Maybe Kittens Can Be Friends After All: Minnie and Nara
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Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.
It’s been more than three months since I rescued the two kittens, Minnie and Nara, a couple of weeks apart. If you’ve been following my kitten stories, you already know that the two of them hate each other. Okay, maybe it’s not hate as such, but it’s certainly a profound dislike. As much as I try to spend time with each of them and give them all the attention they need, as well as distract them with various toys from killing each other, their lack of tolerance towards one another persists. But now I’m starting to see some subtle changes that may indicate a light at the end of the tunnel.
Nara is the Cautious One
Nara is the more shy and jumpy one, who will hide at the sight of any new people or upon hearing any strange noise. However, something strange happens when we’re home alone and the little ginger cat comes out of her shell. She turns into a proper energetic and inquisitive kitten, running around like mad, with a bit of a neurotic tendency. I also call her Narc, and that really explains it all.
Minnie is Fearless but Accident-Prone
Minnie is more impulsive and fearless, always keen to try new things, which more often than not leads to her getting into trouble. So far, she has managed to turn even seemingly harmless situations into almost life-threatening ones. In all honesty, sometimes it feels like she needs a 24/7 assistant to make sure she doesn’t end up killing herself. There is no doubt that Nara is the brighter one. Minnie is also smaller and weaker, but she is actually a very tough little kitten.
How Two Different Personalities Complement Each Other
With the two of them being so different, and Nara being the one who initiates playing and dominates in it, while Minnie mostly does her own thing in an almost clueless way, it’s been interesting to observe when their roles started to slowly change. Initially, for the most part, Nara has been the one chasing and harassing Minnie, who would growl, hiss, and run around the house, trying to hide. In the last month, Minnie has started taking up the role of the initiator, starting to chase Nara and even stalk and pounce on her. Both of them love sneaking up on each other after stepping out of the litter box so they can scare one another into running frantically across the whole room. And the growling seems to have reduced. Still, watching them play seems more like a duel to the death, with both kittens biting each other on the neck, and swiping one another, although with their claws drawn in. One minute they’re wrestling in what seems to be a very painful grip, and the next they’re both running around the house, chasing each other.
Miki is the Mediator
Oftentimes, the two of them are play-fighting, while Miki is observing the whole thing from his bed on the windowsill. And a few times per day, he joins the fun. It seems like he is there to calm the situation and draw Nara away from Minnie, as she is the weaker one. Nara and Miki play quite rough, and she is a completely different cat with him, showing submissive behavior, rolling on her back, trilling, and meowing gently as if she is trying to get under his skin. When she plays with Minnie, she doesn’t make any sound, and generally, she’s the one taking the lead. Miki will play with Minnie as well and seems to be more considerate of her, but she still growls when the game becomes too rough for her. Minnie is a very sensitive kitten and she overreacts easily. Even if something causes her just brief discomfort, she will growl, although in most cases no one in particular is responsible for it other than herself.
Time is of the Essence
Relationships between cats and kittens are unpredictable. The ones you think will most definitely get along, don’t, while those that you think of as potentially more challenging may turn out to be easy. That’s what happened to me. I was worried about Miki accepting the two kittens, while I was convinced that the kittens would be best friends from day one. I was very wrong. But I see now that with enough time and reassurance, the tide is beginning to change slowly. I hope that in 6 months or more, the two kittens will share a bond and will learn to accept each other as members of one family. But I understand now that these things can’t be rushed, and proper introductions are crucial in ensuring long-term success.
- Read her previous article: How Cats React to Adopting a New Dog: Miki’s Rescued Sister
