Introducing (Before he Leaves) the Kid

lucho

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Two weeks ago yesterday (so on Nov. 17th) we took in a kitten that was in front of our building. The wife had seen him on the street a couple of days previously,and a neighbor had taken him in, but couldn't keep him due to his large dog. Another neighbor told us that he had seen a lady in a car throw him out the window onto the street a night before. We have no way to know if this is true, but it seems to be the case since the little kitten had been on the street for at least three or four days. However, he wasn't particularly dirty, and was lean but not at all scrawny or malnourished.

We estimated his age to be seven to nine weeks of age based on his teeth. He had all of his baby teeth, but some of them were not 100% in place (still emerging). Interesting, because as in the previous paragraph, he was lean but not scrawny or malnourished. He weighed well over a kilogram, around 1.2-1.3kg (in other words, between 2.65 and 2.85 lbs.). Lean, only two months old and already close to three pounds! :eek2:

From the beginning Menino ( kid, since we haven't been able to think of a name that fits) has proven to be quite the character. From the start he has absolutely no fear of Pantera and Pimenta, standing up to their bullying, and after the first couple of days he started to bully Pimenta! He tried repeatedly to bully Pantera, and it is sheer luck that Pantera has so far refrained from doing more than knock him to the ground (funny to watch: Pantera doesn't hit the kid, she gives him a shove :lol: ). His playing style is straight out of Pantera's playbook, frenetic attacks, chasing across the living room, and climbing up everything. After the first week he was already chasing Pimenta (she was not amused ). He is craaazy for shoelaces and bird feathers: like Pantera he will chase and attack untill he's on the ground panting; after a minute or two he's back on the attack. And man o man is he a talker!







When we took him in it was with the understanding that it was only until we could find someone to adopt him. A third cat puts too much strain on the finances- he's eating us out of house and home!- and (probably due the stress of being separated too early from his mother) stinks up the litterbox something fierce. The good news though, is that he has found a permanent home: my wife's sister will adopt him. He has stayed with us as long as he has because the sister-in-law needed to prepare the aprtment for the menino- install netting, buy a literbox, etc. He will go there to his permenent home tomorrow. We saw how Pantera watched the kid whenever he played; she was going to make him her next apprentice. She'll probably never show it, but Pantera is going to miss the kid. Although she is making friends with him, Pimenta will be happy to see the kid go.
 
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lucho

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Quick mention: He has also demonstrated that he has indeed inherited the instincts of the big cats. On one occasion, an enormous grasshopper- about three inches in length- entered the apartment. Pantera immediately hunted it, and crippled it. Pantea and Pimenta proceeded to play with/torture the giant insect for about twenty minutes, a typical teacher/student lesson for the two, and the kid watched the whole thing in rapt attention. After the two tired of the game the kid grabbed the bug, played with it in identical manner to Panera, and then ate the enitre grasshopper :eek2: For the next two hours he was like a child on a sugar rush, more frenetic than usual.

On a second occasion, a cockroach (because our neighbor take any measures about it :censored::censored: ) flew into out apartment. Pantera quickly knocked it out of the sky, but the kid grabbed it first. First he paraded around the living room with the bug in his mouth, and then spent half an hour playing with it/ripping it to pieces. And growling the entire time. Fortunately I was able to take the pieces from him before he could actually eat them.
 

neely

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Bless you for rescuing, "the Kid," and appreciating his mischievous nature. :biggrin: I'm so glad your wife's sister will adopt him and give this adorable little guy a forever home. All's well that ends well.:catlove:
 
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lucho

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We'll miss him, and he'll miss all the toys here. While there was never any doubt that the sister-in-law will spoil him rotten, she won't play with him as much as we do (she tries, but doesn't really have the knack).
 
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