Surviving summer camp wasn’t enough, so this week we decided to get a kitten!

Technically, we decided a couple of months ago. Yesterday was the day we actually picked up our kitten and took him home.

And no, since you’re wondering, we don’t have a name yet. One of our kids was out of town this weekend so we’re waiting for her to get back so we can hold a no hold barred naming ceremony (I don’t know what that means, exactly, but getting 7 people to decide on one this is its own minor miracle).

Anyway, here are 3 quick lessons from getting a new kitten.

1. To get close to something, you sometimes have to give it some space.

When we got home with our kitten, the kids wanted to smother it with love, which is great, except this new kitten was completely freaked out.

New place. No mom. No siblings. The anxiety was real.

So we made a rule, one person for 15 minutes at a time, and all you can do is sit in the room with the kitten and hang out.

Within a few hours he was out exploring, climbing on us, purring, and starting to feel more at home.

And, yes, this is my attempt at a direct correlation between giving your kids a little space. 🙂

2. Instead of punishing bad behavior, you have to also reward good behavior.

We also have a dog at home. A King Charles Cavalier. Great dog. Not smart (if you ever need saving from a well, he is not your dog).

And when we arrived home with the cat, he was freaked out, to say the least.

New smells. New animal. And 100% less attention than he is used to getting.

I started out by trying to punish the things I didn’t want. A lot of “nos” flying around.

He wanted to smell, to bark. He was whining, etc.

And that wasn’t working.

So I put some treats in my pocket, and in those moments he was calm, I gave him a treat. When he came and sat down next to me, treat. When he walked by the cat room and didn’t whine or bark, treat.

He immediately changed his behavior. Not all the way, but the behavior was significantly improved.

And yes, this is my attempt at a direct correlation between catching your spouse doing the things you want them to do and mentioning it rather than getting after them all the time (note, this is meant to be tongue in cheek, and NO I am not talking about my spouse!).

3. Cute animals make people happy.

This one speaks for itself.

If you don’t want an animal, and you’re not allergic to cats, go to one of those cats and coffee places. You will leave happier.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Christopher Small
Owner
CMS Law Firm LLC

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