As our kittens leave the nest, we often see personality changes in the ones still remaining in our home. This is especially noticeable when an alpha kitty leaves first -- it forces a shift in the order of the pack, and it's always interesting to see who moves to the front. You don't always realize how they influence each other until someone is gone.
Things have really changed for Oakley since his brothers moved out on Monday. He suddenly became a whole lot more confident and daring. Before, when he was winding down and sleepy, you could scoop him up easily, but when he was in a more active state, he would dash for cover if you got too close. That's not the case anymore --- that fear has faded fast. I never would have thought they would influence each other so much, but I think when Maurice and Oakley were together, they fed off of each other's nervous energy.
I got a note from Debbie, who adopted Maurice and Emmet, and she said that they're doing really great. We knew Emmet would adjust quickly, so it's no surprise there, but I thought it might take a little longer for Maurice. He's seeking affection from his mom and purring up a storm for her already! This thrills me to no end!
The next time we have a batch of skittish kittens, I'm going to keep this all in mind when finding their homes -- we'll always be separating the scaredy-kittens!
Plenty more to come today -- do stay tuned!
And don't forget, we've got that FUNdraiser happening!
I thought yesterday's match was going to turn into a nail-biter, but an hour before it ended, our friend Wendy dropped a nice chunk of change in the kitty that put us over the top! Thank you, Wendy, for that generous gift! Thank you, Awesome Anonymous Donor, for offering up that match! And thanks to all who got us to yesterday's goal! We rolled past $50 squillion, so we're past the half-way point! HOORAY! THANK YOU!
To make a tax-deductible donation and help the shelter cats and kittens out, please visit HERE.
He might be a recovering scaredy kitten, but he sure is gorgeous, that Oakley!!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed this influence with my two cats. I've had them about 9 months now and Jasper was described as being shy and we were told it might take him a while to adjust. His brother from another mother, Fergus, is the opposite of shy - greets everyone, loves everyone and is super confident. This confidence has rubbed off a bit on Jasper - we can tell he might be tempted to hide in certain situations but then he observes Fergus being the confident cat he is and after he watches for a minute or so it gives him courage. It's been fun to watch it develop.
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