Mia - Chapter 3

For all your feline miscellany - any interesting stories, news or subjects that do not fit in the other sections.
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ThorpeDave
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Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

At 6 months old, Hendrix was at the height of his mania and Mia was being overwhelmed by him.

At the same time, Hendrix had started to go outside, a lot and we knew it wasn’t long before we couldn’t contain him in our garden and were deeply concerned what would happen if he got out. Eventually we stumped up nearly £1,000 to secure our garden with a combination of Cat proofing and CCTV cameras so that we could keep an eye on them.

Hendrix had been back to the vets on several occasion but all we got was “he is a kitten” he will calm down. Neutering hadn’t so we were not convinced.

We knew that Hendrix had missed a very important part of his life as he had been separated from his mum and siblings at a very early age. He saw Mia as another cat to play, with but Mia saw Hendrix as a kitten and became very maternal. She taught him how to groom himself and keep himself clean and she was happy to play with him until he got too big and boisterous – then she backed off, frustrating Hendrix.

At 6 months we were at our wits end and needed to do something but simply did not know what to do. We thought at that time about getting a kitten much closer to Hendrix’s age but were very concerned that he may overwhelm a much younger cat. We also considered re-homing Hendrix as an alternative course of action.

We were however, convinced that Mia and Hendrix were actually happy together. Mia rubs herself against him regularly and they touch noses when she runs to greet him but then Mia would back off when Hendrix pushed her to play. We have NEVER seen any out and out aggression from them both.

Thankfully, at 7 months, we changed the dry food he was eating and we saw a considerable improvement in his behavior very quickly and he calmed down.

To this day, he can still have his VERY mad moments, especially when Mia rebuffs his playful approaches and Hendrix then storms out of the house being very vocal.

Hendrix quite simply needs to get it out of his system so we could wait and wait or get another kitten for him.

About 4 weeks ago, my wife called from work telling me that one of her colleagues urgently needed to move his Mother-in-Law into a care home and there were 3 cats, 2 six month, old kitten brothers and an older cat. “would we like one or more?”

We simply were not prepared to take the 2 kittens at such short notice as we wanted to find one that would meet Hendrix’s needs so I made a few phone calls and found them all a place at a rescue centre where they could all be assessed, treated and found new homes. We would have considered taking one or more of the kittens but after they had been fully assessed and treated for fleas, worms, etc.

As it turned out, the mother-in-law moved to a care home 2 days later and, with the pressure on the family relieved, they decided to keep the cats and kittens themselves so panic over and a good result.

Whilst communicating with the rescue organisation, I had seen pictures of a gorgeous tabby kitten called Jasper who had been born there. His Mum was just as gorgeous and he had 2 sisters, one tabby just like him and one smoke tabby who is as naughty as they come!

Mum and the 3 kittens were all listed as being reserved but to my surprise I was invited to meet them – and did.

My wife, son and I went to meet Jasper a few days later, He was the largest of the 3, adventurous, playful and loves his mum.

Having thought about it for a while we thought that Jasper would be a good match for both Mia and Hendrix. He would play happily with Hendrix – taking a lot of pressure from Mia in the process - but would also look to Mia for a cuddle. We know that Mia would instantly turn maternal and would be happy to play with him – for a while at least.

Our hope is that Jasper will fill the void in Hendrix’s life and keep him more than happy until he fully matures when, we hope that all 3 will be very happy together in a more relaxed relationship.

Mia has certainly come a long way this past year, playful and now loves being fussed. She is, actually more than happy for Hendrix to be around – just does not like his constant pestering!

Before straying, Mia lived with 8 other cats, so we are confident that a newcomer is unlikely to cause her any problems as long as Hendrix and Jasper don’t turn into bullies.

The next few months will be interesting

Some photos to come later today

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

Jasper loves spending time with his mum Mable
59189081_10155933190142680_2841864638675550208_n.jpg
Left to right - Violet (AKA Violent) dolly and Jasper
57358139_10155913350092680_4080395291147108352_n.jpg
When we visit Jasper I fuss and stroke all the cat but have never attempted to pick them up. On our last visit I was sitting on the floor and Mable (Mum) came and settled on the arm of the sofa. Jasper climbed on my knee, settled down and washed himself. that was wonderful - Was Mable giving me the seal of approval? I hope so


58922510_597334714010087_626364874963812352_n.jpg
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

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In 24 hours time we will be pick up Jasper AND his sister Violet to start their new life with us, Mia and Hendrix

Yes, there have been changes in our plans!

Mia has continued to delight us with increasing confidence and interaction with us. She can now be groomed and even got on my knee and padded for a few seconds the other day. Wonderful

Although a lot calmer, Hendrix is still demanding, mardy, vocal and continues to poke Mia in the hope she will respond in a playful fashion - but she wont.

Originally, It was Jasper that was going to join us. The largest of the 3 kittens he was the boldest, very playful but also loved spending a lot of time with his mum and we hoped that he would be a good playmate fro Hendrix while enjoying quiet time with Mia. There creating a common bond that would also help Mia and Hendrix.

We have been fortunate in that we have had daily updates, videos and photos of the kittens and as they have developed, it became clear that Jasper's sister, Violet, was developing rapidly and was VERY naughty. although the smallest her energy level was high and she it was her that always instigated the play and, at times, quite forceful with their play fighting. Violet was given the nickname by her foster Mum of Violence!

The more we saw of Violet the more we thought we thought that she and Hendrix would be really good together but also that Jasper was the right balance.

As we got closer to collecting Jasper we passed a simple comment that we wished we could take Violet too - the answer came very quickly "you can - if you want"

It did not take long for us to agree.

Keeping Jasper and Violet together would be good for them as they are bonded and would be there for each other as they make the transition away from their mum and into a new home with other cats.

Mia and Hendrix have been a little nervous this past couple of days as we prepare for the Kittens arrival. Cleaning the cat trees is normally a daily vacuum but the steam cleaner has also been out!

some stuff has been moved around to accommodate a pen for the kittens to sleep in and to provide a place of safety in the event that Hendrix gets too over excited or becomes mardy. Hendrix recognises this as it was his previously!

Nervous, excited, hopeful are just some of the emotions. the next couple of days will be interesting to say the least but hopefully, a lot of fun to come in the near future.

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Ruth B »

Congratulations, your life is going to be 'interesting' for a few weeks I think.

Cats always pick up when something is going on. I don't think it is just the obvious things like the kitten pen, but our own emotions come out and no matter how much we are looking forward to introducing a new cat there is always an essence of worry as well.

I'm sure it will work out and that you will soon have two house panthers tearing the place apart together.
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by booktigger »

Wow, an extra 2 kittens - the only thing you may find is that adopting a pair of siblings mean they might not play with Hendrix as much as a single kitten would, but there is something wonderful about a bonded pair of cats. Am so glad Mia is continuing to improve.
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Lilith »

Ha ha! :lol:

Been there done that!

Not so much the purple haze as the violent Violet! :D

(Never mind - the one of mine who asked to come along with her brother earned the nickname of Cookie ... short for 'Cooking Fat' :o :shock: )

Well, your lives will never be the same - but I can guarantee you won't be bored ...

Congrats and fusses to Mia and Hendrix and the incoming naughty ones :D
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

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Ruth B wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 10:12 am Congratulations, your life is going to be 'interesting' for a few weeks I think.

Cats always pick up when something is going on. I don't think it is just the obvious things like the kitten pen, but our own emotions come out and no matter how much we are looking forward to introducing a new cat there is always an essence of worry as well.

I'm sure it will work out and that you will soon have two house panthers tearing the place apart together.
I am sure it will and we are entering this with eyes wide open!

Mia is ok today but Hendrix is being a tw@ - but it has been raining for the last couple of days so he is bored and constantly poking Mia - which of course, she doesn't like.

the day is really dragging so trying to keep myself occupied by cleaning and sterilizing everything ready.

Tomorrow never comes...
Last edited by ThorpeDave on Fri May 10, 2019 2:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

booktigger wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 11:35 am Wow, an extra 2 kittens - the only thing you may find is that adopting a pair of siblings mean they might not play with Hendrix as much as a single kitten would, but there is something wonderful about a bonded pair of cats. Am so glad Mia is continuing to improve.
It seems that Violence gets bored easily and Jasper still loves his mummy so we are expecting, Violence to make a beeline for Hendrix as a new challenge and something new to sink her teeth into.

Hendrix of course will run a mile and hide but it will be a few days before we allow the first encounter - well probably not!

We think that keeping Jasper and Morgana Violet (to give her her proper new name) will allow them to settle more easily. Saturday is going to be a tough for them as it is quite a long drive plus they will be going to the vets first thing.

There is a queue of cats and kittens to take there place to there is a degree of pressure on time - not ideal but it is what it is

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Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 1:01 pm Ha ha! :lol:

Been there done that!

Not so much the purple haze as the violent Violet! :D
It is quite a fitting name for her and I will see if I can get permission to put the video on Youtube later. She will certainly met her match with Hendrix but we are going to have to watch them carefully.

It is about time that someone bit Hendrix as he needs to learn that it hurts! Poor lad missed out on his childhood and, unfortunately, Mia has not given him the good hiding he deserves!

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Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

Morgana Violet - AKA Violence

https://youtu.be/TdeHe0PGdlg

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Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Lilith »

Ouch! Bitten by a kitten! :lol:

They look fine healthy little beasties :D
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

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Lilith wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 6:21 pm Ouch! Bitten by a kitten! :lol:

They look fine healthy little beasties :D
She can be quite savage at times!

These kittens are very cute and who cn resist a playful kitten? And while that is very true getting these two was primarily driven by wanting a playmate for Hendrix for Hendrix to fill that void in his life and to stake the pressure off Mia.

I said to my wife last Monday, that it would be typical if Hendrix made that final love and settle down with Mia without poking her. Well true to form that is exactly he has done.

Friday, Hendrix has been as good as gold and they are very calm together and spent most of the afternoon and night curled up along side each other

Happy Caturday!
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by fjm »

They may well form a defensive alliance against the kittens! Sounds as if you have a busy summer ahead - I look forward to following their progress.
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Lilith »

Lol happy Caturday to you ... it has literally been a happy Cat-turd-day here as my Mouse, who is plagued with constipation and who wasn't responding to her laxative, started back on Royal Canin Fibre Plus dried a couple of days ago - and today saw a result :)

I take it you'll be back home with the terrible twosome and crashed out getting your breath back, while Mia and Hendrix will be staring bigeyed - what are THESE?

Fusses to them all - great to hear of Mia and Hendrix cuddling, that's cool :D
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

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fjm wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 9:32 am They may well form a defensive alliance against the kittens! Sounds as if you have a busy summer ahead - I look forward to following their progress.
To a certain extent, our first objective has been achieved - Mia and Hendrix are lying together in the bedroom :o probably consoling each other ;)
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

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Lilith wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 1:36 pm Lol happy Caturday to you ... it has literally been a happy Cat-turd-day here as my Mouse, who is plagued with constipation and who wasn't responding to her laxative, started back on Royal Canin Fibre Plus dried a couple of days ago - and today saw a result :)
NICE!!

Nothing this end yet!
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

No big surprises today and the 2 kittens are, understandably feeling, a little sorry for themselves.

A visit to the vets for first vaccinations, an hour in a car, being separated from their mum and now 2 strange cats and 3 strange humans to contend with. New noises, smells etc!

Mia has been quite relaxed lying on the floor looking at the 2 kittens in their pens. Really good posture and she enjoyed her treats and a good fuss.

approaching the pen how to have a closer look saw Jasper expressing his desire to back off!! Mia was OK with this and has stayed away for the last couple of hours.

As soon as we walked in with the carrier, Hendrix was instantly aware of the kittens arrival.

Once the kittens had been given a few minutes, we transferred them to their pen and Hendrix had a good smell at the carrier and eventually turned round to see the two - now asleep - and flew out of the back door!

Hendrix came in after about 30 minutes and joined Mia upstairs where they are lying together either consoling themselves or plotting some evil plan together. either way - they are together and seem happy.

After a brief rest, Morgana Violet and Jasper wanted to stretch their legs so we let them out of the pen.

A quick explore and Jasper discovered a catnip toy so got as high as a kite and had a punch-up with with his sister!!

https://youtu.be/Lc3hupYIN4o

More napping time then Jasper decided he wanted to come out of his pen and moved to a cat barrel

Both kittens have now realized that his is not just an outing but the beginning of a new adventure - and of course so have Mia and Hendrix.

Naturally Morgan Violet and Jasper are beginning to miss their mum and feeling the affects of the jabs they had earlier.

all cats have been fussed and all are purring.

A lot more cuddles for them all later and we are expecting some distressed cats for the next couple of days.

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Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

Now that Morgana Violet and Jasper are nine weeks old today - I have published a new video on YouTube

https://youtu.be/lTdjlzairlo

We have now the 2 kittens in a bedroom so that they can run riot as and when they want but they go in the pen at night - and are as good as gold.

Saturday was obviously a stressful day for them both and they were a lot better on Sunday.

Today, has seen them running round like crazy, playing, climbing curtains and eating very well - with the obvious consequences!

Although weighed at the vets (Morgan Violet is 890g while Jasper is 1,210g) we have established our own daily weighing routine so that we can monitor how they are doing.

Neither cat will entertain wet food at the moment but it did not take long to move them both onto grain free dry. We are also giving them a treat of a small amount of formula as Mum was feeding them once a day right up to the day we picked them.

The first to reach 2kg will be off to the vet to see if they are ready to be neutered as, obviously one plus one equals more than two.

Mia's initial response to the new arrivals was, curious until Jasper arched his back and hissed at her! Mia responded in kind and growled at them again on Sunday.

We have brought them downstairs for a play today and Mia watched and only growled once and Jasper was too busy playing to take any notice.

My wife has just gone upstairs and Mia followed and stood at the doorway having a good nose at the kittens playing on the bed with no negative reaction.

Hendrix - well!

At 11 months old Hendrix is one massive kitten who will take on any cat that ventured our garden before it was cat proofed. The 2 local bully boys got a swift punch on the nose from him.

However, he is absolutely terrified of the two tiny kittens - belly on the floor, running outside and won't come back in, whining like a two year old. What a big girl's blouse!

He is still getting his fusses so he knows we still love him but he is currently keeping well out of the way

Mia and Hendrix are closer together than they ever have been and Mia seems to recognizes that Hendrix is less than happy - at the moment - and she is doing her best to re-assure him. They are obviously bonded.

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Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Lilith »

Aw, all this is so cool! Those kitties don't seem much daunted by their 'ordeal'. Little beauties!

Fusses to all four :D
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

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5 days in and we have settled in to a routine of sorts!

Jasper and Morgana Violet are certainly over their ordeal and are very much settled. Both kittens are now purring and seeking fusses and Morgana Violet, in particular, has shown more affection than the first couple of days. Of course, playing, mayhem eating a pooing are where we expected which is a great relief after our experience with Hendrix who simply would not stop!

There does not seem to have been any stress caused by being separated from their sister or mum - both now re-homed elsewhere in the country - and the two are very happy together
DSCI0255.jpg
It was always my intention to move both kittens onto 100% "natural" grain free food as quickly as possible simply because that is my choice and I didn't want Hendrix sticking his nose in their current brand as it sends him nuts!

The transition turned out to be easy. One of the fist things we noticed was that Jasper was growling if Morgana Violet tried to eat out of the same dish so we immediately switched to two dishes. On the second day we actually put 3 dishes down. 1 containing their normal food and 2 others containing different varieties of "natural" food. They went straight for the natural and we have not looked back.

However, I have yet to get either remotely interested in wet food - they simply want to bury it!

When playing we immediately became aware that Jasper was quite possessive with toys. Boy can he growls!! He looks liker and tiger and roars like one too

https://youtu.be/BgHELMQWOpw

We are so glad that we adopted the 2 siblings as they have settled so well together.

Mia seems relatively un-phased by the arrival of the kittens and has been curious but warns them off if they get too close. This is exactly what she did with Hendrix. As the days have gone by, Mia is more open when they are around and the kittens no longer see her as a threat and just carry on playing!

We have established a routine where by the kittens are upstairs in a bedroom and are free to do what they want - like destroy curtains and generally cause chaos! seeing Morgan bounce round like a lamb on the bed is so funny!

We allow them out of the room once a day and are extending the time period bit by bit. Mastering the stairs took not time and has added to the chaos!.

when they come downstairs they have different toys to play with and of course are hearing different noises. although Jasper hissed and growled at Mia on the first day he has not done so since. Morgana Violet has just continued to bounce around like a lamb and does not seem at all concerned about Mia's presence.

Mia, normally goes behind a chair when they appear in the room but first her head, then the rest of her appears watching them play and looking quite relaxed. When she has seen enough, she simply moves off elsewhere.

Mia's routine has remained unchanged, She plays eats and gets her normal fusses - although the latter seem more intense. She is also more open during the day sunning herself on the cat tree and spending a bit more time outside too.

Hendrix - Oh dear!

The arrival of the kitten has really upset Hendrix and, as a result he normal routine has be broken.

He appears terrified and jealous of them and we are all making great efforts to bring him round.

IF he comes face to face with them he runs off and immediately goes outside and refuses to come back in. His belly hit the floor and he has got quite aggressive with me when I try and comfort him - even taking a chunk out of me last night.

Normally, he would run upstairs in the morning demanding a fuss and be groomed but he won't go into the bedroom. He normally sleeps in there at night too but not any more.

Even Mia seems to have recognized that he is unhappy and she is certainly paying more attention to him and often goes outside tempting him to chase her in - but he wont!

Mia and Hendrix are clearly bonded but Hendrix keeps prodding and poking her trying to get her to respond and play but she still won't any relationship with Mia HAS to be on HER terms.

While we are concerned about Hendrix, we are not yet "worried". It is new, he has never had an established relationship with another kitten before. We feel sure that bit by bit he will get used to them being around.

In some ways, it may be a blessing as Hendrix continues to grow and is now more than twice the size of Mia. He can pack a punch and the kittens are tiny in comparison and he could hurt them quite easily. They certainly need to be bigger and stronger than they currently are.

We were worried that Hendrix would simply wade in and play, hence the reason behind getting a pen for them to protect them from Hendrix if he got too much. It seems now, that Hendrix would benefit from the pen rather than the kittens!!!!

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Lilith »

That's typical - the toughest cat in the bunch is often the coward of the county when it comes down to it. In the 70s one of my moggies had a litter (smacks own wrist) and I had a very fierce black cat, Sulah, who was cornered by a four week old kitten ...

Kitten (arching menacingly and prancing sideways): Miaooooowooowooo!
Sulah: Growl! She could have whacked him into the middle of next week with one clawy paw but she retreated, defeated.

Many older cats will back down before kittens.

They will all shake down together eventually but maybe Hendrix would prefer the crate for now - he could always do an Albert and the Lion (without the swallowing whole lol.)
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

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Lilith wrote: Fri May 17, 2019 11:55 am That's typical - the toughest cat in the bunch is often the coward of the county when it comes down to it. In the 70s one of my moggies had a litter (smacks own wrist) and I had a very fierce black cat, Sulah, who was cornered by a four week old kitten ...
We are surprised at Hendrix - perhaps it is because they are so small and tearing around like idiots (like he used to) is what is scaring him? He is a bit calmer but we have yet to have him in the house when the kittens are around.

So very close to Mia making friends this morning!

She ran towards Jasper tail held high and squealing when he walked into the room and they got very close. Unfortunately he arched his back and she would not go any further.

After some play we had Mia being fussed with both kittens around but again their speed and sudden movements seem to freak her.

Interestingly Mia is the one making the moves - which she didn't with Hendrix.

We are nearly there with Mia

Last night was wonderful as Morgana Violet settled on my lap and went to sleep for 30 minutes then Jasper joined her and washed her until she had had enough and got off. Jasper stayed put for another 10 minutes until they were off running round the place again.

The kittens are happy and settled, Mia is playing, and being fussed like never before as seems quite animated. Hendrix is finding it hard at the moment but we are keeping up the love and fusses the best we can.

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Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

It is now 2 weeks since our 2 kittens, Jasper and Morgana Violet joined us and our 2 existing cats 5-year-old (Mamma) Mia and 11-month-old (Horrible) Hendrix)

The kittens have settled extremely well and only took 24 hours for them to feel at home.

They have both grown – putting on over 200g each – and were quickly transitioned to 100% natural, grain and potato free dry food. For the life of me I cannot tempt either one with wet food – well apart from cooked chicken!

As the days have passed, we have given them more freedom in the house and it is now their own. They have full freedom during the day but are still placed in a pen over night which does not seem to bother them one bit. As soon as they go in and the lights are out, they settle down and go to sleep.

Jasper has an instant Purr button and loves being fussed. He has occasionally settled on our lap but still prefers to cuddle up with his sister.

Morgan Violet on the other hand is quite prepared to settle down and sleep on my lap or chest which is lovely. She is so sweet, tiny but the most aggressive of the pair with “play fighting” now resulting in some screams of pain – from Jasper!

Adopting the 2 siblings has obviously been the right choice for them although we now recognise that it has made it harder for Mia and Hendrix to adjust.

Mia’s reaction to the 2 new kittens is exactly what we though. Initially she watched at a distance but soon returned to her normal resting and sleeping positions and appears very relaxed.

When the kittens approached her, she would growl and hiss which we took to be her way of establishing the pecking order. Mia, typically, wants to be in control and it will be her decision to make contact as and when she sees fit.

It did not actually take too long, and she had a good sniff at Morgana Violet, and later approached her and touched noses. But Morgana Violet is not yet permitted to approach Mia!

We did chuckle when Mia did the same to Jasper. Again she approached him from behind, sniffed him and her ears went back and she meowed – “oh god, another Tom” is what we have assumed but not sure that she would recognise him as male at this early stage ???

Unlike Morgana Violet, Mia has yet to make another approach to Jasper although both kittens have been following her around a little in the past couple of days clearly wanting to make friends.

Despite this, I have managed to get Jasper and Mia VERY close to each other. Mia loves her afternoon treat of a bit of chicken and it also seems that Jasper is more than a little partial too. The desire for a treat appears to be a higher priority for each of them and I will take advantage of this!

As Mia has always been very considerate and allows other cats to share treats she simply does not bother that Jasper wants them too. Even with Jasper on my knee, Mia also climbs on too to get her share. Both are fussed at the same time to help keep each other calm.

Hendrix!

We started looking for a kitten as a playmate to Hendrix as he desperately wants to play with other cats but he is simply terrified of the 2 new arrivals. It is quite bizarre to watch him outside running to other cats on the other side of the cat proofing to poke them while he still tries very hard to play with Mia which she refuses to do.

However, he won’t be in the same room as the 2 kittens playing although we have had a couple of very amusing moments!

A couple of days ago, Hendrix was curled up on a leather bar stool which is close to my desk. Morgana Violet walked across my desk, took one look at the sleeping Hendrix and pounced on him! Hendrix shot off the stool, and out of the house and it took 6 hours before we would come back in.

1 day later, Hendrix was on his cat tree – a large tree for Maine Coon’s - and Jasper scaled up the back of it suddenly appearing right in Hendrix’s face. A mighty leap of faith again saw Hendrix disappear very rapidly outside, again, refusing to come back in for several hours.

To be fair to Hendrix he has got a little better in recent days but is keeping well out of the way.

One of our objectives has, however, been achieved. Hendrix and Mia are now very close and, as I write this post, are only a few inches apart, asleep and happy to be in each other’s company with no poking. Mia too is far more relaxed and I have just groomed Hendrix and Mia did not seem at all bothered about me being so close to them both.

So, after 2 weeks, we have two happy pairs of cats with some signs of Mia and Morgana prepared to unite the 2 sets.

So far we are happy with progress despite Hendrix's reluctance to accept the gift of 2 playmates we have given him - ungrateful fleabag

Regards

Dave
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Lilith
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Lilith »

Group dynamics eh? I've never watched one of these reality shows where people choose to live together for a while, but it sounds a bit similar ... what's going to happen next? Is Hendrix going to fall for Morgana Violet ... love at first bite? :o

Hope the lad comes round soon (he will, he will) and so glad Mia, the sensitive plant, is coping and the kittens too.

I look forward to the next episode :D
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Ruth B »

Who needs reality TV when you can watch kitties.
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

Ruth B wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 2:03 pm Who needs reality TV when you can watch kitties.
Who needs TV when you have kittens!

Sometimes it is like Big Brother, but

Sometimes it is like I'm a celebrity get me out of here! - In Hendrix's case, definitely the latter :lol:
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote: Sun May 26, 2019 1:04 pm Group dynamics eh? I've never watched one of these reality shows where people choose to live together for a while, but it sounds a bit similar ... what's going to happen next? Is Hendrix going to fall for Morgana Violet ... love at first bite? :o
Group dynamics is fascinating!

Just to recap we were hoping that

Jasper would make friends and play with Hendrix
Jasper - who loved his Mum - would cuddle up with Mia
Therefore Jasper would bridge the gap between Hendrix and Mia

Then of course we took on Morgana Violet (AKA Violence) too and we thought

Morgana Violet would make a bee line for Hendrix and give him something to really think about

Watch this space as things are beginning to get interesting ;)

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

What a difference a week makes!

Jasper and Morgana Violet continue to do very well. Growing, playing and exploring. Both have gained over 300g since their arrival with Jasper developing in other areas too!

The kittens continue to go in their pen at night for their own safety and they still do not object to this. We are certainly not ready to let them roam free when we need our beauty sleep.

Both kittens continue to refuse wet food so we have a cupboard full of different brands and recipes! The rescue center will soon be getting a gift of many pouches of food!

Morgana Violet, despite her size, can be quite a minx. The play fighting between the 2 kittens is getting quite rough at times and she can certainly make her bigger brother scream. We have not intervened, as yet, but are keeping a close eye on things.

The kittens are due back at the vets next week for their second vaccinations and we will also be discussing Neutering at this appointment. As Jasper is the larger of the 2, and developing we will probably go for an early neuter at 4 months when he should be above 2kg in weight.

Mia seemed to accept the kittens arrival quite well although she has laid down HER ground rules fairly early on. The kittens appear to respect this although they need reminding occasionally. Quite often, during play, they will suddenly invade her space causing her to growl and hiss at them.

Mia''s routine has basically unchanged although she now sleeps r rest in different places to her norm. She still loves to watch the kittens play and she often looks like an umpire on the center court of Wimbledon as the kittens fly past in one direction then the other.

Jasper, however, is trying to make friends with her - which is what we hoped for. Yesterday, Mia rubbed up against him and they often touch noses. Jasper quite often edges closer and closer to her and, at treat time, Jasper is right in her face with no reaction from Mia any more.

Hendrix - Well!

Up until Friday, Hendrix was being a "big girl's blouse" and would keep well away from the kittens. We would spend long periods of time out of the house and, when he came in, would spend his time with Mia well out of the way.

The relationship between Mia and Hendrix has improved considerable over the past 2 weeks and they appear to be very well bonded - again, something we hoped for.

Friday turned out to be a very important day. Hendrix's routine has been shattered and he is missing his playtime with us, and his grooming sessions - which he loves.

At bedtime on Friday we allowed the kittens to to run around the bedroom for a while with the door closed before they went in their pen as usual. On opening the bedroom door, who was sitting there? Hendrix.

Hendrix, came in the bedroom, had a good fuss and groom then settled on the floor a few inches away from the pen. He stayed there all night with all 3 watching each other often.

All day Saturday and most of Sunday the kittens decided it was time to make contact with Hendrix and they spent hours chasing him all over the house. Hendrix desperately tried to get away from them on Saturday but on Sunday, he came back immediately, only to be chased off again.

After dinner the kittens and Hendrix settled down with Jasper on the cat tree in the living room, Morgana Violet in a new medium sized dog bed and Hendrix on "his" cat tree in the front room next to my desk. and peace descended on the house.

After an hour or so, Morgana Violet came into the front room meowing and first jumped onto the first platform of the cat tree, then onto my desk for a fuss and finally she jumped onto the top platform of the cat tree and came face to face with the slumbering Hendrix.

I am not sure who was most surprised. Both cats froze and looked at each other for a minute until Morgana Violet moved into the corner and settled down. Hendrix sat up simply not knowing what to do but eventually a paw was raised and he gently touched Morgana Violet's head and he settled down again. Morgana Violet extend a paw to touch Hendrix.

I simply did not expect this to happen and it brought a tear to my eye.
61836383_2276391352623627_1442285387052482560_o.jpg
After a few minute, Hendrix jumped down, with Morgana Violet in hot pursuit! The ice was broken - well and truly broken!

The rest of Sunday was a riot with Morgana Violet and Hendrix chasing each other all over the place. Jasper soon joined in and Hendrix was swamped to 2 kittens who had found a new toy.

Today - so far - the fun has continued with Hendrix and the 2 kittens fully interacting. Hendrix is being gentle with them but we must keep an eye on this as we know that Morgana Violet can get very rough at times and will sink her teeth into Hendrix at some point.

the house looks like a bomb has hit it - well 3 actually!

So far, so good but we know that there is a long way to go and thing might , and probably will change. Four cats with four different personalities. Interesting times ahead!

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by Lilith »

Aww! :o :D

Hendrix has decided to keep them has he? :lol:

Happy days! :D
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Re: Mia - Chapter 3

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote: Tue May 28, 2019 11:59 am Aww! :o :D

Hendrix has decided to keep them has he? :lol:
Oh yes!
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