When a New Kitten Joins the Family

Circle, Serena and Chloe
We are proud owners or should I say we are owned by two wonderful felines. We live with them, they allow us to pet and groom them when they feel like it. They are not our first pets. We adopted sisters from a farm in 1990. They lived with us for 16 years as part of our family. My husband picked one and our daughter picked the other. They were with us when we bought our first home and when our daughter graduated. They were with us when his mother passed away. They stayed with us when our daughter moved out on her own. They were with us when she married. They were introduced to our granddaughter after she was born. Always there, and then one day we came home and Serena was ill. The vet said she had a heart attack. She was in pain, we had to put her down. Circle, her sister was so lonely. She looked for Serena daily, she pinned and cried for her. A stray walked up on the porch one day and refused to leave, a kitten. It was winter and my hubby being the animal lover hr is couldn't resist feeding and playing with this stray cat. Soon we were taking her to the vet and Chloe became Circles playmate, somewhat. Circle was old, 16 years, and this new cat was guessed to be maybe 2 years old. But they did play together somewhat. We decided we needed another younger cat to play with Chloe. Cirlce had somewhat accepted that Serena was not coming back and she lounged evenings on hubbies lap watching Chloe play.

Sierra
In our home lives a torti cat, as the vet calls her. Sierra came to us from a military family that was preparing to be deployed. We found a sign that read "free cat" with a photo on the local bulletin board and went to see the cat pictured. She was full grown and long haired. Neither my husband nor I felt that special feeling you get when you come face to face with that one animal that you must take home and love. We kindly declined and were about to leave when this cute little kitten walked through the legs of the owner and spoke to us, Meoww. What a pretty little gal she was, a kitten as we wanted, and short haired. The home owner announced she was available too. We took her and her vet papers home with us that same day. That was 2 years ago, and Sierra has been a wonderful addition to the family. Circle and Chloe accepted her without too many hisses. Not too long after Circle became very ill, kidney failure. We had to face the fact, it was her time to join her sister in cat heaven.

Sasha
Last year, a month before my husbands birthday he came home and told me of his visit to the local animal shelter that day, a work related visit. While there the shelter worker took him to see this wonderful little calico kitten. She went right to my husband and gave him all kinds of lovin'. He could not quit thinking about this kitten. A few days later he visited the shelter and she was still there. A beautiful calico and again she purred and preened and showed off for him. Another week goes by and with two cats already at home he asks, please, please, please can I adopt the kitten. She can be my birthday present. I say yes, what else could I say, he was in love. Sasha joined our family and made it quite plain from the start she was HIS cat and HE was HERS. It didn't take long at all and all three cats were happily playing together. Although Chloe never seemed to really accept Sasha. Chloe left us as she came, one day she was there, the next gone.

Frankie
One of my daughters has been house-sitting for a military family stationed overseas. There has been somewhat of a sharing of duties with my daughter and another individual. Somehow the families cat got out, they did find her but...she had kittens. The homeowners already had dogs and a cat. They gave instructions to give the kittens away. As my daughters family is living in the home they are house-sitting I would go there to visit. My granddaughter was so happy to show off the kittens. One in particular caught my eye. She had beautiful big bright blue eyes. All of our feline pets had always had green or yellow eyes. Never had I owned a blue eyes cat and yet both my daughters, husband and granddaughter have blue eyes. This little kitten liked me too. Each week I would go to visit and each week sit and hold o play with this kitten, I was getting attached. I told my husband of the kitten. The mommy cat had weened them and they were ready to give away. They had one month before the owned were to return and they were to be gone when they got home. The shelter was mentioned. Again I spoke to hubby and took him to see this kitten. Her beautiful blue eyes won him over. I named her Frankie. After a visit to the vet we brought her home.

Chaos in the Feline Family
Now I expected a bit of hissing for a day but let me tell you never have I gone through what I have this past week. Sasha considers this animal an intruder and has no intention of accepting her. The hissing and growling that has been going on is unbelievable. I told him his cat was spoiled. Sasha not only hissed and growled at the kitten she punished us by not having anything to do with us. Now for me, well I was upset, but.... Sasha is his baby. They nap together, play together, sit together. She is by his side from the time he comes in at night until bedtime and then sneaks in beside him after the lights are out. The hissing and growling and running from him has hurt his feelings A Lot. Sierra did the same of course, hissing and hiding also. I was beginning to think this was a big mistake, $187.00 worth. I wasn't about to give her up after spending that much money. So each I prayed they didn't kill the little one while we were at work and protected her as best I could when we were home. It took 5 days before they could be in the same room together without hissing and growling going on. It is day 7 and yesterday not only were all three in the same room but Sasha is back in her old spot, on the arm of hubbies chair. we've caught Sierra nose to nose with Frankie and no hissing or growling. I've even seen some cleaning each other going on between them. I think forgiveness has finally set in. Frankie chased Sierra through the house this morning. Maybe, just maybe, there will be peace in the household again and plenty of feline play going on. Frankie is mine, she will let either of us pick her up but she likes lying across my lap. My little blue-eyed baby makes three!!