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| Name: |
Shadow
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Age: |
Six weeks old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Cat
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| Home: |
Branson, Missouri, USA
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We
found Shadow under our front porch about two weeks ago. But it all
started one week before that. We found a kitten in the bushes out front one
night and it seemed lost. We didn't know there was a nest under the porch.
We brought it in and kept it in the bathroom and the next day took it to
the vet for their adoption program. They said it was about four weeks old. We
had no idea there was another kitten nearby! We felt bad about the little
kitten and wondered if we should have kept it. My uncle really wanted to
keep it and thought about going back for it every day.
It was five days later when we first saw Shadow. The first day we saw him
he would peek out of the hole and sometimes mew. But he did not want to
come out. I would sit and watch the hole and wait to see him, just talking
to him. The second day I sat on the front porch and read a book and talked
to him when he would peek out. Finally, he started to come out and get
close to me. We thought his mom was coming back to feed him at night so we
didn't want to touch him, but he came right out and climbed up in my lap.
He seemed really hungry so we gave him some milk formula that we found a
recipe for on a web site. Then he was so happy and playful; he would pounce
on my feet and nibble on my toes. On the third day we decided that he
should be our kitten, so we brought him inside. He wasn't sure about being
inside at first, but he was comfortable in one part of the house by that
evening. That night we made him a special sleeping box and he didn't even
cry, but slept all night long. Every day he explores a new area of the
house and is getting more and more curious. Now he seems like one of the family!
He is named Shadow because he follows me around like my shadow and
chases/pounces on shadows. Shadow is grey with a speckled belly, stripes on
his legs and blue eyes. He is really soft. We do not know his species or
breed because we just got him and have not taken him to the vet yet. He
really likes to chew on things (couch, Bed skirt, feet, hands, etc.) So we
made him four socks that are stuffed with rags to chew on. That works great!
He will chew on a sock toy instead of us or the furniture. He also likes to
climb and we got this scratching post that he likes to climb on and it has
a ball that he likes to bat. He also likes to play with other balls that
are separate. I have a yellow plastic ball that he plays with a lot. He
really likes string and will even entertain himself with it.
He eats canned cat food and a milk formula. The first week we had Shadow he
weighed one pound exactly. A few days ago we weighed him and he weighed one
pound six ounces. He gained six ounces in only five days. But he is pretty small,
so we think he was the runt of the litter.
At night Shadow sleeps in a laundry basket that is on its side filled with
a sheet and blanket. During the day he sometimes naps on a red fleece
blanket but mostly on our laps; sometimes in interesting positions. When we
got him we had a box that he went to the bathroom in so then we made it
into a litter box with plastic pan under it. Then we bought some litter to
put in it and Shadow has gone to the bathroom in it every time since then.
We also bought him a big litter box but it is too big for him. We did not
even tell him where to go or try to train him. I think that it is awesome
that we did not have to train him about that. He is very smart.
I also have a hamster named Dave. I make sure that Shadow does not get near
Dave. Now I have two furry, grey pets! Last week my uncle adopted the other
kitten (Shadow's sister) and named her Jasmine.
See more images of Shadow!
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