Monday, July 1, 2013: Yesterday, Jo and I brought home an eight-week-old kitten from NOAH, a shelter north of Seattle. His official guesstimated date of birth is April 29, 2013.
We spent considerable time studying the scores of kittens available and chose this one because of his combination of spunk and non-aggression toward other kittens. He was playful, but not in a way that seemed over the top. And we loved his looks (see more pix on Images page).
He was very quiet on the way home. We first put food, water and litter pan in the bathroom and closed the door, but he cried, so we let him out. He learned immediately where the litter box is and used it quickly. He ate nearly a full can of kitten food (5 ozs) between 6p and midnight yesterday!
He slept on our bed last night, though not up near our heads. As I type this, he's cuddled next to my left wrist, resting on the keyboard. He has thoroughly explored the house and seems very calm and at home already.
He is very affectionate, though he hasn't licked us at all yet. So far his favorite toy is the partially attached paper handle on a paper bag.
No cat could ever replace Bart, and there will never be another story like Bart's (boy gets girl, girl comes with cat, boy initially dislikes cat, boy comes to love cat). But I am hoping this little guy will work his way into our hearts. He's already made a good start.
Friday, July 5, 2013: "The kitty" is now "Bongo." He very quickly made himself at home. He is extremely sociable. We love him a lot!
Sunday, July 7, 2013: Bongo has now been with us for one week. he sleeps every night between our heads, purrs violently when we approach. It's so gratifying.
He is eating 3-4 small bowls of canned food a day. As Jo said, "He eats like a Richman." Doesn't drink much water, but we add water to the food before serving, so I hope he's ok re hydration.
He will play with anything. Toes, especially when they're attached to feet that are moving, hold a special appeal. We've adopted a shuffling gait to avoid injuries.
He played well with our grandson, Ethan, earlier this week, which Bart never did.
Friday, July 19, 2013: We bought Bongo the highest-rated cat playground/condo on Amazon. It wasn't even close to the most expensive, either. At first he preferred the box it came in. Now he's having fun with the thing itself. (Please see Images page.)
I was worried that his kitten-like behavior might diminish quickly. That ain't happening. He's ever crazier now than he was when we brought him home. Though he has stopped climbing the curtains and window screens. It's not clear why.
For further updates, please see the Blog page.
We spent considerable time studying the scores of kittens available and chose this one because of his combination of spunk and non-aggression toward other kittens. He was playful, but not in a way that seemed over the top. And we loved his looks (see more pix on Images page).
He was very quiet on the way home. We first put food, water and litter pan in the bathroom and closed the door, but he cried, so we let him out. He learned immediately where the litter box is and used it quickly. He ate nearly a full can of kitten food (5 ozs) between 6p and midnight yesterday!
He slept on our bed last night, though not up near our heads. As I type this, he's cuddled next to my left wrist, resting on the keyboard. He has thoroughly explored the house and seems very calm and at home already.
He is very affectionate, though he hasn't licked us at all yet. So far his favorite toy is the partially attached paper handle on a paper bag.
No cat could ever replace Bart, and there will never be another story like Bart's (boy gets girl, girl comes with cat, boy initially dislikes cat, boy comes to love cat). But I am hoping this little guy will work his way into our hearts. He's already made a good start.
Friday, July 5, 2013: "The kitty" is now "Bongo." He very quickly made himself at home. He is extremely sociable. We love him a lot!
Sunday, July 7, 2013: Bongo has now been with us for one week. he sleeps every night between our heads, purrs violently when we approach. It's so gratifying.
He is eating 3-4 small bowls of canned food a day. As Jo said, "He eats like a Richman." Doesn't drink much water, but we add water to the food before serving, so I hope he's ok re hydration.
He will play with anything. Toes, especially when they're attached to feet that are moving, hold a special appeal. We've adopted a shuffling gait to avoid injuries.
He played well with our grandson, Ethan, earlier this week, which Bart never did.
Friday, July 19, 2013: We bought Bongo the highest-rated cat playground/condo on Amazon. It wasn't even close to the most expensive, either. At first he preferred the box it came in. Now he's having fun with the thing itself. (Please see Images page.)
I was worried that his kitten-like behavior might diminish quickly. That ain't happening. He's ever crazier now than he was when we brought him home. Though he has stopped climbing the curtains and window screens. It's not clear why.
For further updates, please see the Blog page.