For children, kittens can be joyful pets to have around. They are playful and friendly, and always enjoy attention and teasing games. A small group of kittens, say two or three, are especially fun to watch when they begin to tumble around with each other. All too soon, however, the family group is usually broken up as one by one they are given away to caring families.
Sometimes, in rural areas especially, kittens that are the off-spring of feral cats come around to visit a home or farm. These kittens are much different from household kittens. They are more cautious and have a stronger instict to hunt and survive than their household cousins. Much like the city mouse and the country mouse, they behave differently, but enjoy a good meal of birds and mice.
Recently, I had the opportunity to observe the behavior of some feral kittens that appeared in the garden behind the house. Their playfulness was very similiar to any household kitten, although their survival instinct was quite a bit different. When they became aware that they were being observed and felt threatened, they immediately became defensive and assumed a “ready to pounce” profile. It would be good advice to just leave them alone.
As the observation unfolded, it became appearant that the event should be captured and shared with others. The result is a children’s short story, called “Kittens can be Trouble”, the first three chapters of which you can find at BUZZICLE. There are other fun articles posted there, as well.
