I love cats, but when they're not mine, I just come over, pet them, play with them, and that's it—no responsibilities. That's why I didn't let my children bring home kittens or puppies either. We tried several times, and we had to find new homes for the animals. Not only do they require care, but we often go to visit our parents: who's going to feed and look after the pets? We can't take them with us!
That's how we lived. But this year, hearing all three of our children begging for a kitten, my heart sank. I gave them permission. Specifically, a kitten, not an adult, so we could raise it.
We didn't have to search long—there are plenty of ads online for adopting or buying animals. We didn't go for a purebred. We settled on a poor little fellow who'd been rescued from the street but couldn't keep.
The children were so happy when the kitten was brought home! He was pitiful, small, scared, and skinny, but the whole family immediately fell in love with him. We named him Timofey, or affectionately Tishka.
I really liked how, as soon as he got acquainted with his litter box, he immediately tried it out. Incidentally, we didn't bother with the litter box. We just put in a deep plastic bowl and filled it with some screenings. We later bought some litter, but the kitten didn't like it, and it's easier for us to use sand or screenings: they're always on hand and free.
On the first day, we bathed the baby and treated his withers with drops for fleas and other parasites. A week later, we gave him an anthelmintic. The baby began to grow and strengthen right before our eyes.
For the first few days, we fed him special food. We bought packaged treats from the supermarket and gave him milk. But he happily devours food from our table. So, we bought Tishka a vitamin and mineral supplement and started feeding him the rest of his food. Especially since we have our own meat and dairy products, homemade (from the village).
We didn't bother with cups or water bottles. I used regular small containers for the cat. They do their job perfectly well. You just need to wash them more often and replace them when necessary.
The cat turned out to be a very playful little fellow: he jumps on sofas and curtains, playing with everything that comes his way. His favorite toys were a stuffed banana minion from the supermarket and a ball with a bell inside.
Our cat is very affectionate and gives back his attention. He doesn't want to sleep in his cocoon; at night, he sneaks up and lies at my feet or the kids'. At first, I took him back, but then she let him stay. Everyone is happy.
My daughter is especially fond of him. She's very worried that he'll run away during walks outside. For now, he's still afraid to go outside and stray far from the doorstep, but he'll soon become the master of our private yard.
He asks to go outside on his own; as soon as the door is closed, he's standing right there, begging to be let back in. So, I take him out into the yard several times a day, and while he gets to know the area and plays in the garden, I do my business and watch my "helper."
My daughter even said, "This kitty and I must be family—we have green eyes!" And he truly has become a member of the family. Why did I resist getting such a miracle before?!