Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Introducing Miss Lily

Aka...Lilliputian...our (maybe) tiny new kitty.  I say maybe because we are testing it out to see how well little miss lily and my Sunday girl get along.

 lily, day 2 with family

S's brother in law found this sweet kitty after his parents asked him to figure out what was meowing for 2 straight days under their house.  Armed with elbow length gloves for protection in case it was a feral adult cat or something, he pulled this tiny girl out with no problem.  She was covered in fleas, so after a call to a vet he dipped her in Joy detergent (which worked wonders!) and then the talk began of who would have her. 

lily, day 4, and Ricky, my dog nephew, and one of the reasons they can't keep the kitten

S and i were not contemplating adding to our household, but when his sister said she couldn't take the cat because of her allergies, it was something that, after spending time with Lily, we were both becoming open to.  S's niece had also been begging for a cat, and so for the week it was very much back and forth, with me being super disappointed they were keeping her, then to feeling like it will be better for Sunday this way, and then back to seriously considering her since his sister was now adamant they couldn't keep her.

week 1 with family

We know not about caring for kittens, as we got Sunday when she was 3 years old.  The official ruling is that Lily is 6 weeks old.  We will have to keep her in a crate during the day, with her own litter box, which i hope will transition when she's older to using the one upstairs, b/c at this stage she can't climb the stairs. 

Tiny little thing.

The test run will be this week, starting tonight, and i'm hoping Sunday's dental cleaning (they knock her out) will mean a more relaxed meeting with the kitten as she's recovering.  I'll keep you posted, my friends.

our niece with her pretty pretty princess


Are there any kitten tips or suggestions you have for me?  What about introducing a kitten to an adult cat?

31 comments:

Lisa said...

Oh my gosh, she's precious! And you did not dress her up like a princess! That is PRICELESS!

Ohhh, you have to keep her! Haha, like how I beg you to do that but I don't have to be the one to take care of her?

Anyway, I always have kept our kittens in the bathroom with their litter box for the first few weeks if they can hold out that long. It's easier to keep track of them and they learn to use their box without so many distractions. Hopefully your other cat will enjoy having the little one around. That's the true test!

Dharma said...

Hey there, I concur with seperating the cats for a bit. Have the towel/blankie she has been sleeping on? Move it to Sunday's "spots" or bed and leave the kitten's scent around. It may help with introductions :) She is precious. The crown slayed me.

Donna@Conghaile Cottage said...

SO ADORABLE... I agree with keeping her in the bathroom WITH the litterbox she will be using... BE SURE to "CLOSE THE TOILET TIGHT"!
AND I also think you should keep her BUT The picture of your Niece with her little princess is "PRICELESS"!!! I would MELT SEEING THAT!!!
Have a wonderful week,
Big Hugs,
Donna

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Oh my goodness! I'm in love!! I hope you can keep her. Most cats enjoy another cat around and if Sunday isn't too old she should adapt well. Give them time and keep them separate at first. The towels/blankets smell thing is very good to use. Being a kitten she won't be as much of a threat as a grown cat to Sunday. I already love Lily!!
hugs, Linda

Rachel said...

Oh my goodness!! How adorable!!

One thing we did each time we got a new cat was introduce it to the others while it (new kitty) was in an open sided crate. We used my mom's dog crate, the one that is not closed-in on the sides (open wire kind). That way they can smell each other and you don't have to worry about any spats. Your kitty gets to smell while still protecting the new little one. Also, make sure you pay as much attention to Sunday as you do to Lily. That'll help with any jealousy issues. Praise Sunday when she is nice to Lily, so it's a positive experience. :)

Perhaps Sunday's mommy instincts will kick in...you never know! Hope that helps!

keri @ shaken together said...

She is TOO cute and that crown is adorable!! We are going to be kitten "shopping" (adopting) in the next few weeks, so the tips are great!

Kelly Thomas said...

Awww! I love the picture with the dog & with the crown - so adorable! I'm sorry I can't offer up any kitty advice but good luck & have fun :) I hope the two cats will get along!

Sandy said...

What a sweetie pie is Ms Lilly..
Congrats on her coming to live
with you all...
I have a Ms Daisy who came to
help me get my 17yr old Rikky
up and running once again and
it worked....
Sandy

Anonymous said...

You had to ask! As a small animal veterinarian with a penchant for cats, I have answers!
I usually keep the new cat in a room with litterbox, food etc for a week or so to make sure not going to start with a cold, etc. This allows them to interact without confrontation. (under the door)
You should have her tested a second time for feline leukemia, a month after you have her. It can take that long to show up. I've seen the heartbreak.
Feed Lili canned and dry. Canned is better for cats, gets more water into them, etc. Change her food around from time to time, so if she should have to have special or different food someday, she will accept better.
Go to veterinarypartner.com for reliable info from licensed veterinarians, many of them specialists.
Let me know if I can answer any other questions - seriously!
And, Congratulations! She is darling.

Megan {The Brick Bungalow} said...

Love the name! ;)
As for a kitty... it's been awhile and I only had her, no one else. I like the idea of a crate with a small litter box. I think that'll be good. My kitty had to be bottle fed after a head truama issue and when we left on vacation, my roommate refused to feed a bottle to the cat he hated so he let her go back to solids (which she was doing before the head issue). I kept a bell on her so we could hear her since she was so tiny. As for introducing to the cats, do so slowly and with lots of room between everyone. I'd do it where you weren't holding anyone. It may take a week or two before your older cat is adjusted but it'll be fine. My old cat allowed a newbie in the house and it took a long time for them to be normal around each other. Now they'll play, hang out together, and eat right next to each other. It'll be ok. Good luck!

Lynn Wood said...

OK, that kitty tiara picture just stole my heart! What a cutie.

Calypso In The Country said...

She is just darling and I love her name! I haven't had a cat in years but I remember that we were better off introducing kittens to other animals when they were little so they could grow up together. Have fun with her and thanks for the recent visit!
-Shelley

Mrs. Handyverger said...

Oh my goodness, what a darling little girl! I just wandered by your blog from Feature Friday Free-for-All, and I can't resist a kitten! :-D

I've raised five kittens so far (and have a household with five cats, alas, not all of those kittens), so please do feel free to let me know if you have any questions. I adore cats, and I love to help people make them a part of their families! :) BTW, cats.about.com is a great place to start looking for information on kitten/cat care, and in particular, look at their info on introducing cats. It's a life saver! The only other advice I'd give is get her to the vet and make sure she gets her shots/spayed, and keep her indoors.

Liz said...

Oh, that's such a cutie!!!

Jill said...

She is just ADORABLE!! My tip would be take LOTS and LOTS of photos of her and post them on your blog for us all to see!! :)

Jennifer @ Town and Country Living said...

She's adorable! I hope it all works out for you. We just took in a stray kitten a couple weeks ago. She's still a little skittish but is starting to come around now.

trishie said...

Oh what a gorgeous little kitten. Hope she settles in fine.

PS: I'm hosting a Sedwick Studio giveaway on my blog, hope you enter: http://www.underlockandkeyblog.com/2012/08/sedwick-studio-giveaway.html


Reunion Committee said...

I cant offer an tips (highly allergic) but omg she is adorable!!!
good luck..
Tana

Unknown said...

OMG! She is so sweet!

Stan and Jody Gabara said...

Too cute and the crown is adorable! New Follower.

Jody

Anonymous said...

she is just too cute!! oh my gosh, she has a pink crown!!
good luck!
I would like to get an outside kitten to keep the voles away, but I know my kids will never leave it outside..
I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
love your pics!

Anonymous said...

she is just too cute!! oh my gosh, she has a pink crown!!
good luck!
I would like to get an outside kitten to keep the voles away, but I know my kids will never leave it outside..
I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
love your pics!

Laurie@The Baking Bookworm said...

She is adorable!!! Sadly, my hubby is highly allergic to cats so have to be catless. :(

Thanks for popping by my blog. You have a new follower in me. I can't wait to check out more of your blog. :)

Always Nesting said...

Now that is the most adorable kitten ever!!

Always Nesting said...

Now that is the most adorable kitten ever!!

Katherine said...

Oh, what a sweet baby! Lily is a perfect name.

Honey at 2805 said...

Thank you for sharing your new kitten at Potpourri Friday!

Unknown said...

wow you get so many comments! Love the little bundle of joy. So happy for the new addition to the family.

ANNE said...

How adorable is that?! I have two female cats, mother & daughter and the mom hates the daughter... they do put up with each other though.

guess you'll just have to try it out and see how it goes. The younger the better I think!

Brandi said...

Such a sweet kitty! Hope you get to keep her.

Sarah said...

Hi there! Thanks for your sweet comment on my mantel post. I just want to say that your new kitten is precious! Have a delightful day!