The kittens have been with us for a couple of weeks now, and we’re all adjusting to the changes.
When they first moved in, they lived in the laundry room behind the dryer, where we assume it was warm and out of the way. Eventually, someone turned on the dryer and that was the end of that, but they still venture in there to their electronic litter box (yes, it cleans itself), which has been working quite well for everyone concerned.
As Berta noticed, they would venture out slowly from the laundry room, going only as far as a few feet, then returning to base. Then they’d go a littler farther, then return. They’re still a bit shy about leaving the family room, although we’ve since given them nearly full access to the first and second floors.
My office is usually off-limits because there’s just too much delicate stuff in there. I let them visit over the past week and Phobos started to stalk the blinking network traffic light on the back of my PC. He hunkered down in the wires behind the case, and leaped at the LED and the surrounding wires. That came to a quick end, and I ejected the both of them.
Riley and Abby have taken to the kittens quite well. They’ve both decided which kitten is whose – Abby’s is Phobos and Riley’s is Deimos. The kittens don’t really see it that way, since they’re friendly to both kids.
Riley is now unable to take naps at home during the day in the living room because the kittens make too much noise running around. They’re like speedy little elephants, tearing up the carpet racing around the furniture chasing each other and making all sorts of trampling noises in the process. Riley’s been taking naps in his room this week, which is actually working out better than usual since he was often unable to nap during the day otherwise, and it’s helping him adjust to falling asleep without someone in the room, which has been a problem.
The kittens have already started waiting by the front door for Abby to come home from school. They were a little off yesterday, showing up around 3pm, and decided instead to knock on my office door. But when Abby finally came home, they were excited and ran around the house. Abby spent her afternoon playing with them.
Although she likes to pick them up and otherwise bother them a little too much, the kittens have really taken to Abby. They’re still a little afraid of Riley, as well they should be. Sometimes he isn’t aware of his strength. But he still likes to play with the kittens with their toys.
For me, Phobos and Deimos are often under foot. They like to congregate around my feet when I’m in the kitchen, which is especially tricky at night when I can’t see them and am a bit groggy to be thinking about it. More than once I’ve accidentally launched a kitty across the hardwood floor. They’re resilient though, and come right back to stand around my feet.
The two of them seem to play rough, but they don’t bite or claw hard. Sometimes I think they consider me just another cat in the way I play. They like to attack my feet in socks, and I’ll drag them around the floor while they bite and claw.
Apart from having to tape up some wires and the heat generated in my office from having to keep the door closed, the kittens are making a nice addition to our family.
