Both kittens have gained so much confidence in the past few days. I have taken every opportunity to stroke them when they want to be petted and both kitties will now climb onto my lap for a cuddle. Annabel is so pretty, just a perfect little tabby. And Hickory is just adorable – the stereotypical fluffball kitten!
They are really getting to grips with their surroundings in the house and also warming to each other, which means they play together a lot and even share their favorite sleeping spots – they were both on the green cushion taking a nap together in the morning and they shared an afternoon siesta in the bookcase. They are also starting to get a little jealous and fight for their spot in my lap, when I stop to pet them! So, in order to not let anyone feel left out, I try to find each kitten on their own during the day, to pet them without the other coming along and biting their tail or swatting them, or as Annabel did this morning, pushing Hickory out of my lap to sit down herself!
The Great Outdoors
We decided to put the litter tray outside this morning, just out of the door that it is usually next to, inside the house. Hickory is still very nervous about going outside, so I stroked him a lot and picked him up to show him around, but he stayed put in my arms and only got down when we were back in the house.
Learning about Nature, the Hard Way 
Annabel joyfully bounded out and started chasing flies. Most of her first attempts failed, so she went for one of the insects that was not flying away from her, a wasp or a bee that was collecting pollen from a flower, I was not close enough to see which. Unfortunately, she got stung.
She was holding the buzzing creature firmly under her paws and ignoring my cries of “No!” as I ran towards her, and suddenly she jumped up in the air and pelted back inside the house, then started furiously licking her paw. I was so sad for her. I petted her and tried to comfort her. I ran to my iPhone and quickly Googled what to do if a kitten gets a bee sting. The page I found said I needed to get the sting out with a credit card. I looked at her paw again, but I couldn’t see the stinger anywhere. I tried calling a friend with cats to see what they would do, but they were out. After a while, Annabel stopped licking and walked over to her water dish. I noticed that she wasn’t limping, so I hoped that she wasn’t seriously hurt. I checked her paw frequently over the next couple of hours, to see if it would swell up, but it didn’t appear damaged at all. She did continue to lick her paw every so often, but less as time went by and eventually she started playing with Hickory again. Phew, panic over!!
A Tail of Two Kittens follows the new life of Hickory and Annabel, adopted from the Denver Dumb Friends League. Written by Rebecca Berra, all images © Rebecca Berra Photography.
If you would like to open your home to a super-sweet playful friend, or learn more about cat behavior and care, come to the Denver Dumb Friends League and meet all their adorable animals, just waiting to find homes!
