I've got a lot of kitten pictures.
Lots.
If you're allergic to internet cat pictures, this is not the post for you.
Carrie started to let the kittens into the barn proper. It was supervised while the horses ate.
Her goal was to leave them in the tack room long enough that it became "safe" and "home."
They were timid at first.
And figuring out the door took some work!
If one slid out, she had trouble getting back in because of her sister pushing the other way!
But they did start to poke around.
Shane showed up and was blissfully unaware at first. He sat down next to me and started to talk. I didn't say anything and waited for him to notice the kittens on his own.
Loki's herding attempts helped draw his attention.
Shane was excited when he realized he was ground zero for a happening!
Loki was excited for.....butts. He loves cat butts.
And I've grown to really enjoy catching a good photo.
Which the kittens helped provide many!
The kittens didn't change the routine at all, but they added a new flavor. Carrie and the boarders fawned over the new cuteness. I took pictures when the poop was scooped. Shane came down to the barn more often those first few days and even helped out some.
Loki loved it.
He loved hanging out in the barn as is and now there were new animals to play with.
Not that they'd let him in their room.
Both kittens ventured out from their safe room, but Aria tended to venture farther and more frequently. Tsuki was more people driven.
There will be more on that later!
If you know the layout of the barn, the cat that's farthest from the tack room in any pic is probably Aria.
Both cats tolerate Loki and will even play with him to a certain point.
One day, Aria ran around in the heat until she was panting just like Loki!
In the beginning, we made sure to always return the cats to their room before we left. We took it as a good sign that they'd run right back to the room whenever they were scared.
I didn't always let them out when I did chores solo and the kittens sang their displeasure. I heard a noise behind me stuffing hay once and peeked in on them.
Pop went the Aria! She'd been waiting for the opportunity I provided.
I got her back in, but she avoided being in focus!
Carrie's confidence in the kittens increased to the point she decided to leave the cat door open during the day.
I was a little worried the cats would crap in the hay. It was cute to watch them play in it, but I didn't think the horses would appreciate the added flavor.
Carrie pointed out the arena was a more likely location. "It's a giant litterbox."
So the cats played!
Aria was the first to go for height. We may find her walking through the rafters one of these days.
Tsuki tried it a few days later.
I reached up and she bunked, licked, and then nibbled on my hand. It was the first time she's done it to me, but not Carrie.
Aria has been more likely to run off and chase butterflies while Tsuki's been the people person. She walks up to Carrie and puts her head right into Carrie's hand (and she'd done it to me, as well).
"I love her personality!" Carrie said.
"Barn cat," I said. "Not house cat."
That got a little pout, but the kittens have stayed outside so far!
I've still got to be careful, though. Tsuki has cuddled herself into Carrie's heart.
I'm still waiting for them to catch their first mouse. Aria's chased bugs, but they've eating more horse feed than rodents.
They're not supposed to like it, but both cats were crunching away while Laura prepped meals.
So our barn is an animal haven. Everyone's adjusting to everyone else. Loki and Aria ran around underfoot when Pockets got a chiropractic tune up.
It'll happen at some point. Will the kittens wander up to the house and say hello to Max and Happy through the windows? We'll have to wait and see.
No comments:
Post a Comment