It's high kitten season (and primary adoption season) during the months of September and October. And I mean, kittens are cute right? People love and flock towards the snuggly faces of kittens. And where we definitely agree that they are cute, we also usually caution people: "Uhh...do you really know what you're getting into with a kitten?"
Many times new owners don't realize that kittens are also curious, clumsy, delicate, and a complete blank slate. Are you experienced in raising a well socialized kitty (aka a buddy)? Do you have the time and patience to deal with a kitten climbing up your curtains or bare skin? Do you have the patience to splice together a modem cord which has been cut by kitten teeth at 2 am in the morning? Trust me, that is not want you want to have happen, particularly when a big report is due at 9 am the next morning.
But let's just focus on the clumsy part for a second.
I cannot tell you how expensive fixing a kitten's clumsy accidents are. In fact, I think they are the vet's favorite thing to charge for.
Imagine this: you awaken at 4 am to use the bathroom. As you exit the bathroom, you hear a faint cry in the distance. Oh no, is that meowing? But where is it coming from? You can hear the kitten but you can't find it...oh no, this thing sounds like it's in pain and just desperate. Frantically, you start to search for the source of the mews.
Oh no, what are you going to find!?!?
It's definitely a kitten. Wedged between a wall and a heavy bookcase. Yes, somehow it has suspended itself directly in between this piece of furniture and the wall. You peer into the tiny dark crack to confirm that your sleepy mind isn't playing games on you. As they are wont to say on the internets, "WTF?"
In fact, you almost wonder if aliens had a hand in doing this because, like the pyramids, it would have taken super human strength to move the bookcase, let alone wedge a kitten back there. But now it's you freaking out and shouting "OH NO KITTY! I'll get you...HOLD ON!"
Begin Kitty Emergency Panic Mode....
Now WIIIIDE awake, you're tossing books off the shelf and telling kitty to hold on like it's trapped at the bottom of a well. Oh...and you weren't planning on going back to sleep were you? You test the bookcase to see if it's light enough to move so you can rescue the poor kitten.
Finally, the kitty is free and it's now yelping in pain as you're giving it a tiny triage. So now what? Uhh...quick! To the Emergency Vet (if you can find one, that is)!
Several hours and hundreds of dollars later, you emerge with a kitten and the worlds most expensive, tiny emergency xrays. Oh and a mini splint and/or various medications which are more expensive than any prescription you've ever had for yourself. What was wrong? A sprain (if you're lucky)....which it inflicted upon its wee self before you even woke up. Oh by the way, you just realized that you were supposed to leave for work 45 minutes ago...and you're not even home yet!
Yay, kitten fun times!
Okay that pink bandage is pretty cute.
Anyways, get a kitten if you want. And if you get one, please get a pair because they'll be better adjusted and keep each other company. But maybe...just maybe...think long and hard before you dismiss the one-year-old cat for a kitten. Leave the kittens to some fool who doesn't know any better. :-)
How about we set you up with a one-year-old buddy instead? I mean go ahead and adopt the Evil Knevil of Kittens if you want. But incase you aren't up for that kind of thrill, just email us at mewcrew [ at ] gmail [ dot ] com and we'll get you paired up with a kitty buddy today!
