Kit: Brines under the age of twelve years of age

Small notice: if you see the word whelp at all, please let me know. I think I changed them all but I may have missed one idk

Young Brines have different needs than human children. They act different and therefore have different ways in which the adults within their pack treat them. Kits are also rare to spot as they never stray far from their village and are usually hidden away when visitors come. Seeing a kit alone usually indicates that a pack is nearby so be careful. You don't want their Alpha after you.

Kits love attention. If they start to mew, mewl, purr, growl, or make any other noise and are looking right at you, pay attention. They may want your attention to show you something or just want attention. Attention seekers...

Kits love to cuddle next to you when tired. They love it when you hold them close as it allows them to absorb as much of your body heat as possible. Holding them like a baby, allowing one to rest on your arm like a tree branch, or laying on your lap are favorite positions of the younger kits.

However, always let the kit down when they start to struggle. This indicates that they want to run and play, an essential part of their childhood. The only exception is if you are keeping them safe from harm or you are reassuring them. Failing to let go may result in being scratched or bit.

Young Brines are full of energy. They spend the majority of their day playing with the other kits within their pack. A kit with little energy typically indicates illness or depression.

Kits are much more vocal than the adults of a pack. Many kits will not talk but will instead choose to voice their opinions through growls, purrs, whines, and other vocalizations, especially when torn away from his/her pack.

Discipline in small matters usually incurs scruffing. Scruffing is always followed by being held close to reassure the kit. Failing to do so will frighten the Brine rather than successfully correcting behavior. A small nip from an elder Brine will occur for bigger mistakes, and blood may be drawn from a painful bite when correcting a Brine that refuses to submit to a Brine with a higher status.

Teething reoccurs around the age of six. This is when a Brine's fangs brings to produce its infamous venom. The process will bring about soreness in the gums which strangely causes a Brine to begin biting down on anything near his/her mouth. The best item to give a teething Brine is anything cold as it numbs the gums and distracts them from the pain. Hard objects are another great offering to teething Brines as it allows a Brine to sharpen their fangs and rubbery toys are terrific practice for hunts. Teething Brines are surprisingly not more aggressive than normal and experience little to no change in personality at this stage.

Kits show far more affection and trust to strangers than adults will show. They have not yet learned the danger of a stranger.

Kits are more touchy than adults. They like to know that someone is near, even if it's just reaching out with a hand and barely brushing the skin of another individual.

Though kits like to touch, they don't like to be touched without permission, especially around the mouth and hands. This makes dental and medical examinations quite difficult.

Kits are very curious and like to be in high places. If a kit has gone missing, look up. They may be on top of your fridge. If a kit is with an individual that is messing with something on the counter, the kit may end up climbing on you to see what you are doing.

Feeding a kit is easy, if you are willing to get dirty. Raw meat and blood are essential components of their diet, so keeping a farm full of animals is handy. A highly suggested farm animal is a rabbit since rabbits reproduce quickly (did you guys know that rabbits are pregnant for only a month and are able to have babies as early as three to six months of age??? And that I used to have bunnies hehe). Surprisingly, kits can be bottle fed blood and hand fed meat until the age of seven, allowing for a larger window of opportunity to bond with the kit.

Kits in the wild are taught how to hunt as early as five years of age. To soothe this natural instinct, a kit in captivity may start to play rougher than normal with small animals or other children. Keeping a kit distracted with toys is a great alternative, especially toys the kit can pounce and bite on.

Kits are born with fangs, but their claws appear around one year of age. Thick gloves that reach to the elbow are a terrific safety measure to avoid being scratched or bit until you are sure the kit will not harm you. Folding their fingers into a fist is an alternative to keep their claws from reaching you, but their fangs are still a risk unless they have been gagged or restrained in such a way that they are unable to bite.

Special

Apprentices torn away from their Alpha will show little to no energy until they are reunited with the Alpha or they are used to being without their pack. Though they will show their curiosity, they will not be very interactive with others around them. They will not want to meet many new individuals, so taking an apprentice away from the Alpha is never a good idea.

This was so unorganized but idc it's pretty cool stuff