21 Jan 2012

Guest Kittens - the Breakthrough.


It's been two weeks since Guest Kittens 2 and 3 moved into our improvised Sunflower Kitten Hotel.

During that time they have grown like ... well, sunflowers, and after a painstakingly slow process of acclimatisation and a small amount of blood spilt - mine - they have finally stopped seeing us as a threat.

Two days ago, we experienced a major breakthrough. Turn up the volume and check out the result here:


It's been quite an adventure, getting this far. Confrontational, too. I'm not the most patient person on the planet, so this is a life lesson, a story of apprivoiser, like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's little prince who had to go through the necessary steps and rituals to approach and befriend his fox.

What a fragile and hard-won construct trust can be - and rightfully so.

But now we've come this far, we've got a good chance of finding this precious duo a warm and loving home.

They're still a bit shy, but I'm sure that with continued TLC they will blossom into the most affectionate cats you can imagine - just like their mum and their big sister. And they make great entertainers - the perfect distraction while you're trying to write ...

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12 comments:

  1. Tyrean Martinson21 January 2012 at 17:02

    They are so sweet! When we make time in our busy schedules, my daughters and I volunteer at a local Cat Rescue, and some of the cats there take weeks to months to befriend, but once they are socialized, they are quickly adopted.

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    1. K.C. Woolf22 January 2012 at 09:43

      Weeks or months ... that gives me hope. There were many times I feared they were too old already to fully get used to people.
      Thanks! :-)

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  2. Southpaw21 January 2012 at 18:38

    Oh my yes! That would be a huge distraction!

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    1. K.C. Woolf22 January 2012 at 09:47

      It's fair to say that most of my sparse free time is going to the kittens at the moment. And every time I try to get anything done, they do something so cute I can't but watch.

      We'll need to find them a home soon if I ever want to finish my novel! :-)

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  3. DEZMOND21 January 2012 at 19:17

    awwww, we love kittens. I have two black ones and their mother (who is evil, but don't tell her I said that, she might scratch me to death). The kids didn't get her evil genes fortunately ... or at least me hopes so :)

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    1. K.C. Woolf22 January 2012 at 09:49

      Black kittens are so adorable. No way they can be evil!

      A friend of mine posted this picture on FB yesterday. Made me laugh so much. :-)

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    2. DEZMOND22 January 2012 at 17:53

      awwww, she is such a better vampire than Edward :)

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    3. K.C. Woolf22 January 2012 at 20:29

      Much =)

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  4. Anonymous22 January 2012 at 00:54

    Nothing nicer than the sound of purring kittens. You must be a cat whisperer.

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    1. K.C. Woolf22 January 2012 at 09:52

      I'm starting to think they have a much better effect on me than vice versa. They're helping me to relax, take time and be aware of the moment. Quite unusual for me.

      I suppose that makes them KC-whisperers, really. =)

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  5. Julie Flanders25 January 2012 at 15:46

    Aww, I am smiling from ear to ear after watching this video. I had to laugh a little about you not being the most patient person on the planet, I can certainly relate to that. I do think though that animals can definitely help us be more relaxed and "in the moment." I have loved following the story of these adorable kittens, thanks for sharing them with all of us! :)

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    1. K.C. Woolf26 January 2012 at 18:12

      You're so right about that, Julie! They're the best stress prevention. :-)

      Still, I hope I'll be able to announce their moving out soon, not because I want to be rid of them, but because we can't keep them and the more time I spend with them, the harder it'll be to say goodbye.

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