So apparently we got Missy the dog another playmate. Thor the rapidly-growing kitten loves to play, and they have transcended intra-species body language to figure out that neither wants to eat the other, but just play. Here is a video. This kind of activity is now a daily occurrence.
It will be interesting to see how big Thor grows.
I downloaded an app designed for cats on my iPad. It works for the kitten, and Missy the dog! Although Missy likes to watch the kitten best.
The Texas summer is ramping up, and I don’t like walking when it is hot outside. Luckily, I have a large kitchen counter with room to walk circuits in the house. To keep the kitten occupied, I tied a ribbon to a small clip and clipped it on the back of my shirt.
The drier air is also better for my spinning, since heat, moisture, and pressure are the factors that felt wool. Missy the dog also thinks spinning time is kick the ball time, and it is amusing to watch her figure out the timing to drop the ball in my path so I can kick it before walking past. So yes, I walk the house spinning with a drop spindle, kicking the ball for the dog, trailing a ribbon for the cats. I am walking entertainment, but I’m getting in those steps!
It didn’t take long before we moved the gate to the bottom of the stairs and let Thor the kitten come see the rest of the fuzzy family. The gate means he has a safe space to go when the dogs are too much, and keeps the dogs out of his food and litter upstairs.
The stairs were a non-issue, which is a big difference between cats and dogs. As a puppy, it took Missy longer to learn to navigate stairs. Thor had no issues.
While Thor is exploring, we have the dogs lay down and wait, so they don’t overwhelm the kitten. We’ve also been letting the the old dog, Griffin, go lay in his bed in the other room with the door closed, which doesn’t bother him at all.
Our older female cats are on a temporary truce while they assess the new situation. Missy the dog sniffing noses with Sophie the cat is not unusual, but that Izzy is in close proximity without hissing is an occasion to mark. Mostly they go where the kitten can’t find them.
Missy the dog has had the most interaction with the kitten, and it is amusing to watch them try to figure out play signals between species. Here is a video of Thor watching Missy play ball. Missy has learned to back off when Thor hisses, which makes Thor quite bold.
We made a fuzzy blanket bed on the top of a couch, which is an spot neither older cat has claimed. Thor feels safe up there, enough to nap. All this meet and greet is exhausting.
Summer do time for the dogs! I usually just shave their backs for temperature sake, but Griffin’s hair was starting to form dreds, and Missy’s was getting long and scraggly, so this time I shaved them down to the toes. (I did leave their tail hair, because it was the only place that was matt free.)
I trimmed close around their faces too, just not as close as their bodies. This helped even out Griffin’s eyebrows, as he had to have a stye removed recently and the vet shaved his eyebrow for the surgery. I’m definitely not a professional groomer, but they are much happier without their winter coats as summer temps are setting in. I do recommend getting a good quality trimmer if you’re going to do your own grooming, definitely worth the investment.
Critters and Craft 