Exploration

We kept our new kittens in the laundry room for their first week. We visited them and spent quiet time with them in there, but did not allow them out, so that they could establish the laundry room as their home. After a week, though, I decided that they were established and comfortable enough to allow them into a little more of the house: the family room. So we kitty-proofed the family room, putting away all small objects, blocking off all the hiding places and unsafe things like electrical cords. Then I had the whole family come into the family room and sit on pillows with their current books and instructions to ignore the kittens when they came out. I opened the door to the laundry room, then sat down myself. The goal here, as always, was to give the kittens more and more access to the house, and to us, without frightening them. They needed to learn that this was a safe place and that we were safe humans. Loud noises, sudden movements, and humans approaching them and looming over them in a strange environment while making weird noises and fixing them with full stares and trying to touch them were all scary. So the room had to be quiet and still, and the humans had to be calm, focused on something else, and totally non-threatening. The kittens emerged from the laundry room very cautiously. They crept around the corner, peeked into the laundry room, then ventured into it, their bodies on full alert, looking and sniffing at everything. We ignored them, but watched them surreptitiously out of the corners of our eyes. At the slightest sound, they scampered back to the laundry room, which was GREAT, it meant that the laundry room had become their ‘safe space.’ Then they crept out again. We did this for an hour or so, then put them back in the laundry room. The next morning we let them out again. They were bolder this time, and more playful. They were interested in playing with a lure, and Owen built them a fort out of floor pillows and blankets, which they explored. A few days later Ellie kitten-proofed her room and we allowed them into there, following the same protocol. Ellie sat quietly in her room while the kittens explored every part of it, sniffing around the bookcases and jumping up on her desk. The next day Lela kitten-proofed her room and we allowed the kittens into that. We built a passageway from the family room to Lela’s hallway to accomplish this, as we weren’t ready to let them into the great room quite yet. They climbed on Lela’s desk and discovered the space under her bed. Finally, later that day, we allowed them into the great room. They cautiously explored that, sniffing the furniture, checking out the fireplace, and discovering the cat trees we got them. They were cautious but also confident, which I was happy to see. At some level it felt like they were finally getting to explore the rest of their house! And with that, the kitties had access to almost the entire house! We kept the master bedroom closed off, as well as Owen’s room and the bathrooms as those were not kitty-proofed, but that was it. They were now integrated into the main house!

Kitten-proofing the family room

We blocked off the space under the game cabinets

Opening the door to the laundry room!

Both kitties are intrigued by the open door

The male ventures out first

But soon they are both out

At the slightest sound they scamper back to the laundry room

Then venture out again

Everyone is sitting on the floor, reading

We want the kitties to realize we are non-threatening

So we don't look at them directly or attend to them overtly

But we do sneak peeks at them and watch over our shoulders

Here's the little female kitten

Ellie is reading in the hall outside the laundry room

The kittens passing behind Owen while he pretends to ignore them

Under Owen's remote learning school desk

They're confident enough to start climbing now

But not THAT confident. They still dark back to the laundry room if startled

But they're relaxed enough to think about playing

We bring out the laser pointer

The male is comfortable enough to crouch

Both go after the pointer, which means they're comfortable enough to let down their guard and play

Exploring the next higher level in the room: the piano bench

And the dress up hamper

And the TOP of the piano, after pressing the keys!

This made some noise last time!

They discover the window to the patio

And the space above the books.

Going deeper

They're both exploring every nook and cranny now

And the organizer for Owen's school papers

The next morning, we let them out again

They're more comfortable now. They know this place.

Owen has built them a fort

But they still go back to the laundry room to use the litter box, hooray!

They're more willing to play now!

Jumping and dancing after the lure

They no longer think they're in danger

And the pull of the lure is STRONG

Owen modifies the fort for them

The female is comfortable enough to climb into Mike's lap

In a tunnel in Owen's fort

Owen keeps the fort ever-changing

Here's the latest iteration

The female checking it out

On day 3 Owen has made another version

He is REALLY enjoying playing with the kittens

The kitties in a deep tunnel of the fort

Another version

I got them a small cat tree scratching post

They start checking it out right away

The hanging toys are intriguing

As is the window

The toys bounce and bob on their elastic lines

They bat at them from above

The kitties approach the newest version of the fort

They went inside!

Approaching again

Checking out the top of the fort

Climbing on the roof

This adds a whole new dimension

Ellie helps too

It's good to see them all play like this

One of the kitties deep in the fort

The female coming out to check out Ellie

And there's the little male coming out

Pulling on the blanket roof

Lela comes in too

The next day, the kitties are relaxed when Ellie practices piano

I give them little bird toy that chirps

This is a big and instant hit

They engage in predatory play

Including forepaw grapping and chewing

Rolling over while holding it

And our first sight of the death kick!

They find it mesmerizing

They BOTH want it

Now they start to tussle with each other

Another kitten is even more fun than a toy

Checking out the tripod set up for a piano lesson

Checking out the top of Owen's remote learning desk

We return them to the laundry room to eat and sleep

Back out the next morning

Now Owen has built an even BIGGER fort

Exploring the fort

Lela comes in too

The female in the laundry room the next morning

Playing with the cat tree

Batting at the toys from above

Both kitties going after the same bobbing toy

Exploring a new fort

Their first paper bags

It's an insta-tunnel

They both go in

Definitely a hit

Owen arranged a set of three bags

Which are a hit

This is a good way for Owen to engage with them: through play

Wacthing the kitties

On the 28th we open Ellie's room for exploration

The male comes in first

And starts exploring

First on the ground

Then up on the floor pillow

Exploring the base of the music stand

In Ellie's nook

It's good to have the kitties in here

Both are in the nook

Checking out Ellie's window seat

And the nice view into the back yard

Their exploration goes higher, onto Ellie's desk

And keyboard

Very attentive, confident tail

Owen comes in for a bit

The discover the bookshelf

There's a kitten behind the lowest level of books

Removing a cup that might get knocked over

The male in with the stuffed animals, like in E. T.

Gotta ease him down from there

Exploring some of the craft cubbies.

There's definitely quite a lot to mess with in here

Getting from bookshelf to window

You can see their exploration going higher and hither

Onto the bookshelf

The male has discovered he can get to a higher shelf

Intriguing things to sniff

Then he can get from shelf to desk

And up to windowsill

Behind the door

Now they've both found that hiding place

The next day, a kitten playing while Ellie practices

We do need to stop though so Ellie can focus

Prepping the living room for the kitties

Their new BIG cat tree by the front window

The room is all ready

We start by letting them into Lela's room, along a makeshift corridor

Here they go, exiting the family room for the first time!

First time venturing into Lela's room

View of the corridor, and Mike helping Owen with a project

In Lela's room they discover the window

And her chair

And how to get on the desk

Lela pretending to ignore them

They discover the space under the bed!

What a great place to hide

A kitty peeking out from under the bed

That evening we take down the corridor and let them in the living room

First time in the living room!

They explore the perimeter first

Around to the bookshelf side

We are studiously ignoring them

Down the hall

Bring out scratching pads

After the floor, they start exploring UP

And checking out the fire in the fireplace

Nice and warm

Up onto the puzzle table

Back to the fire, which is fascinating

Up onto the console table

And they've discovered their central cat tree

This is an interesting place

Back at the front window

We will end up taking the puzzle down

The female climbing on the cat tree

On the back of the couch

Getting playful with the cat tree!

Discovering the really tall cat tree by the front window!

And figuring out how to get down

DIscovering a human in the papasan chair