I am fostering Chester and No-Socks through
The Feline Connection rescue in Fair Haven Vermont, and the rescue's adoption fee is $130 per kitten.
It took a while to suss out their personalities as I was a) distracted and b) wanted to give them a fair amount of time to settle when they got here. I was given some background on them and I didn't want that to taint what I saw and experienced with them.
Chester came to me with some behavioral issues, namely litter box issues. We had one incident while he was here and that was almost immediately after he arrived and I think that had more to do with the fact that he hadn't found the litter box yet than he decided the place he was going was the better option.
Chester is a high energy kitten who wants to be involved in whatever it is you are doing. Trying to get photos of him was pretty rough because he wanted to check out the camera, wanted to go after his brother, wanted to investigate everything. He is going to be an excellent snooperviser.
However, he is a bit insecure. He wants to be reassured that he is a good boy and that everything is okay. He thrives under complements and praise. Not feeling sure about things, he will retreat and hide until he feels comfortable again. He LOVES to play. He likes feathers, the toy on a string I love, crinkle balls and I have a small stuffed starfish that he can not resist. He likes wrestling with his brother and he is also a bit of an attention hound. He really likes snuggling into my chest and nuzzling my neck and armpit.
"No-Socks" is a very dignified boy. He also loves to play and hunt toys, but he is not above letting his brother do all of the hard work. He does not seem to like the name he came to me with and I've been calling him bud or buddy. I've tried "Fester" out on him and he responded to that a few times.
He likes being petted and getting attention, but he is more likely to snuggle up next to your legs than climb in your lap when he is settling down for a nap. His personality is very interesting, almost like he has a dry sense of humor. He makes me laugh. For a while, I wondered if he was simply tolerating Chester as he was the only other kitty in the room, but the more I spend time with them I see that he really likes hanging out with him and will also seek him out for snuggles or wrestling.
They are both very good, well mannered, kitties. They both are prone to play with my hand when I go to pat them and they are too revved up, but they do it very gently, not hurting me in the least when they grab on to my hand with their paws or when they give me the bitey bite. They have been very clean and other than a little litter kicked out of the shallow litter box I haven't had to clean the room once since they have been here.
Both of them like jumping on to the sink when I refill their water bowl - wanting to be involved in whatever I am doing - and will lick water right out of the faucet. They are quick to purr and are ever so ready for their new home.
I would highly recommend Chester being set up in a "base camp" once he goes into his home. He will need time to adjust to a new home, his new people, and the new "rules" of how his people are going to interact with him. Once he feels secure, letting him explore parts of his new home and then being returned to "base camp" (one room in the house with everything he needs, food, litter, toys, and lots of playtime) increasing the amount of time he has to explore the home each time. This will help build his confidence while keeping him close to a litter box for most of the day which will reinforce good litter box habits. They will both protest over being separated from you, loudly, but they have always stopped after a couple of minutes.
They are a charming pair of boys and anyone would be lucky to have them.
