A very Short Story

The Tail of Two Kittens

 

The first one was discovered at the Family Pet Center.  She was lounging in her cage her ferret friend just one container over.  “She’s the only one we have.  No one wants her.  They say she’s too ugly”.  Perhaps she was.  Her coloring was that of a tortoise-shell calico cat, a short-haired domestic.  Born on April 4, 2012 she had already reached three pounds in weight. 

I held her for a few minutes then made the decision to take her home with me.  The lady put the kitten in a cardboard box and then we were off in search of a sister cat.  We had not been in the car but a minute or two when the kitten escaped from her box.  I was concerned about the kitten crying and pacing and getting underfoot as I drove forward to the next designation but I needed not to have worried.  My new kitten looked out the window then climbed into the package tray and just seemed to enjoy the ride.  “I know what her name will be!” I exclaimed.  “Ryder”. 

Our next stop was to the animal shelter.  We had already been there once that day but only found one little female and we wanted two.  We decided on the domestic long-haired one with the gray hair and the faint brown streaks running through it that gave the kitten a smoky color.  And of course, she ended up with the name “Smokey” but only after a trial at Misty.  My wife is notorious for changing her mind, especially when she has thoroughly researched something and came to a firm conclusion.   It had taken a year or so for her to decide she wanted kittens instead of puppies.

Smokey was shy and underweight and sickly.  The shelter said she was the same age as Ryder but Smokey was only one pound.  “She can’t be that sick” I thought to myself. 

The vet gave us some medicine to administer by mouth twice daily.  He judged her to be only 6 to 10 weeks old so we just gave her a birthday of May 1, 2012.  Even though Debbie gave Smokey the medicine sometimes, it seems the kitten came to view me as the villain.   Smokey was always glad to see Debbie and would sit in her lap and let Debbie groom her but she would not let me come near her.  Smokey learned quickly, like she could tell time, because she would always run when it was time for her treatment. 

I don’t want to imply that our kittens are spoiled but we made them their own room and I built them a scratching post with two different kinds of rope and the dangling toys on the sides.  I’m proud to say they enjoy the scratching post.  Smokey was the first one to climb to the top and survey her kingdom. 

After six weeks Smokey finished her medicine and was no longer tolerating me in any fashion except for food, it was off to the vet we went.  She had gained a pound and a half while Ryder has gained a half pound.  Both seemed healthy and their shots were caught up to date.

Slowly Smokey began to tolerate me as she realized she wasn’t getting her shots anymore.  The medicine we gave her was a liquid that was placed in a syringe looking thing and squirted into her mouth.  I never had seen a cat blow bubbles before but Smokey would.  The first time Debbie panicked but we began to realize it was just a nervous reaction. 

It seems that the kittens get a new toy every time Debbie leaves the house.  Smokey is getting more aggressive but still defers to Ryder most of the time.  Ryder loves the feather on a stick but Smokey is still afraid on it. Smokey likes the ball carousel.  Her favorite exercise is to get a small stuffed toy  and carry it to the carousel.  She will attack Ryder who hides behind the curtain, then jump on the stuffed toy and bat in around for a bit and then attack the carousel and spin the ball around and around.  Then she will attack Ryder again, then the stuffed toy and then the carousel.  She repeats this cycle six or eight times before moving on to something else. 

The two love the tunnel and the scratching post.  Ryder’s favorite toy is a pick ribbon looking thing which she loves to carry about.  When it comes to rest, Smokey is at home in Debbie’s lap.  Ryder tries to sit in mine but she is too hyper most often.  It seems though that when she is able to nap in the lap Smokey has to attack her. 

Ryder knows she is my cat and Smokey knows she belongs to Debbie.  For some reason people think Ryder is a boy.  Maybe it’s the name.  But Smokey has cute down pat.  If people watched the two kittens play they would see nothing to change their minds either.  Ryder will jump as high as she can in order to grab the feather on the feather on a stick toy but Smokey will not even chase it.  Smokey will pursue the laser light but even then she isn’t as intense as Ryder.

I told Debbie that Smokey will have forgiven me for the medicine thing whenever she curled up on my lap for a nap.  She has twice but if Debbie sits down Smokey is quick to claim Debbie lap as her own.  Today, Smokey wants to lie on my computer desk and watch me type.  Ryder was here earlier but she was too hyper to stay.  Smokey is content to just watch.  Did I mention she has cute down pat?  Well, she does.