Tsuki and Matsu - 6 Months On
Today I've teamed up with Petplan Pet Insurance to talk a bit more about my two ragdoll kittens - Tsuki and Matsu. They were introduced back in November (blog post here if you want to see teeny kitten pics!) as we brought them home at the end of October, so I wanted to follow up almost six months - in two days time, aww - to tell you all how they're doing, what I've learned and how they've grown.
First of all, I literally adore these two cats. I've always been a cat person and typically had Siamese growing up (one as a kid and two as a teen, one is still around today at my parents house), but having your own rather than a ~family~ pet is completely different. Me and Phil joke on that we would literally kill for these two kittens, but there is definitely an element of truth to it - we're so obsessed with them! I have to say hello to them every time I walk into a room, they bring out this weird baby talk in me that I never knew existed and I've said the word 'cute' accompanied by a high-pitched squeak about a thousand times since we got them.
Anyway, in the first post I outlined what each kitten was like after a week and their personalities have developed a lot since then, so I'll talk about them individually and what they're like below...
Tsuki
Tsuki is my cute little blue point ragdoll and she still looks very kitten-ish, I think. When we first got her, she was definitely the more reserved of the two and preferred to watch and wait for her time to play rather than run in like an idiot like Matsu. I had zero issues with this, as in my experience of having girl cats, they're often like this.
As she's grown, she's become more confident and although she's not a lap cat, she will come and lie down at your side or put her paw on you. You'll be sitting on the sofa and all of a sudden she'll appear out of nowhere doing a little chirp and then purr like crazy, so she's still a very affectionate cat.
She's fine around new people too and will come and investigate if anyone is in the house - as the joiner and plasterer have found out. She has a lot of little quirks and cute things that she does - especially when she's playing, her eyes go huge and it's the most adorable thing ever - so she's quite a little character even if she's not permanently in your face. I still smother her with attention though and she doesn't try to run away, so either she tolerates me or she really doesn't mind!
October 2017
April 2018
Matsu
Matsu (a cream point ragdoll) is very much the opposite of Tsuki in terms of nosiness and general in-you-face-ness. He loves attention, he loves being carried around the house, he'll get under your feet and lie on your pillow if you let him. He's definitely the more needy of the two, but also the most full of energy so always instigates playing with Tsuki who often cba with him because he'll just lean over and bite her (playfully) and you can practically see her eyes roll.
He is a very sweet cat though and a mama's boy through and through. Whenever I go out of the room or, heaven forbid, try to go to the bathroom in peace, he'll meow outside of the door and you'll see a paw come round the side of it. Same as when I'm in the shower, go into the spare room or have shut the kitchen door when I'm cooking. He also tries to jump in the bath and really enjoys the kitchen tap - he loves running water!
He's much bigger than Tsuki and I think he looks less kitten-ish than she does. His tail is so, so fluffy compared to hers too but it's honestly my favourite thing about him - it's so cute!!
October 2017
April 2018 (ft scruffy paws)
So, what have I learned in six months of having cats?
1. Those Damn Claws
We have to regularly trim down the cats claws (using teeny clippers, it doesn't hurt them, it's just like cutting your own nails) otherwise their claws catch on everything. They have three scratching posts throughout the house, but still try to claw the end of the sofa on occasion so I have to stop it as quick as I can so they know it's wrong. They're not as bad as they were, but I hate that noise of claws on my sofa. Naughty little things.
2. They get into everything
New deliveries, any cardboard boxes, open cupboards, the bath, the fridge, the kitchen sink, rooms they're not supposed to be in, the bookcase... The amount of times I've said 'no' or 'down' is insane, but cats really are very curious characters so you have to have eyes like a hawk to make sure they don't hurt themselves or get into something they shouldn't.
3. They need a lot of attention
I don't know if it's just my cats or ragdolls in general, but they are very needy cats. I'm lucky that I work from home so am round to give them attention when they need it, but they require a lot of mental stimulation to be happy cats. Recently, with having the kitchen done, I had to keep them in the bedroom for two days so they were away from tools etc and Matsu was not amused in the slightest. He was clawing at the door and wanting to be out - even though I was in the room with him with plenty of toys/water/food - but he was having none of it by midday on the 2nd day. He's quite a big kitten (basically the size of a normal cat now) so he needs to run around a lot.
4. Long-Haired Cats + Velvet = No
If you're thinking of getting cats, especially long haired or light coloured cats, definitely think about your furnishings. I have a lot of velvet cushions and a velvet chair (below) in our bedroom and they get covered in fluff! I vacuum the cushions - along with the full whole flat - every other day, so consider this when choosing your fluffs.
5. They're more resilient than you think
If there's one thing that surprised me about the kittens is how adaptable and resilient they are. They're not bothered about noise when people are in doing DIY or when we ripped the kitchen apart, they don't care about new people coming into the house, nothing really phases them. I took them to my parents house the other weekend and, despite being in a house with a new cat and Tsuki being a bit unsure for a day, they we're running around and chasing Tobi (even though he's a 13yr old grandpa) in no time. They're very chilled cats in new situations or with new noises, so I'm hoping that's a reflection on how comfortable they are living here!
Tsuki has the best bitch face
So, that's a quick update on the kittens and what I've realised in six months of having them. I honestly wouldn't be without them now and they're just the most adorable little fluffs in the world. Proper proud parent!
You can check out their instagram to keep up with regular pics if you like:
Tsuki and Matsu
