Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.
The two naughty kittens are now nearing 7 and 5 months, and have been living with me since mid-November. They are full of energy and always up to some mischief and chaos, running up and down the ladders, going to the loft, chasing each other around, and knocking things off the table. And they both love watching through the windows, especially when Miki is on the other side. They have recently realized that Miki is let out through a particular door and window, and they have started stalking it, hoping to get outside. So I finally decided it was time to let them start exploring.
Minnie’s Love of Trees
One of the first things Minnie did when she got outside, after some sniffing and chewing on grass, was climb a nearby tree. Of course, she picked one of the tallest and thinnest trees to climb on top of. And instead of realizing that it was the end of the road, she carried on further up to the very end of the top branches, some of which started making uncomfortable breaking noises. I called and called, and Minnie called back, meowing, as it finally got to her head that she made a big mistake. Hats off for the effort and speed at which she climbed up, but coming down was not happening as easily or gracefully.
The only thing I could think of was using a long wooden ladder that I put next to the tree, almost reaching where Minnie was. Luckily, she got the idea and used the ladder to come down. Besides this little incident, Minnie had a great time outside. She learned to use the window herself to go in and out when she wanted a snack. She was a brave explorer, following Miki and the dogs around, and as soon as I would call her, she would run up to me, looking so proud of herself.
Nara’s Taking Things Slow
Nara is completely different from Minnie in personality. Smarter, but more cautious and fearful, thinking things through thoroughly before deciding where to go. It took her much longer to actually come out the window, and she immediately hid in the nearby shed. She slowly started exploring around the shed and was well aware of the window where she was to come back in. I haven’t seen her try to climb any trees yet, but it was cute to see that she followed Minnie around.
While Minnie was playing with the leaves and branches, Nara was still in fight-or-flight mode, cautiously observing her surroundings. If dogs started barking or I opened the door, she would run and hide immediately. But slowly, she started showing more confidence and curiosity, and her body language started to change.
Supervising Kittens is Hard Work
I do rely a bit on Miki and the dogs to keep the kittens safe from any predatory birds or the neighbor’s dogs, but I still sat outside the whole time to make sure they were finding their way back to the house, not venturing too far and not getting into trouble. Well, at least when it comes to Minnie, because trouble seems to find her, while Nara definitely has more common sense.
However, being a worrier and knowing what sort of dangers may lurk in the remote countryside where we live, I decided to get the kittens GPS trackers, the same kind as the one Miki wears. They look silly and big on them, especially on Minnie, but they give me a sense of security that I will be able to locate them if they don’t return home when I call. Nara is used to wearing hers now, although initially, it was a nightmare as she didn’t like getting handled or picked up. She’s come a long way since. Both kittens have a breakaway collar in case they get stuck somewhere, to avoid injuries.
Change Is In the Air
By starting to go out, the kittens have definitely calmed down a little bit, and even their playing seems less rough than it was. Exploring the great outdoors is a tiring task. Seeing Minnie jump up on the window from the outside and run towards me as if she wanted to tell me everything about her adventure just melts my heart. But in reality, she starts intently meowing demanding food, as climbing trees requires a lot of energy. Looking at the two of them outside together, Nara following Minnie and them both exploring as one, it’s starting to feel like they have formed a very special bond, like sisters would, with a little bit of competition and fighting as expected, but still relying on each other.
- Read her previous article: Maybe Kittens Can Be Friends After All: Minnie and Nara
- Read her next article: Cats and Spaying: It’s That Time Of the Year
