One Year Later

Caring for Arien as a tiny neonatal kitten was very difficult.  The sleep deprivation from waking up every 2 hours to use a syringe to feed her and baby wipes to help her pee hit me hard.  And for those that know me, I don't handle lack of sleep all that well.  😁  The first two months are a bit of a blur to me (thankfully I have just about a gazillion videos and pictures of her).  Caring for her got both progressively easier and harder at the same time.  On the one hand, as she transitioned to a bottle, then to wet food, and finally to kibble, she was easier to feed (although she took a surprisingly long time to learn how to drink water from a bowl).  But on the other hand, that transition also meant she needed help pooping as well as peeing, then she got constipated a couple times, and then eventually I had to be teach how to use a litter box, which was all tricky and at times very messy (she ended up having so many baths because that often seemed simpler than wipes).  As she grew, she was also harder to contain and she needed toys.  Since she didn't have siblings and Kira was avoiding her, I had to intentionally spend time playing with her between feedings, so I still didn't have much time to work.  I'm really not sure how I managed to get anything else done those first couple months, but I apparently did because many of my friends and family met her as a tiny kitten.  

Raising Arien was also a huge reward.  Hearing her purr for the first time, seeing her reaction to me waking her up to care for her, watching her figure out how to walk, run, climb and jump, and having her follow me around the house so she could sleep in my lap while I worked were all experiences I cherish.  And ultimately, I know that I saved her life and that made it all worth it.  So here's to getting through 1 year with my little kitten and her precious mittens.  😊

 

I LOVE the look on Arien's face in the first one and the look on Kira's face in the second one.  I think they were upset that I was making them share the chair.  😂

Arien's 1st Birthday!

I don't know the precise date that Arien was born, but when I met her for the first time on September 5, 2019 at my parents' house, I knew she was only a few days old.  The next day, when I brought her home because I decided to hand raise her myself instead of waiting to see if someone else could, I figured based on her ears, eyes, claws, teeth, and weight that she was only about a week old.  That is when I decided that her birthday would be September 1st.  Over the past year of raising her and deciding to keep her, I have lost a TON of sleep, but overall, I'd say it was worth it.  😊  She has such a strong, sassy personality and definitely likes to pounce and bite (although she quickly licks you as if to make it all better).  She loves cuddling and riding on shoulders (thankfully she basically never uses her claws and is surprisingly gentle).  

Hand raising a kitten so young was obviously a daunting challenge and there was at least one time when I truly didn't know if she would make it through the night, but watching her grow was incredible!  I relied heavily on Kitten Lady's Youtube channel and website for information to make sure I was properly caring for a neonatal kitten.  I also called, texted, and visited my vet SO many times in the span of just a couple months and their help was priceless.  There were definitely some aspects that were easier and some that were much harder since I only had one kitten.  Kira definitely didn't like Arien as a baby, which was frustrating because I was hoping she would be more helpful in raising the tiny kitten.  Thankfully by the time we decided to keep Arien, Kira had warmed up and grew to love her.  Kira has also lost weight this past year from playing with Arien which was awesome because she had gotten larger than I intended.  😁  

Arien wasn't sure about the hat I made her.  In her defense, the hat was actually fairly heavy because of the beads.  😂  Also, I think these pictures do a decent job of showcasing Arien's personality.  Make sure to scroll to the bottom to see a picture of the first time I met Arien.  😍