Bracken the Kitten

All our animals make it onto the blog sooner or later and I’ve been admirably restrained in waiting six whole weeks before indulging in a flurry of cute kitten pics!

Bracken came into the family as a very appealing and fluffy little 6 week old.  Normally that would be a bit young to be taken away from his family but our vets had rescued a whole litter that were unwanted, they were already separated from their mother and needed homes quickly.

The children and I rushed in to town after school to have a look at the kittens and they spent almost an hour getting to know them and trying to decide on just one kitten, as I determinedly kept my heart hardened and resolute in the face of pleas to take home two or three.

Eventually they all agreed on the fluffy ginger one, who was playful and not too shy and was happy to be cuddled. For the first two nights he slept in the girls’ room, until we found that they were being woken several times in the night. Then we took him on for a couple of nights, feeling that he was still too little to be all on his own. After one particularly broken night, we banished him to the bathroom, where he was happy to curl up in the laundry basket all night and, as long as the lights were off, no more disturbances were forthcoming.

Our two older cats were not happy to make his acquaintance. Fluff hissing like a pot boiling over on a hot fire, Socks ignoring him totally.

Fluff is a scary, grumpy old man

The poor little me look after meeting Fluff

So Bracken resorted to playing with the dogs and now chases Amy the Jack Russell all over the place. He’s fascinated by the ducks, who also seem curious about him and gather round him when he’s out exploring.

Dogs, I can handle

Devoted acolytes grooming for fleas

They even made me a pompom!

Now of course he has grown tremendously, into a lanky twelve week old and is climbing trees and falling out of them, stealing the older cats’ food, pouncing on their tails and getting into mischief. But he still curls up under our chins when we sit on the sofa and purrs like a motorboat, so therapeutic in times of stress. A purring kitten has to be top of the list when it comes to relaxation aids!

When the kids are at school he 'helps' my husband or I by sitting curled against us purring away, between our hands and the keyboard, so that we automatically de-stress as we work. Or else he tries to help us do the work itself, which is less successful!

Exploring the stoep in the winter sunshine

Catch that tail! Socks having his siesta interrupted.

He’s brought much joy and life to the farm, much needed when we’ve lost both Horror and Badger this year, as well as Toffee the rabbit, and the aunts have also lost one dog each. They are dutifully doting aunts to Bracken, instigating searches of the whole house when he’s not to be seen during their evening visits and being terribly anxious about his well-being whenever we are out for the evening!

Now Fluff is mostly tolerating him, unless he is especially annoying, and Socks has been known to play with him once or twice. And that crazy fur still looks like he's had an electric shock, whenever you see him back-lit!