My last true summer is almost over.
It has been a very fruitful one - my internship has been an amazing experience. My mentor is amazing, the surgeries I've seen and patients I've meet have been truly engaging.
I feel like I have stepped out of this summer a little bit more mature. I have a clear direction - surgery - that I want to go. And I feel ignited with ambition and determination, something very important during these long years of constant studying, where we often feel the fuel drain away as we burn out.
In other news, I am on a quick 10-day vacation. Well, not really a vacation because I have a lot of work to do - but my mentor is out of town, so I can work from home.
During this time, I decided to adopt a new kitten.
I have one cat - a tortoiseshell - who is about 1 year and 2 months. I found her in my parking lot last summer, and my boyfriend decided that adopt her. I found her right before my 1-month trip to SE Asia, so I wasn't planning on adopting her. I was going to feed her, take care of her shots/immunizations, socialize her a bit, and then ask a shelter to take her in. We found her at 5-6 weeks, so still a very young kitten and thus popular among adopted pets.
I went to several shelters in the area and finally found the kitten I thought would be the one. It's a boy, 8 weeks, and a creamy orange tabby. He has white feet (like stockings) and a white belly. Cutest little thing.
The introduction - still ongoing - is progressing... slow or fast? Depends, I suppose. I've read that cats can take from hours to months to accept one another... And some might never. But I wasn't expecting my resident cat to react with such aggression... so the road has been difficult.
Day 1
Day 1 was simple. I adopted kitten in the early afternoon (Wed Jul 20), and once I got home, I took him to the bathroom where I set up his temporary confinement. I brought back the carrier and placed it in the living room for resident cat to smell. So far... no hissing... Then I went into the bathroom and cuddle with kitten for a while, letting him know that everything is okay and that he is safe. Then I left my apartment and went back to work. Wanted to give both of them time to just calm down.
At night, I played with resident cat.
Troubles 1: When I went into the bathroom to be with kitten for a while, then when I came out, resident cat was really quite angry. Her posture was tense. I let her smell my hand and she actually growled and hiss at it many times. She didn't attack me or anything, but I have never seen her growl or hiss except just once at the vet. So surprised... I was expecting just curiosity at the least... and was really hoping for that chirping purr that resident cat did to the neighborhood stray cats. I guess since kitten was actually in her turf, she felt threatened.
I covered the crack under the door so that they won't be able to see each other, and just went to bed. Resident cat never came close to the door. Just hissed at it from a distance
Patience seems to be the true virtue in this scenarios. Don't rush anything!
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