Meet Leila, Our New Rescue Kitten!

July was the three year anniversary of my Edison running away. Edison was my heart cat. I had a bond with Edison that I didn’t know was possible with a cat. When I lost him, the grieving process was terrible. In fact, I was so heartbroken from Eddy running away that I couldn’t bring myself to get another cat. However, Matt and I have been wanting to add a kitten to our family since we moved into our new home. I decided I was finally ready. We’ve waited for the right opportunity because we didn’t want to make any impulse decisions. Well, Wednesday was the day, and I would like to introduce to you my baby Leila, our new Siamese cat!

Why a kitten?

Joey was two years old when I adopted him and Sadie was six months old. I’m all about adopting cats when they are no longer “kittens.” So why did I want a kitten? For a few reasons:

• Sadie is a very motherly cat. I thought a kitten would be great for her, especially because she’s struggled with the loss of Edison.
• It could potentially be stressful for an adult cat to integrate into a home of two cats and three dogs. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but for our situation I felt a kitten would be best so I could raise he or she around my dogs.
• I wasn’t sure how McKenzie Rae would do with a new animal coming into the home.
• I want to be able to train a kitten so they can model for PetSmart like Wynston does.

So why THIS kitten?

My friend Stephanie works at a veterinary office so they see kittens that need homes all the time. She knew I was looking for a kitten, so when the opportunity presented itself, Stephanie sent me a message. When I saw the photos of Leila, I knew it was meant to be. By 8pm that same day I was headed to meet Stephanie to pick up our new kitten! It was completely unexpected but SO exciting! I already had a name picked out for her, but I figured I could change it if I didn’t feel like it would fit her personality. But it stuck – she’s definitely a Leila. (Pronounced Lay-la).

More About Leila

Leila was found stuck in a car engine bay. It took the rescuers an hour to get her out. By the time she was safe, she was covered in grease. At that time Leila was about 6 weeks old. She spent three weeks recovering in a great home, and now she’s with us! We’re guessing that Leila is around 10 weeks old or so.

The kitten socializing period is sooner and quicker than it is for dogs so it’s imperative that I start the process right away. I am, however, letting her get settled in. This weekend I’m going to take Leila to my mom’s house and PetSmart. This will help her get used to people and the car. I did this with Edison when he was a kitten and it was very successful.

How’s Leila doing?

The first night Leila was with us, I put her in our half bathroom with litter, food, water, toys, a bed and blankets. She did eat and drink, which I was relieved to see. She also started meowing in the morning when I first saw her. I’m completely addicted to kitten mews.

Leila really likes being held. She purrs a lot and looks around to take it all in. I ended up moving her to our bigger guest bathroom near my office for the day. We played with toys and she got adventurous by climbing on the counter tops and taunting the dogs. I had a baby gate set up so the animals could see and smell each other. It was pretty torturous for Wynston and Khloee…

So how are the dogs doing with it?

Wynston could not be more excited. He’s always loved cats. He wants to be friends with every cat in the universe. The first night we had her he was trying to show Leila how to play with toys. She was interested but wasn’t sure what to do. Wynston gets the zoomies around her. It’s pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Khloee just cries…and cries…and cries. She would tell you that it’s completely unfair that I won’t let her play with Leila yet. Khloee is super nice to everyone and everything, but she can get a tad excited. I know she’ll just want to play, and I don’t think she realizes how tiny Leila is.

And then there’s McKenzie Rae. I was worried about her…but why? I just didn’t know how she’d do meeting a kitten because I’m not sure if she ever has before. Well, my worries were pointless. She touched noses with Leila and was super gentle and quiet. McKenzie is the least of my worries!

And the cats?

Joey is curious. Sadie is…not sure. She’ll sit at a distance and just stare at Leila. I can tell Leila wants to love up on Sadie but Sadie really doesn’t know what to make of it. Both my cats are independent and set in their ways. It may take some time but I’m confident everyone will come around. I’m grateful that no one is showing any signs of fear or aggression.

I’m slowly introducing Leila to new parts of the house. It’s easy for a 2lb kitten to get lost in our large home. I’ve been gating the den/bathroom/guest bedroom area so she can roam and explore. So far she’s climbed all over our desks, went under the bed, slept behind my computer and rested in the sink. I’m glad that she’s getting used to everything. At times she’s skittish but that’s to be expected! I will let the dogs get to know Leila more once I feel like she’s more comfortable.

The plan for this weekend is a trip to PetSmart, a walk around the neighborhood in the pet stroller and a trip to my mom’s. We’re going to start harness training in the backyard as well.

So what do you think about our Leila? Have you ever had a Siamese cat before? Please share your experiences!