Blue Navigates Life with Human Siblings

Hi, I'm Amanda! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Blue, my fluffy fire point Himalayan-Persian cat.

When my husband and I welcomed our first son, Elias, Blue was a little more than cautious of her new environment. The scent. The sounds. The sudden movements. Why did this creature have a lot less hair than herself?

For the first few weeks, Blue was present but from a safe distance. Close enough to adapt to her new surroundings but far enough away that she could easily escape sudden bursts of noise or sporadic wiggles. When Elias had what she would refer to as ‘cat naps’, she grew braver, inching closer until we were all a dozy cuddle puddle. Only to have him wake and her take off again.

Neither of these things kept her away for long though. When we moved into our new home, the ceiling to floor windows in our front room gave our dogs a clear view of the street, so peace and quiet were rare. Constant barking and two eager Chi’s running from window to window desensitized Blue completely.

Elias’ coos and babbles were reasons to observe him rather than run so she was with us around the clock. Naps in the cribs became their time together. While he dreamed, Blue kept watch. Rest assured, we had eyes on the baby monitor to ensure she was a safe distance but it seemed their sibling bond was in bloom.

Once a toddler, Blue allowed Elias to roll on her, give her bear hugs and tossle her fur. Forceful butt pats become a thing and Blue would give him a little love bite or get up and leave when she wanted him to stop. Neither enjoyed it, but he quickly learned what was acceptable and loving behavior, and evolved.

The More The Merrier?

Just as the relationship between the two felt gelled, we welcomed our second son, Ivie. The combination of a pre-preteen (IYKYK) and a brand new baby proved to be a bit much for her so back into hiding she went. Jealousy of the newcomer became evident when Blue resorted to peeing in our crawl space. A behavior we knew we had to nip in the bud - our house was overcome with unpleasant smells and it was the most inconvenient spot to clean. My husband and I teamed up, he would brave the crawl space and I would shower Blue with love. The dawning of our now flourishing relationship.

Realizing that she would always be a massive part of our ever-growing family, Blue resumed business as usual, with the litter box being her preferred potty place. With a little encouragement, she and Ivie were able to form a seed of a bond that would evolve as they grew together.

Adaptation

My favorite part of the blend between our pets and children, now 3 and 5, is that they do more than co-exist. Our daily routines include our fur babies and our human babies have adopted those same practices. Blues happy to have the boys feed her, brush her, give her treats. Both Ivie and Elias have mastered the pstststs when looking to get her attention or coax her out of hidden nap spot. If catnip is involved, she might even be convinced to use her feather wand (the boys are a little too much with the wand otherwise).

Watching Blue create a strong and independent relationship with each of them is super cool. Blue doesn’t seem to possess any of the a-typical feline characteristics that would naturally draw her attention to calmer waters. Although I’m certain she prefers them when they’re sleeping, she is very much tolerable of their crazies. Cats and kids, who’d have thunk?