Jan 25th, 2024 Thursday Cloudy
It has not been two weeks since we brought the two lovely kittens home, yet they have settled very well in our house.
The older kitten is an orange-gray mixed tortoiseshell female tabby. My husband claimed that her face and random assorted colors on her body look very anime-like, and her adventurous spirit is admirable, so we named her “Yuuki”, which means “courage” in Japanese. She seemed completely unafraid of new environments, and immediately started exploring the moment we opened her carrier door. Strangely, she is hyper-alert about sounds, and runs away like lightning every time the toilet flushes. What a skittish girl!
The younger kitten is a gray male tabby. He was a little timid, unwilling to leave his carrier until I brought out a plate of pate. He seems to miss his mother and siblings, and was a bit stressed out at all the changes in the environment. Nevertheless, he is very laid-back and endearing, so we wanted to name him after some food to indicate his food-motivated character and sweet personality. Eventually we chose “Sesame” because it is small, and can be black or white 😀
Yuuki and Sesame met each other at the first time, when we requested to put them in the same space in the shelter to observe their interaction. Yuuki took the initiative to greet Sesame, only to be met with a hiss. In a minute, Sesame found a hiding spot in a cat box, and refused to leave again, despite Yuuki’s several attempts to invite her to play. Yuuki, on the other hand, did not seem discouraged – or rather, she did not care that much. With lots of energy, she continued playing with pretty much all the toys/gadgets in the room, while Sesame watched longingly from the box without the courage to step out himself.
We quickly realized that our first impressions of these two kittens, while mostly accurate, had some errors. Yuuki turned out to be a more aggressive eater, devouring food so fast that we had to hold her back a little bit to let Sesame get enough, who also eats passionately but not wolfing down like Yuuki. Sesame, in contrast, loves to snuggle and being petted. He starts purring as soon as one of us puts our hand on his head. Yuuki was uninterested in physical affection from humans in the beginning, and seemed more scared at an approaching hand, so maybe she was not all that courageous after all 😀
What amazed me though, was how rapidly they became friends. Yuuki took on the role of the big sister, and Sesame immediately started following her everywhere around the house. They discovered the cat tree, the ledges on the lower level, and behind my piano. They also jumped on all the chairs they had access to, and they worked together – at least according to my husband’s conspiracy theory – to sneak into the master bedroom.
“Partners in crime, huh?” said my husband with a sigh, after their first successful break-in.
From the third day of their coming home, they have been the best buddies. Sesame loved running and chasing Yuuki, and every now and then started a “fight” to practice his hunting skills. Yuuki was happy to play along, and showed great patience with her younger brother when she was stalked right outside of the toilet. Sesame learned from Yuuki to be a little more brave, and Yuuki learned from Sesame how to enjoy the love and tenderness of humans. When they are tired from playing, they piled up on a lap if available, or a cozy warm place, and nap together.
Perhaps this is what true friendship is about. Companionship and support in spite of differences, and sharing everything with each other (food, water, lap, etc.). Be tolerant and forgiving, yet respect the boundaries. Our two kittens have indeed created a beautiful bond.