As I type, Leigh, Rocco, and this new little fella are all slumbering in the living room. Rocco is sprawled across the living room, and Leigh is asleep on the couch with Kitten on a pillow next to him. At the beginning of the day, we had no idea that we would end it with a new pet. It all started when Bobby came from next door to ask Leigh for some help in fixing a leak. Leigh went over and got the job done, and on his way back, he called for Shak, who had stubbornly remained outdoors despite the heat of the sun. Yet, this little fella meowed constantly, and that is when Leigh found him trapped near one of the enormous potted plants. He was extremely thirsty and hungry, so we believe that he must have lost his way during the windy storm that we had on Wednesday night. And the poor fella was stuck there for two and a half days!
Kitten has settled well into the household (as you can tell by these photos). He has also claimed my shoulder and neck area as a good spot to sleep and snuggled into. Rocco was stellar with him and has baptized him with his tongue yet Shakarma has been very aggressive and tried to take a bite out of this itty bitty lil' one!
I researched lots of websites to see how we can handle a better way of integrating the kitten into the household so that Shak doesn't feel like he's being replaced. Basically, most websites said to keep the kitten confined in a cage while the other cat is around. That way the cat can sniff out the kitten without feeling as though he's losing his territory. This should be done for an hour, and after that, one should open the cage door and see how the cat reacts. If the cat is aggressive, then the owner should place the kitten back away from harm's way (preferably into another room), and start the process all over again in a few hours. It is also imperative that during and after the time that they are introduced in the same room, one should give them both treats so that they can associate the meeting with "good" times---rather than negative. The sources I read state that it can actually take up to a MONTH for the male cat to adjust to the kitten!
For now, the newcomer has no name, but I'm searching for a name suitable for a kitten who is intelligent, moves with lightning speed, and is sooooooooo playful and lovable.
