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Kittens learning the ways of felines [UPDATED]
Published 3:07pm Friday, September 10, 2010 Updated 3:07pm Friday, September 10, 2010We have three tiny, and I do mean tiny, kittens at our house. They came to us about four weeks ago needing to be bottle-fed. They barely knew how to suck the latex nipples and had to be fed every three to four hours.
They have thrived since, learning to lap the special kitty formula from a dish, moving onto a mixture of soft kitten food and formula, and have learned the appropriate use for kitty litter. For a while I worried they were going to ingest enough of it to poison themselves. For a day or two, I tried to imagine how I might squat in the litter box in such a way that I would serve as an example of its use. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.
Having the little kitties in the house, though, has proven quite entertaining. They are still, as relative newborns, rather unsteady on their little legs. When they shake, they lift off the floor, and upon landing, get all those legs tangled up and fall over. It’s really hilarious.
And as for looking ferocious, forget it. When they hump their backs and fluff their tails, they don’t look intimidating, they just look cute.
My friends are watching me carefully and cautioning me to not get too attached to the little critters. While it is difficult not to get attached to infants who require so much care and who are so vulnerable, I am maintaining some emotional distance.
Still, there are times, when they are heaped on my lap, purring their contentedness, that I think it wouldn’t be so bad to keep them. But, no, they have to go.
If you know of anyone who would provide a loving home for any of these sweet little felines, send me an e-mail at debbie.irmen@fergusfallsjournal.com.
