Settling In, Pairing Off

 When our kittens move in, they spend their first few days in the wire kennel. It's a huge one, designed for XXL dogs, so they've got plenty of room for their bed, littler box, food and water bowls, and there's plenty of space to romp, too.  We start them off in the cage because we want their world to be small and cozy, and help them feel safe as they as they adjust to their new surroundings.

The Plunketts did their time in lock-up, and now they're free to bounce about their room during the day. When it's time for the humans to go to bed, the kittens get tucked away, too, and spend their night behind bars.

Until yesterday, this system seem to be working just fine. They were happy to have the run of the room, and that seemed to be enough. But then they realized there something waiting for them on the other side of the door.  And her name is Wylla.

Wylla has been camped out by the door, and when I'm in the room with the kittens, she cries to be let in.  Her cries have captured their curiosity, and now as I come and go, they all try to do the same.  They want to meet that cat who's calling for them!

Not yet kittens! We've still got five days left in quarantine!!

Even though this seems to be a very healthy lot, we still need to wait it out.

I put a baby gate in the doorway so they can't just dart out of the room as I come in. They can easily scale the gate, but I can get over the gate and into the room faster than they can get over the gate and out of the room.

Socially, they're all doing pretty well. Though sometimes they scamper when we try to scoop them, but once caught, they're all very happy to be held and are very generous with their purrs. Ernest is the most outgoing of the bunch, and seems to enjoy us humans the most.

They seem to have formed two teams, the Longhairs and the Shorthairs, and they pair off for wrestling and napping. Of course that could all change tomorrow -- kittens can be quite fickle that way! But today, the Longhairs are enjoying the pleasure of each other's company.