Two weeks after the were spayed it was time to let them outside. I have a cat door and I was able to open it and show them how they could now come and go as they wanted too. It didn’t take them long to get the hang of using their own door. I open it after I have been up for awhile as I do not intend to teach them to wake me up for their needs. They have been funny to watch. They love their freedom but generally after breakfast, they are ready for their morning naps. LOL. Still kittens, still babies, and very much cat mentality. Doing what they want on their schedule, as much as allowed. I bring them in before dark and close their door. They don’t get to go out at night. I have taught them to sleep at night and for the most part they do pretty good and often it is my alarm that wakes us all.
Letting them outside was like the human babies first steps. To watch these girls as they set their paws on grass for the first time was hilarious. They didn’t really like the feel of it. I will forever have this comic view in my mind of them walking out into the yard, cautiously, lifting their paws high as they explored the grass.
It was so interesting to watch them explore, grow, expand, discover. I live in a Ohana behind a bigger house on an acre, down near the ocean where I can hear it unless it’s a calm day. We have a variety of trees and plants in the yard. They have claimed the entire acre as their domain. They chase around the yard, chasing each other, chasing their imagination, finding lizards. I am teaching them no birds. Ginger caught one and we had a serious discussion about no birds. She understands but has to practice not chasing the doves and birds that land in the yard. I used to have a couple pairs of wild canaries that hung out in the yard. Those precious little birds have realized this is no longer a safe place and I seldom see them around. I will miss them but am grateful they relocated so my girls are not tempted by them.
One day Ginger was chasing Marmalade and Marmalade went very high into a tree. I was out in the yard and told her, “However high you go, you have to come back down, on your own. I won’t be calling the fire department or looking for a ladder.” I watched her back her way back down the tree, all claws extended assisting with the decent, until she was low enough to jump. They are learning their limits, just like kids do.
It was great to see right from the beginning that they understood inside the house was their safety zone. It is good to know they have that concept and when a car pulls into the driveway, they run for the house. As they have continued to explore the property, they have found underneath Uncle and Antie’s place is a safe place, as well as a very interesting place. I don’t know what they do under there but that is often where they come from when I call them. My previous cat Momi had loved it under there too.
Because all three kittens look so similar, I put different color collars on them right away. They are the safety collars that break away if they get hung up. I feel like I need to invest in stock in the company. Traci has lost one collar and Marmalade has lost three. Ginger is the only one with her original collar. I’m getting so I can tell them apart easier but am still grateful for the color coding. I’ve thought about dying the tips of their tails as sometimes we can’t see their feet or the collars. Two of the kittens have white socks. Ginger has one foot where the sock isn’t on all the way. Marmalade has no booties. As they grow into teenagers I am seeing small, medium and large in their sizes. Traci is the biggest. In the beginning she was the bravest but when it was time to go outside, Ginger took the lead on that attribute. Traci is actually the most timid outside. Marmalade is often off exploring by herself.
They have made themselves at home up on Uncle John and Aunt Pati’s lanai. They know they can get treats there if the people are outside. Uncle bought a cat fishing pole and they often have afternoon entertainment with Uncle and or Auntie. It didn’t take them too long to figure out there was a line attached to the bird that was being cast their way. It is great entertainment for the kittens, Uncle and all spectators. Life with kittens is fun!!