Meet Cricket (black, male) and Gin Gin (grey, female). My neighbour's brother's kids found four kittens under a bridge when they were about six weeks old. The kids kept one kitten, another was given away to their cousin, and two of them were sent to live with the kids' uncle - my next door neighbour.
The first time I saw "the grey kitten" was one week after Tiffy died, last February. I saw the tiny kitten walking through the shrubs in my backyard. I brought her inside and took a picture of her, then proceeded to prepare flyers in the hope of finding her owners. I didn't have to go far - my neighbour said she is his kitten. He told me that she is cheeky because she keeps leaving his property and he even saw her once on the other neighbour's garage roof. I kindly advised him that the kittens are very young, think human toddlers, and that they should be kept indoors. He said "no way" he was going to have the cats inside. They are okay outside, and besides he locks them in the shed at night. (Me thinking, okay….) So I hand over the grey kitten and then leave.
During the next few weeks I see both kittens visiting my backyard on a regular basis. They are both skittish and are not used to being picked up or handled. When I see them still outside after dark I catch the kittens and take them home to the neighbour. He takes them from me and locks them in his garden shed for the night. I kindly explain that it is not safe for kittens to be outside after dark because 95% of all injuries to cats occur during the hours of dusk till dawn. After several times of me taking them home at night, the neighbour tells me not to bother anymore, and that they will come home "when they are hungry". (Okay…) I ask if he has had them vaccinated and desexed yet. He says no because they are only 6 months old. (Eeek!) I ask if he would like me to arrange to have the kittens vaccinated and desexed - I would take them to the Animal Hospital and arrange everything. He complains about the cost briefly, and then accepts my offer to have them vaccinated.
Several weeks later, the kittens were still outside after 10pm at night, so we brought them inside for the night. I wasn't going to knock on his front door at that time of night. And so it became routine - whenever we saw the kittens outside after dark we would bring them inside.
Well since then I've had them desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, deflea-ed, etc., so now I consider them MY cats. The neighbour is aware that the kittens live here now but he hasn't confronted me about it. His 13-year-old niece visits once a week and she always drops by to say hi to the kittens.
The neighbour had called the kittens Gin & Tonic, which is funny, but not my choice for cat names. So the kittens have since been renamed Cricket and Gin Gin.
These two Hoolikittens get into trouble every day! They've broken some of my collectibles. Gin Gin has chewed about a dozen books, has chewed through innumerable boxes, and has chewed through the vertical blinds! We are renting and I don't think we're going to get our Bond money back when we move out of here.
Cricket has jumped all over the bed when he has muddy, dirty paws! I've had to wash sheets, comforters, etc, many times. He loves chewing tissues too.
That's only the TIP OF THE ICEBERG as to what these naughty kittens get up to! But I adore them and don't care if they wreck everything I own!
Email Flippy & Mia
