Especially since whether or not we would be keeping kitty was up in the air (if you ask Bill, it still is, if you ask me, keeping her was my birthday present :)). Also you never quite know how pets will be. I mean, kitty was our baby, literally, since 2 weeks old.
here they are, about as close as they ever get :
First thing, yes our kitty's name is "Annie". Yet somehow we have just started calling her "Kitty" and that is actually what she responds to. So perhaps that may become her official name. Maybe it already is. So "kitty" is how I shall be referring to her out of habit.
I was actually concerned at first. Especially since for a while before Ben was born, she would literally lay on half of my face in the morning. While its kind of cute and I can tolerate it as an adult. I was scared to death that she would do that to baby. Also, we probably play a little rough with kitty. No one gets hurt, well maybe more Bill and I since she'd got some serious claws (and was not declawed since her status in the house was undertermined). We had some serious scratches. We certainly don't want that to happen to baby.
Sorry pet lovers (while I am too)...baby trumps kitty. So if kitty does anything to jeopardize baby, she jeopardizes her status in this house.
However Kitty has somewhat changed since we brought baby home. Its interesting. She has done nothing that I have feared.
Kitty keeps her distance from baby. She understands that baby comes first and is fragile. She has clearly noticed that the attention has shifted to baby. So she also is somewhat starved for attention. While I was afraid she might regress in her potty habits, she hasn't. She does other little things to gain attention. Shes a clever and naughty little kitty in her own ways.
now, to make her presence known she has a few tricks. She will purposely knock small items off of tables, countertops, etc. anything from pens to greeting cards, cell phones, whatever she can get her paws on. She also gets right under your feet when you have a free second away from baby and results in accidental "step-ons". She will also just come in a room and sit in the middle and watch everyone. Sometimes will come up to me or hubby and bat at our feet.
Play time with Kitty has gotten more amusing, making the most out of the little play time she gets. She has her favorite toy...these little ropes that I used to use to tie back curtains. She now takes them down and drags them around the house. Also if we pick it up and drag it she will chase it and even go so far as to "play fetch " with it, I throw the rope, she runs after it and brings it back to me. several times.
Kitty and I also have a thing that when I am in a certain chair with baby, usually nursing, she sits on the back of it and leans up against me (shes never been a lap cat...so this is significant)and will let me pet her and half-cuddle. It is all on her terms though.
But she never interacts with the baby or touches him. She looks at him. But thats it. It doesn't even seem in a jealous way. Whatever that would look like in a cat.
And I'm glad of it. I have become quite smitten with the kitty and life she brings to the house. Perhaps she and baby will be playmates someday. And maybe she will just tolerate him. Either way is ok. As long as there is no harm from Kitty to baby.
Who knows, when baby starts crawling/pulling/grabbing. Kitty may have to be the one we have to protect!
No comments:
Post a Comment