Watching Zofia

Watching Zofia play with Hector has reinforced in me the conviction that kittens need companionship. I certainly don’t mean to denigrate those who adopt just one kitten; any good, loving home is a victory for a cat, no matter its age. But if adopted alone, a kitten must have a great deal of attention from its people, and endless opportunities for play.

With a playmate, that situation pretty much takes care of itself. That’s not to imply that human companionship for the kitten - for any cat - isn’t necessary. It is. I pet, stroke, pick up and talk to little Miss Zed all the time; I suspect too often and too much for her liking, but I think the more familiar she is with the ways of humans the better.

But it is feline fraternisation that a kitten requires. It needn’t even be friendship; playing is, I think, the most important element of a kitten’s relationship with another cat, but grooming and cuddling together come tied as very close seconds. A kitten is still an immature cat, and longs for the closeness that its mother would naturally give it, if the family stayed together.

I don’t think it is just the burning of energy that is significant in play-time. Certainly they can, and do, expend tremendous amount of energy all on their own. But playing is learning, just as with human children. I haven’t had the experience with kittens that others have had, but I’ve watched the ones who have lived with me. I’ve seen kittens learning to be cats: stalking, fighting, carrying, hitting, protecting. These characteristics may not be as useful to a domesticate house-cat as to a feral feline but, like a person’s individuality when living in a community, they contribute to a strong and healthy creature.

Playing builds confidence in a cat. If playmates are equal, a cat develops its cunning, speed, agility and close-quarter combat skills against an opponent who is doing the same. If one is older, what it can teach the younger is invaluable, and it provides a feeling of safety that only another of the same species can give.

I was lucky with my first pair of kittens, Oleo and Bisto. They were adopted together, two brothers who’d known each other from birth, playmates and friends. I would like to see Zofia stay with Hector, but in truth that is neither necessary nor - to be realistic - likely. But the rescue-group is fully aware of what Zo needs, and when she is adopted, she will go to as perfect a home as can be found for her. Then others will have the delight of watching Zofia.