swipes while being sniffed. The swipes were not popular, though -- the big cat's ears flattened and he started to growl. Visit over!
The plan was to take some time off in the afternoon, package up the kitten and his food, then drive him to Hooterville to be checked out by their vet. I went to work a little early to try and get a few things done beforehand. When I got home at 2 both of the cats were deep in conversation on either side of the guest room door. Kitten wanted OUT OUT OUT! I caught him and held him at the floor in front of Grady. The two sniffed each other for a good two minutes -- they looked like they were kissing! -- until Grady made a weird noise, SMACKed kitten on the head, then ran off in the opposite direction. He stopped about ten feet down the hallway to wash his face and stayed there.
Again: kitten unfazed.
It was time to go, so kitten, carrier, and food went into the car. I positioned the carrier so kitten could see me and put my fingers through the gate's grill (something that always calms Grady in the car). Kitten rubbed and licked my fingers, a little uncertain why he was in the carrier, but he did okay.
As we got closer to the shelter he started to flip out a bit, crying, biting, and scratching my hand. I felt terrible. I couldn't help but wonder if this reminded him of how he got to our neighborhood in the first place. Did some trailer park teenager put him in a carrier and talk calmly to him as she found our cul-de-sac? Did he think I was going to just drop him on the side of the road and drive off?
*shudder*
The people at Hooterville were amazingly friendly and fell in love with kitten right away. They all wanted to hold and snuggle him as the vet inspected him and gave him all the required medicines. An adoption counselor was there, too. She was very positive that he'd be adopted as soon as he recovered from neutering. There were a LOT of kittens in one of the cages there -- must have been a dozen in one big pile -- but my little guy got one of his own. He was such a trooper. He only mewed a little bit, and it was more of a "hey, what's goin' on?" than an expression of fear. It was a nice feeling to know he was in good hands.
I did have to fill out paperwork. The form wanted a name for him, but the one I'd been calling him (boopy) was just a nickname I call all little cute things (like Grady) and was silly. I thought of the cutest thing I'd seen recently and then wrote the first word that came to mind for it: Kupo. All the vet techs started calling him that when they read it.
It took me a little while, but I said my goodbyes and left him behind. I knew it was time to go when he started paying more attention to the mousies I left with him than me. He'll be fine. He's safe here.
I love telling people his story. I feel good about being able to clean him up and nurse him back to health. I feel happy that I got to see his personality before separating from him. I am tempted to go back and get him. I miss him.
