And Then There Was Kinzua, The Kitten With a Mission

Sunday afternoon, I saw a post on Facebook about a little kitten in need of a temporary foster home. He was called McFeisty, about 8-10 weeks of age, and needed some work on skittishness. We hoped a few weeks in our kitten playpen and exposure to some other kittens and cats would be just the thing.

So first thing Monday, I was heading up Route 28 to pick up one skittish little kitten and bring him to the Dunker Home for Wayward Kittens. (Dunker is my portmanteau of Dunhoff and Kerr.) He was a wee little thing who crawled right into his crate for the car ride.

We were asked to rename him something more adoptable, although I think McFeisty is an adorable name myself. So we opted for Kinzua after one of our favorite vacation spots. And he took up residence in the kitten playpen like a champ.

He cried a bit, quite a bit and clung to me sucking on my shirt until he fell asleep. I put him in the pen and he cried piteously. So I introduced our ambassador cat, Simon, age 19 and then some. They curled up together and went to sleep. Kinzua and I reached an understanding that if I carried him around with me all of the time while I was moving about the house, he would sleep in his bed at my side while I worked on my laptop.

He spent one night in our bedroom (OMG) with Ana as his companion and then a second in the playpen with Simon (Oh, the mess) and then we decided to move Kinzua and Simon to sleep in the bathroom at night. That’s worked out very well – they have company, a litter box, food, water, and lots of beds and toys.

We can let him roam free in the kitchen, but the bigger kittens are jealous and need more time to warm up to him. They are spending time one on one with him in our bedroom to help with that. He *really* wants to play with them, but seems content enough to watch from a distance as they chase the red dot and each other.

His skittishness is a concern. He got himself under the sofa once and then went under the bed today when I had hoped he would join us on the bed for a nap. He comes to me when he feels safe, but he needs the reassurance of time and space of his own. He has made some improvements in this area, but he needs to be more confident. It is more difficult for a reticent or shy kitten to find an adoptive home.

Kinzua is playful, he loves the rainbow wand and all stuffed things. He struts about the kitchen confidently and isn’t afraid to approach the other cats, just puzzled that they aren’t responsive to his cuteness. The kitchen is his “we are all equals” zone. He reminds me of a very little kid who *really* wants to play with the bigger little kids. He ate well the first few days, but now he’s slowed down a bit which is a concern. We have to make sure his appetite is up to par.

So Kinzua’s schedule includes revolving time in the kitten playpen, the bathroom, our bedroom, the kitchen, and on the sofa being held by a human. He’s been introduced to everyone and is slowly being exposed individually. At this point, Sun Volt, Ana, and Precious are his favorites. He likes Fancy Feast and other canned food, but also kitten chow. He’s not very interested in treats. He weighs 3 lbs 2 ounces.

The other critters? They are jealous and indifferent in varying combinations. Sun Volt is sort of “listen to me, young kitten” while Ana is like “another one?”