Kitten update: Paddington is 13 weeks old

Kitten update: Paddington is 13 weeks old

I thought I’d try to run a little diary for our new fluff ball.  Maybe not every week, but as and when I remember.  So here we are with our first Kitten update: Paddington is 13 weeks old today and moved in with us two weeks ago.  Where has the time gone since I first introduced you to him!

Kitten update: Paddington is 13 weeks old

These two weeks have really flown and Paddington has settled in very well.  We set the kitchen up as his base and moved Brewster’s food and drink bowls out a week before our new fluff ball arrived.  I’d read up about introducing a kitten into a house with an adult cat, but decided that we would have to play it by ear and just take things at Brewster’s pace.  But we have a really small house and keeping them in totally different rooms over a long period of time was never going to be possible.

But on that first day, we let Paddington get used to his kitchen base and spent time with him there as he got used to the sights, smells and sounds of our family life.

Paddington is half Norwegian Forest Cat and climbing is something that they love to do as a breed.  He was soon showing us that he’d definitely got that trait passed down in his genes. Climbing up chairs and Daddy P was no challenge for our fluffy friend.

Once Brewster had gone out for the night I decided to let Paddington have a wander around the downstairs, being careful to shut off the room with Brewster’s food and drink.  The stairs proved no challenge either and he was happily running up and down those in no time.  After a busy day, he fell asleep on one of the kitchen chairs, who needs a posh bed after all!

Kitten update: Paddington is 13 weeks old

He settled very quickly when I went to bed and we didn’t hear a sound from him until Daddy P got up for work at 4.40am the next morning.  He did go back to sleep for a while but I got up with him at 6 am in the end for cuddles and he fell asleep on me for a while longer.  You forget just how much kittens sleep!

His first full day with us would see him home alone in the kitchen until I got back from work at lunchtime.  He’d done brilliantly but was so pleased to see me.  Needless to say, no work got done at all that afternoon, kitten cuddles were the order of the day.

My son was super excited when I picked him up from school, not only had his wobbly tooth fallen out, it was half term but he’d got Paddington to come home to too.  He’s been very good with our new arrival.  He was only two and a half when Brewster arrived so he doesn’t remember him as a kitten at all.

There have been lots of cuddles, my son has enjoyed playing with Paddington and the toys that he bought for him, and he’s even not complained when Paddington decided to do some train spotting and Lego destruction.  It’s been lovely to watch this relationship blossom over the last few weeks and one little kitten follows my son everywhere which he finds hysterical.

Last Tuesday my son came with me to the vets with Paddington for his first round of vaccinations and a general check-up.  There was a mix up with our appointment which meant we were waiting for twenty minutes to be seen, and Paddington did not appreciate that at all.  He was like a Tasmanian Devil inside his cat basket.  I’ve never seen a cat react quite as madly as he did.  He was not impressed.  I managed to get him out of the basket once we were in the consulting room but that’s when the fun really began.  If the vet thought that this tiny little kitten was going to let her get anywhere near him with her large needle, she was in for a rude awakening.  It became clear that the two of us were getting nowhere so she called in reinforcements and even then it was a struggle, but we got him in the end.  He wasn’t too impressed with having his wormer or flea treatment either, but once we’d got him home again he was back to hit quiet and cute self.  We’re back again soon for his second round of vaccinations, that should be fun!

Kitten update: Paddington is 13 weeks old

We’ve had no accidents and he’s used his litter tray without any problems at all.  I hadn’t thought to wean him off the food he’d been given before we got him and put him straight onto Purina dried kitten food.  He has been rather ‘farty’ but the vet suggested that was probably him getting used to the new food.  He’s definitely been less skunk like as time’s gone on.

The relationship with Brewster is very much work in progress.  The morning after Paddington arrived, I opened the patio door to let Brewster in and he could obviously smell that he’d been in the living room and Brewster really had to be coaxed in to have his breakfast.  As soon as he’d eaten he was straight out the door again.  He then got a bit braver and decided to set up camp right outside the kitchen door with Paddington on the other side.

During half term, I decided that we’d try to introduce them.  They’d both got used to the other’s smell, but I knew we’d have to introduce them carefully, making sure that Brewster had an escape route to get away from our feisty, fast newcomer.  They could be in the same room as long as we had hold of Paddington.  Easier said than done when he’s as wriggly as he is and really determined to meet his bigger compatriot.  Needless to say, Brewster was not keen on the new arrival getting too close and he’d hiss at him if he crossed the invisible line Brewster had drawn on the carpet.  We’re still putting Paddington in the kitchen when Brewster comes in for his food and trying to give him the upstairs to hide in if he so chooses.  It’s been hard to give him the attention he deserves with Paddington here too.  I’m conscious that we really do need to equal out the cuddles and affection more.

But there has been some small progress.  If you can catch them at just the time they’d both like to nap then this happens.

There’s no way that I would consider leaving them unsupervised in the same room yet, but this does give me hope that one day we might get beyond the hissing stage.  It’s early days and Brewster isn’t used to having a super fast kitten around.  Time will tell on how this relationship develops.

Kitten update: Paddington is 13 weeks old and all is going well really.  He’s a little sweetheart and will have two really long naps a day if he’s left in peace.  I hadn’t realised how big Brewster was until Paddington arrived.  He looks black and white in photos but he’s actually way browner than Brewster, but otherwise, they really could be twins.  I think they have very different personalities though, Paddington is definitely more feisty and fearless!

Let’s see what the next few weeks bring.

 

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