Since we brought Pippin home, he’s been waging a continual cuddle campaign with all members of the family: myself, my husband, and, the greatest challenge, Sylvia.
At this point, I can say he has definitely won his campaign with my husband and I. He snuggled his way into our hearts pretty quickly to be honest. But his progress with Sylvia has been overall slower. It has been clear from the first that he adores his big sister, and would like nothing better than to be able to do everything together: eat, play, and sleep.
Now, as you’ve read in my previous posts, they really do get along quite well. Sylvia’s tolerance moved to acceptance and even enjoyment of his presence when she realized he makes a great playmate. She loves running around the house with him, and they engage in extended wrestling matches, often postponing our ability to make the bed. She’s never done anything to keep him from eating*. So he won the “eat” and “play” parts of his campaign to do everything with Big Sister quite quickly. The Play part has also progressed as Pippin has grown up some and learned a little self-restraint, so that Sylvia can play with toys (sometimes) without him immediately appearing in the middle of things.
But the Cuddle Campaign has been slower going. Until recently, Sylvia’s displays of affection were largely through play. Overtime, she became less likely to hiss or growl a warning if he rubbed against her, and sometimes seemed to grudgingly enjoy it. But Pippin seemed to be stuck there.
In this last week though, Pippin’s persistence has begun to pay off. He survived his first vet visit last Wednesday (standard check up – all confirmed in order), and while we were gone my husband reports Sylvia was mopey and sad. When I brought him home, she had to check him over to make sure he was still ok. Following this, she seemed to also realize she shouldn’t take his existence for granted. Over the past week, I’ve noticed her going up and rubbing against him on several occasions. She’s permitted him to come lay down next to her and give her some little licks on the ear as well.
Now, for some time, she’s been content to let him come and sleep near her. But except in certain circumstances (her spot on my chest at bedtime), if he’s already in a space, she’s not going to settle down in the same area. Instead, she’ll pick a different favorite spot.
So I’ve had kitties taking turns with who gets to hang out on my computer desk:
But this week, she decided there was room for two, even if she was the second arrival:
Yes, this is starting to impact the space for MY stuff, like keyboard and mouse. Sylvia is also not as grouchy as she looks – she’s just great at looking unhappy for the camera.
And then on Sunday, Sylvia started grooming Pippin a little bit. And Monday? Pippin managed to snuggle right up against her, and she reacted by rested her chin on him instead of creating more space between them:
Lastly, as this post goes up, little Pippin is back at the vet to be neutered. This meant I picked up all the food last night in preparation. Pippin was confused, but Sylvia took it pretty well though it seemed she knew something was up. We really do have sweet kitties – neither of them tried to punish us for the lack of food available, and Pippin was hungry, but still sweet tempered this morning even as Sylvia received breakfast and he didn’t.
But when I came home from dropping off Pippin at the vet? Sylvia made it clear by getting into things she shouldn’t, and then delivering me the cold shoulder, that she was not pleased that I had taken her little brother away.
I think Pippin might just win his Cuddle Campaign with a bit more time.
*recently his “kittens eat first” rights have expired – she’s not letting him butt in on her food bowl while she eats anymore. I think she’s realized if she doesn’t put her paw down while he’s still little, she’ll never be able to.