Meet Simon & Daisy
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I want you to meet the newest members of the family, Simon and Daisy. Yesterday, Kendra, Marley, and I went to get the kittens; three generations of females to greet them and bring them home.
Kendra had the black crate at her house and brought it over to use with the kittens.
Simon is black and the male kitten, and Daisy is orange and white. One of you mentioned that only 20% of orange kitties are this color.
Googling told me that orange and white female cats are rare because the gene responsible for orange fur is on the X chromosome. Females need to inherit two copies of this gene (one from each parent) to be orange, while males only need one copy, making it much more likely for male cats to be orange.
They are both so sweet. I’m following the “two-day rule, ” which, the foster mother told me, means you keep your cat and the new cats separated for two days. This way, Ivy will smell and hear them but not see them.
They have everything they need in the guest room. A litter box, food, water, and toys.
Simon needs to get out of the guest room soon and run off some of his energy. Marley and her friend stay at Kendra’s with their pets while Kendra and her boyfriend Scott spend a few days in Eureka Springs.
The girls will be coming over this afternoon. They can let the kittens out of the guest room and play with Ivy while I stay in my bedroom. Then tomorrow, I will let all the cats meet one another. Slowly.
If anyone has suggestions about former and new cats meeting one another, please leave the information in the comments below.
Why The Names Simon & Daisy:
When I looked at the black cat online, he looked like a cat whose name should be Simon. Kendra said he does look like Simon, and Daisy looks like a cat that should be named Daisy. Marley wanted Simon and Garfunkel, but Garfunkel is a real mouthful.
Daisies have always been my favorite flower, so I thought naming her Daisy was appropriate. She reminds me of a sweet and beautiful little flower.
They are, of course, curious about absolutely everything. And that’s how kittens should be and usually are. Simon is daring, while Daisy is more subdued.
I didn’t hear a peep from the guest room next to mine all night. When I went in to give them food this morning, they pounced on it as though they were starving. I left them two small bowls of food for the night. I’ll learn their eating habits quickly.
The foster mother, Alison, said they like a bit of wet food here and there, so I ordered what she’d been giving them. I’m also feeding them the dry food she’d been feeding them. I want as easy a transition for them as possible.
They’ve both been spayed, but Daisy needs one more round of vaccinations. Kendra will take her in next week for that.
You will be seeing a lot more of the new members of the family. Simon tends to move so fast that pinning him down is hard. Here’s what a photo of Simon often looks like:
I will try to catch better photos of them. But they dart around so fast!
The Cat Tree Just Arrived:
The FedEx guy just dropped off the box containing the new cat tree. It comes in about four pieces, but they are heavy. Marley said she’d put it together.
I plan to try to rest today. On Wednesday, I about did myself in trying to “kitty-proof” this house, and now I’m paying for it. Rest will help. I will listen to soft piano music and be present with Ivy.
I started listening to a podcast yesterday.
Ashley Flowers hosts the podcast Crime Junkie. She is the author of the book I showed yesterday called The Missing Half. I read that the estimated net worth of this show is $6 million a year.
The Crime Junkie podcast has over 1.5 billion downloads, and it has won multiple awards. Crime Junkie is the second-most popular podcast out there, with an estimated 5.9 million listeners per episode.
The true crime show is hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat. It is known for its captivating storytelling and deep dives into criminal cases.
Have you ever listened to Crime Junkie?
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I’m wondering why your posts have not been received lately.
Please don’t forget about me Brenda!!!
so loved โค๏ธ reading about Daisy and Simon. They are adorable!!! ๐ ๐โโฌ๏ธ
Your new kittens are cuties. When I introduced my cat Kirby to the new cat Leo I had up a baby gate with a door in it for me to open and close to go in and out. I fed them near each other so they could see and smell each other on either side of the gate. By the third day of that Kirby darted in the room to get at Leo’s food. They sniffed each other and that was it. Good luck with your new kitties.
Cute kittens! AHS says to introduce the resident cat to the newcomers’ food, water, litter box and scent by leaving it in the new cat room & exposing the new cats to same in the resident’s space. Sharing scents seems to be key. See:
https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/introducing-cats-to-cats/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA1eO7BhATEiwAm0Ee-H4ac-xhIppLeZQK8W70_8nSLHhWyl-uC7sFEHhhpniYU9KElIWURxoCzY8QAvD_BwE
Since Ivy never bonded with the other kitten, you’ll want to monitor this introduction to increase success but there are no guarantees. I’m concerned about Ivy having a different temperament than the kittens, especially since they are also bonded to each other.
The kittens may be a trip(food escape hazard. Be careful.
Good luck!
I meant “door escape hazard”.
My only advice is to give Ivy lots of attention for the next week or so. She needs to know she is your number one and isn’t being replaced. The kittens won’t care at this point. An occasional pet or handling when Ivy isn’t around will be enough for them until they get older. I introduced new little Scooter to his older “brother” Bounder, and then later both of them to their new “sister” Nikki. Bounder was always king, even though he was smaller, and that was fine with everyone.
I’m making sure she gets lots of attention.
Oh! They are adorable! Ivy will be so happy when they all get settled together. And you will have so much joy and entertainment from watching the three of them.
Well, aren’t they the cutest? I’ll be curious to see how Ivy does with these little ones. Let the games begin! LOLOL!!!
I still have them in the guest room. They curl up and sleep in there. I’m glad they’ve got each other.
Cuties !!!
Welcome Simon and Daisy! You two little cuties donโt know it yet, but you have just been adopted into the most wonderful and loving family. And one day soon youโll be best friends with your big sister, Ivy!
I keep telling Ivy that now she’s both the boss and the big sissy.
We had a gold and white kitty named Daisy too. We had her for fourteen years. I miss her!
You can’t replace them. Never. But you could adopt another in her memory.
Cute kittens Simon and Daisy. They will have lots of fun playing in your house. Congratulations on your new kittens.
They’ve only seen the guest room and the living room so far.
You have what you need (per the photos) to introduce the new kitties to the other pets properly- a glass door. This way pets can see & smell each other before formally meeting. Leave the new kittens in there for a week or more then let them out and you should be good.
I don’t have a glass door in the guest room. But sometimes I bring them in the living room and shut those glass doors so they don’t go in my bedroom where Ivy often is.
Welcome, Simon and Daisy! They are so cute. I would keep them separated from Ivy longer than two days. They are just getting used to a new home and smells. Seven days is the average for new cats to be separated from other cats. And don’t introduce them physically to each other at first. You don’t want to get in the middle of breaking up a cat fight! Start by letting Ivy sniff some of their bedding and vice versa. Then when you introduce them physically, I hope you have a baby gate where they can see and sniff each other. Don’t be surprised if Ivy takes a long time to get used to the kittens. It can take weeks or even months. Patience and slow going is the key!
That’s what I’ve heard. I doubt a baby gate would help. Simon can jump like a panther.
Welcome Simon and Daisy!
Brenda, I am so excited for you and Ivy. I hope that she likes her new friends.
Take care of yourself and rest up for all of the fun with the new pets.
Happy New Year!
They will for sure keep me busy.
You have a house panther! They are hard to photograph,Buddy is 8,now and he’s still blurry.
His partner in crime,Bella,my tuxie doesn’t mind a picture but it has to be on her terms,L.O.L.
They’ll be fine,I’m betting Ivy will have a ball with kittens boundless energy.
She doesn’t seem to mind laying where they’ve laid. Like when I bring them into the living room and shut the glass door and they lay on furniture. But she doesn’t want them close to her.
At one point, I had six kitties. It was grand.
I should have been a snarky librarian with a house full of cats.
Simon and Daisy are absolutely darling little kittens! I would so like to have a pet now that my daughter and her family have moved into their own house. I have wanted my solitude and space but gosh, it’s so quiet I can hardly stand it! I don’t know if I will get a cat or dog before too long but I sure would like some company on a daily basis. I have to have knee surgery soon so it won’t be ’til after that. Anyway, I can enjoy your new babies vicariously for a while.
Yes! Enjoy mine! I’ve found that cats are easier as I get older. You don’t have to walk them. Just clean the litter box. But I so loved my dogs! I think you need some company, and you could save a life.
I am so excited for you, and I’d like to make a suggestion based on the experiences I had with my wild boy Toby.
You you see Simon’s outlook on life and exuberant energy level reminds me so much of Toby, and I found, because of his speed and constant activity, it very reassuring for him to always wear a cat collar with jingle bells attached. I can’t keep track of the number of times it alerted me he was sneaking up to an outside door I had just opened or about to race under my feet and I need to watch where I stepped.
I found on Amazon a seller that stitches the cats name and phone number onto the break away collar (I ordered several and a bag of small jingle bells) and I wasn’t surprised Toby didn’t take the time to even notice he was wearing it.
You’ll find life with a ‘wild child’ (that was Toby’s nickname) will be constantly entertaining and even though my Toby died 4 years ago I still miss the sound of the jingling bells racing across the room to greet me the second I woke each morning. Toby’s (as I believe Simon’s will be) insatiable thrill of life was only equaled by his depth of love. And I wish for you, Simon, Daisy and Ivy many joyful years together.
Thank you! I’ve never had collars on my pets. I probably should. But I always hated anything close to my neck in terms of clothes, so I thought they might feel the same way. Probably a silly notion of mine.
Congrats! Iโm so excited for you ! And excitedly waiting for more pictures .
I do have a cat that lives outside in my patio. I feed her twice a day . Iโd love it if sheโd come in . Unfortunately she doesnโt seem to want to .
That’s too bad. Maybe she’ll come around someday.
I am so excited for you and all the kitties.
They are so sweet!
Congratulations Brenda on your new fur babies, they are so lucky to have you and I know they will bring you and Ivy so much joy! Iโm a cat lady myself!
I’m now a cat lady with 3 cats, rivaling the couple next door with their cat family!
Well, you should not be bored and perhaps with 3 of them, maybe at least 1 of them will enjoy being more of a lap kitty…if you are wanting at least 1 that is cuddly. They are pretty cats.
No, I doubt I’ll be bored surrounded by 3 cats.
Oh my gosh they are so cute. Love the flying picture of Simon!!! You are going to have such fun. Maybe Ivy is sulking.
Marley put the cat tree together and Ivy hasn’t shown any interest yet. The kittens are in the guest room. I’ll try to put them in the same room a bit tomorrow.
Aww! Sweet babies. I have 3 also. The second one I got the older one would chase for a day or two then were best of friends. My last one was a nightmare in introducing. I kept them separated but as soon as let out she would attack them and was very territorial for months! She was a Siamese so maybe just the breed.. The only thing that I think helped was allowing the original 2 eat together and my troublemaker eat and sleep alone at night in a separate room. I brushed them all with the same brush and rubbed them with the same towel then left it on the floor so they could smell it. someone told me it makes a group scent that puts them at ease. Honestly it was the only thing that worked. They are lucky to have you!
Well, I’m glad you gave me your info on how you got your cat home settled. I might have to use it!
I’ve never had cats just dogs so take this with a grain of salt. I’ve had the best luck when I’ve introduced my pets one on one to start out. I’ve had bad luck when I didn’t do enough research and introduced 2 new pets to an existing pet all at once. Just the experience I’ve had. They are adorable and it seems that 2025 is looking prosperous for you.
I think it will be okay. I’m following their foster mother’s advice. She was so wonderful!
Donโt Call Me Jupiter is the series I am reading now. I am book 3 in the series. True story written by Tom J. Bross. What a childhood he had!!!
Congrats on the new family members. Hopefully Ivy accepts them easily. You surely will have an active household!
The big cat tree is put together and in front of the window, ready for climbing cats.
my current kitty named Mojo was originally named Simon. He just did not feel like a Simon, so I understand you naming your kitties what feels right. I think it’s probably a good idea you didn’t buy any curtains yet because those kittens would shred them. I have a feeling you’re going to be worn out for a few weeks trying to keep them out of trouble! just make sure that Ivy gets plenty of dedicated attention from you without them. she’ll slowly come around I’ll bet.
I pay attention to Ivy, then I’ll go into the guest room, where the kittens are shut inside the door, and I’ll lay on the bed and pet them. Ivy doesn’t seem as upset as she seemed yesterday. But they haven’t been together yet.
Happy New Year and Congratulations for your new furbabies. 2025 is looking like a good Year with your growing family. Wishing you a Happy and Healthy 2025. and thank you for sharing your life story with me.
I’d much rather live with cats than people. I’d have dogs too, but I couldn’t walk them.
Congratulations on your new babies, they’re adorable. Love their names and Daisy is my boxer’s name also.
She’s like a bloom just starting to open. She will be still when I let them in the living room, sit, and stare out the window. Simon is never still.
Hi Brenda~
Congrats on bringing Simon and Daisy to their forever home!
They are beautiful Kitties!
Are they micro-chipped? That procedure is usually done during spaying/neutering process. If not, think about having it done. It could be a life saver if either managed to get outdoors.
I always put a collar with a bell on my kittens.. it was for me to know where they were at any given time..
I”m so happy for you..hopefully Ivy will take to them soon!
Yes, they are micro chipped. So is Ivy.
Brenda, I am THRILLED for Simon and Daisy! With you, they will live their lives in โcat heaven!โ
I have taken in unwanted cats and have some suggestions. Since my incoming babies were usually feral or scared and flea ridden, I isolated them in a bathroom to start. This was until I could get their first vet appointment so they could not spread anything to the established residents. It was also a good place to give them a flea bath and keep them warm in the smaller space. My other cats, consumed with curiosity, would plant themselves outside the door for hours!
When the newcomer begin to express readiness to move on, I transferred him/her to the guest bedroom. More freedom to move about. And the outside-the-door entourage traveled with them! By that time, there was paw activity under the door and the two parties were ready to meet! A few sniffs of boredom here and there mostly, but my busy body Rosie would hiss and be difficult for a few days. And then they all settled down.
I know your approach is pretty much the same. Ivy is certainly โQueen beeโ so her nose might be out of joint for awhile, but I wish you the best and am so glad you are giving these babies a chance at a wonderful life with you!
So far Ivy isn’t showing any interest in them. I haven’t seen her go to the guest room door or anything.
Une caresse pour Daisy et pour Simon, un bisou sur le nez d Ivy.
J adore la photo de l arrivรฉe d Ivy!
Au bonheur des chats…
I will do that.
Iโve always felt there is a special place in Heaven for those who protect and care for animals. You have taught your family well with Kendra and Marley doing whatโs humane to provide for them. I look forward to hearing all the mischief kittens can get into to make us laugh.
I’m sure there will be lots of mischief.
It may be chaotic for awhile. But then you will be so happy to have THREE beautiful cats to keep you company. So lucky.
My beloved companions.
Oh I hope Ivy will love her new companions. They are the cutest. I love cats but my husband doesn’t. I have a standard yorkie named Jax. He is almost 2 years old. I love him to pieces. He is the smartest dog I’ve ever had. He seems to know exactly what I say to him. He is my shadow. Good luck with the meeting of cats. ha!
I hope all goes well!
Thank you! I had two Yorkies, Abi and Charlie, that crossed the rainbow bridge. Nearly killed me.
I know the feeling!
Congrats on the kitties. I just subscribed to Crime Junkie…thanks for the info.
It is addictive!