Pirat: The Forest Supercat 1. How Do Cats Enter Our Lives? 2. What Do Kittens Eat After They Leave Their Mother?

 

1. How Do Cats Enter Our Lives?

The chapter in which Lori decides to bring little Pirat home with her, because ever since she first saw him, she couldn’t get him out of her mind.

Legends say that a cat never enters a person’s life by accident.

Lori had never really wanted a tomcat. But after she saw Pirat in a short video and found out he was looking for a home, the thought of him kept coming back to her.

“If this little kitten needs someone to raise him, I’d like that someone to be me,” she thought.

“I’ll care for him as best I can, and he’ll teach me new things about cats. People say we start to resemble those we live with—maybe I’ll finally learn how to stretch like kittens do, to relax my back after hours at the computer. I read in a magazine that it’s good for us. And if I’ll need to take Pirat out for walks, that means I’ll go outside more often myself,” Lori reasoned with herself.

The Guardian Angel of Kittens smiled contentedly: yet another kitten had found the right human.

Yes, tomcats — just like every other creature — have their own guardian angel, with many helpers besides. That’s why legends are right: a cat never shows up in someone’s life by chance. Behind every such meeting lies a secret agreement between the Cat’s Angel and the Human’s Angel.

So Lori agreed to bring Pirat home in two weeks, when he would be ready to live without his mother’s milk. It’s best for kittens to stay with their mother until three months of age, so they can learn all the life lessons she has to teach. But people often rush to give them away earlier. Pirat was only one month and three weeks old.

2. What Do Kittens Eat After They Leave Their Mother?

The chapter in which we learn how a kitten should be fed, and what items he needs. (If you don’t want these details just now, feel free to skip ahead to Chapter 3.)

Lori knew almost nothing about raising a cat in an apartment. She even thought such a place—cut off from nature—was not really suitable for a cat. But Pirat had touched her heart. And if someone had to raise him, she wanted that someone to be her.

So she searched the internet for articles on how to care for and feed a kitten of one month and three weeks. Then she went to a pet shop.

Oh! So many curious and surprising things for cats and dogs lined the shelves!

— “I had no idea there were little houses for cats! I’m going to have a kitten nearly two months old. Do you think he’d like one?”

— “Yes,” replied the shop assistant. “Cats love their privacy.”

— “Indeed, I think he would. Pirat has a brother and a sister, but he’s different—he doesn’t let people pet him much, and he always prefers to stay off by himself. Until he gets used to me and to his new home, he’ll probably hide away in his little house.”

Then Lori chose a litter box for Pirat—a rectangular plastic tray invented as a cat’s toilet. Inside, special litter is spread, made of silicon granules or pressed wood shavings, in a layer 3–4 cm thick. Pirat was already used to silicon litter because that’s what his mother preferred. And he liked the layer to be deep enough—he would dig in it with his paws, scattering the granules noisily.

With the shop assistant’s help, Lori also picked out two bowls: one for water and one for food. She chose them in white—thinking Pirat might like the color. They were ceramic, heavy enough not to “run away” from him while he ate or drank.

— “But what does such a small kitten eat?” Lori asked.

— “To begin with, meat purée—special pâté for kittens around two months old. Kitten food is enriched with vitamins and minerals they need at that age. Here, we have canned chicken pâté with salmon oil. Fish oil is good for people, but just as useful for cats—Omega 3 helps their bodies stay strong and keeps their fur shiny and healthy,” the assistant explained.

— “Ah, so that’s why kitten food is more expensive than food for adult cats over 12 months,” Lori noted.

— “Yes, little ones need more nutrients so they grow strong and build good immunity. But at any age, a cat needs quality food. For cats, eating well and drinking filtered water—not straight from the tap—is essential to keep their kidneys healthy. The cheaper canned food has more grains, which don’t provide much nutrition. Cats may feel full, but it doesn’t last. Kittens eat only a little, but they burn so much energy playing and tumbling about. That’s why their food needs to be truly nourishing. For a start, I recommend these grain-free chicken pâtés with salmon oil. He can also eat these small kibbles from the age of two months—they contain meat, a balanced amount of grains, and even medicinal herbs to aid digestion,” the assistant recommended.

Lori left the shop with two bags. Inside were Pirat’s little house, his litter box, a bag of silicon litter, two bowls, several cans of kitten pâté, a bag of kibbles, a bath gel, a grooming brush, three colorful rubber balls, and a toy mouse made of woven twigs.

Pirat was expected home.