A kitten’s energy fills the Nichols’ house
You wouldn’t think one little kitten would cause so much
commotion. But our latest houseguest is, indeed, bringing extra
helpings of chaos into an already disorganized household.
Over the summer, my animal-loving college student son acquired a
kitten. It had been his dream to have a pet, and once he moved out
of the dorms, it was a goal that he was determined to meet. So he
went to the Santa Cruz SPCA, signed all the forms, paid all the
fees, and swore that he would be a responsible pet owner.
A kitten’s energy fills the Nichols’ house
You wouldn’t think one little kitten would cause so much commotion. But our latest houseguest is, indeed, bringing extra helpings of chaos into an already disorganized household.
Over the summer, my animal-loving college student son acquired a kitten. It had been his dream to have a pet, and once he moved out of the dorms, it was a goal that he was determined to meet. So he went to the Santa Cruz SPCA, signed all the forms, paid all the fees, and swore that he would be a responsible pet owner.
All well and good. But as he’s finding out, having any kind of a pet carries with it a certain amount of responsibility. This includes, “What do you do with a kitten during quarter breaks?”
The answer? Take it to Mom’s house!
Dante, the kitten, is now 4 months old and is not so much kittenish anymore but is an adolescent cat, with all the energy and crazed behavior of any teenaged mammal.
He’s been here for two weeks and we’ve got about 10 days left to go. I’m counting down.
I haven’t had a kitten around for a long time, and I had forgotten what they’re like at this age. Not that they’re not sweet and fun and cute, because they are.
However, Dante (when not being adorable) acts like someone fed him rocket fuel and tossed in a match.
In the mornings, he’s in constant motion – bounding from one window to another, racing around the house, up the stairs, and down again. He attempts to jump on counters; he often misses. Of course, I don’t want him up there anyway, so if he does make it, he gets taken off.
The kitten does take an afternoon nap so we get a break then, and only then.
He also has a disconcerting habit of appearing from random spots in the house and sneaking up behind people, ninja-style. And like any other cat, he is resistant to being called.
There was one afternoon when I was sure we’d lost him – that he’d gotten outside somehow and gotten away. I looked everywhere for him to no avail. But then about 5 p.m., he strolled into the kitchen looking for dinner. I still have no idea where he was.
Dante seems to be some cross between a cat, a monkey and a high-bouncing rubber ball. It’s like living inside a Krazy Kat cartoon.
So there’s that to deal with. And then there’s the rest of the furry family.
It’s been a tricky thing altogether. Having a kitten around is not like having a cat. We have two older cats and a dog, who are fine on their own for part of the day. Not so the kitten. He needs supervision.
The cats and the dog are accustomed to going in and out through a pet door; we can’t let the kitten out, so the pet door has been blocked much of the past 14 days. The cats and dog are frustrated.
Also, our oldest cat, a gray Persian mix, hates the kitten and yowls every time she sees him. The other cat and the dog like the kitten fine now that they’re used to him. But strangely enough, only the dog will play with Dante.
Our kitten time is a little over halfway through, since Ross will take him back to his apartment when the fall quarter starts. Not a moment too soon.
It’s been great having a kitten again — for a limited time.
