Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Merging, Mixing, Mingling

We've been taking it really slow with the introductions.  It's a huge change for Wylla, and we want to ease her into her new position as "deputy kitten wrangler".  So far, things have progressed nicely.

Once the quarantine period was up, we let Wylla and Charlene come into the basement and watch the kittens at a distance.  They came and went at their leisure. There was a little growling from Wylla at times, but nothing too extreme.

This weekend the wee ones got to come up to mingle on the main floor and got to met the big cats up close.  These nose-to-nose introductions went just fine.  Effie did hiss at Charlene at first, but unflappable Bean just ignored her.  

Now, after each meal, the kittens come upstairs and romp for a spell. They have some self-imposed boundaries and rarely stray off of the living room rug. When they start winding down, they are returned to their basement quarters for a nap.

Wylla is very curious about Hazel and Effie, and when they're on the main floor, she's right there with them.  She spends a lot of time just watching them and will engage with them in play on occasion.  She's used to playing with a larger cat,  so we do watch her close to make sure she doesn't play too hard with them.  They are so tiny and even a whomp from wee Wylla's  paw will roll 'em.

I think Wylla's still trying to figure out exactly what they are.  I don't think she views them as any sort of threat nor does she seem disturbed by their presence, she just doesn't quite know what they are or why they're here.

I don't see her taking on a nurturing role like Charlene often does with the kittens,  I think they'll be more like playmates for Wylla.  



Things aren't tense at all, but we're still trying to be very careful in how we proceed. It's important that Bean and Wylla get their needs met, feel loved, and don't have their schedules or routines disturbed.

Of course, raising healthy, social kittens is a priority, too.  




Here's a little clip of a very curious Wylla watching the kittens during their first visit upstairs.


15 comments:

  1. I just LOVE the video! Wylla is trying to figure out what those little creatures are. I can totally see her playing with the babies at some point.

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  2. I wonder if cat brains scale - if she recognizes them as "cat" as Charlene is "cat", or if she thinks they are different entities entirely. Has she seen two other kitties play together before? I think the fact that you had her out in the world a lot, exposed to lots of different stuff, probably makes her more adaptable to new critters in her home, too.

    Thank you so much for sharing so much with us. :)

    Patti

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  3. We have had older fosters and then tiny ones and it is fun watching them think - kitten or toy? we know Wylla will figure it out...she was well taught by Bean

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  4. I wonder if she's curious because when she was that small, she didn't feel like playing much. Maybe she's thinking of Ms. Pantalones de Loca Audrey?

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  5. Or it's like her own Punch and Judy show!

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  6. So cool and sweet!!! Wylla reminds me of my baby Lissa when I had a bottle baby foster. She was so curious and stayed right near me when I fed him, just like a big sister making sure I did the job right!! And when he got big enough to play, she was there to show him the ropes!

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  7. I think its perfect that you now have a Chief Kitten Wrangler (Bean) and Chief Kitten Playmate (Wylla)!!

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  8. Yay, Wylla! I'm glad to hear it's going so well. Wylla really looks huge next to those two tiny girls...

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  9. Aw so sweet! Wylla will figure it out, she's a smart girl!

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  10. I think it's good that the new ones have each other to play with and don't seem too curious of Wylla. I think if it were a one-on-one situation it might have some different dynamics. Good girl Wylla!

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  11. It's so weird to see Wee Wylla as BIG. :)

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  12. Wow, the babies look incredibly tiny next to Wylla! I can't wait to see them next to Charlene -- they'll look positively microscopic. :-)

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  13. Hard to know what a teenaged Wylla is thinking about the babies. Good to know she is not upset by them. And I can not wait to see the feline train of Beanie, Wylla and kittens!

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