Life has changed in our house

We have just adopted two kittens. My daughters and I went up to Canada for the Thanskgiving long weekend, and my husband got lonely. So what does he do? He drives around Seattle visiting shelters. He met these two adorable kittens at the Seattle Humane Society and just couldn't leave them there. So we are now proud owners of four cats. My girls and I are very excited about getting back and meeting our darlings. I will post pictures just as soon as I can.

Bye bye babies

It doesn't get easier saying goodbye. On Saturday, I called the shelter and for the first time ever, Ashley (the cat foster care coordinator) answered the phone. I figured that was the sign telling me it was time to let my babies go. So I let my two cats out of the house and let Theodore, Shayla, Zyra and Ivan run around the house. They had a great romp, chasing each other around the couch and over the laundry. By the time I was ready to pack them into the cat carrier, they were sleepy. Off we drove to the Humane Society, where I gave them all last cuddles and said goodbye.

I got a quick email from Ashley on Monday saying that all four kittens had gotten through surgey fine, and were up for adoption. Today, the website shows that Theodore and Shayla have already been adopted. They didn't even get pictures taken by the shelter staff! Zyra and Ivan aren't listed yet, but given how sweet they are, I am guessing they will be in forever homes before long.

I miss my babies. It's strange not having my daily snuggles. But I keep reminding myself that these kittens would not have survived if it were not for me, and someone out there will have one or two loving cats for life as a result of me snuggling them so much. So it is all worth it.

One more week

I took the kittens in to the Humane Society today for their vaccination, and was kind of shocked to discover that they are each nearly 2 pounds. Within a week, they will be ready for surgery, and then they can be put up for adoption. I was rather dismayed to hear this, as I have grown very attached. On the other hand, all the vet techs who saw them said the same thing - they will get adopted very fast because they are so darn cute! So we have one week left to give them lots of hugs and kisses before saying goodbye.

Nearly ready for forever homes

I haven't posted in quite some time, and the kittens have done lots of changing. I think seeing them so close to being ready to find forever homes has been more heart-wrenching this time, as I have been their de facto mother since week 2. But I keep taking solace in knowing that whomever adopts these little sweethearts will have cats that will *love* humans for the rest of their lives.

It is such a pleasure to enter the kitten room and have these four little bundles of energy jump up onto my lap. The often start purring the second they see me. Within a moment or two, I have become their personal jungle gym: they leap off my legs and shoulders at each other, chase each other behind my back, and treat my toes like their exclusive chew toys.


Zya has caught the "cat-o-nine tails" toy.


"Take dat you nasty brodder!"

"I can has a snuggle?"

"Wazzat smell? You eated cheezburgers??"

"Adopt me 'cause I de cutest"

"I like dat. You can do more of dat"

"Iz ignoring you abawt to attack"

"WHEREZ DA MILK???"

This picture was taken before we managed to wean the voracious little buggers. They would ALL climb on us at once if they thought we had a bottle of KMR.

Pics and video

Theodore sleeping

Ivan contemplating

Sweet Shayla

Zyra with her face to the sun.

Hitchhiker.

Sleepy baby

An eventful week

Felines have most definitely been forefront in our lives this week. First, we came home on Thursday to discover that our cat, Cosmo, was 40 feet up a pine tree in the green belt next to our house. BIG SIGH. I had hoped that a night in the tree might encourage him to come down, but based on the yeowling coming from the tree, there was little chance he would make it down on his own. Plus, the *entire* neighborhood could hear him, poor bugger. We could hear people talking and worrying about him throughout Friday. Finally, we put a sign on the tree saying,

This cat has loving owners.
His name is Cosmo and he's 16 years old
We know he is in the tree.
We are taking steps to get him down.

We called Dan Kraus from www.catinatreerescue.com. He says that he gets about two calls a week for cats. He charged us $75 to get Cosmo down. He was patient and kind with our terrified cat, and he was worth every penny. Thank you Dan! You are our angel this week.

We also had to take the kittens back in to the shelter to have their ears rechecked and their first round of shots. I was feeling kind of uneasy about Dolce. She was getting very rough with the kittens - much more than Delilia ever did - and I was hearing squeaks of actual pain from the kitten room quite regularly throughout the day. Plus, Dolce has leapt at our younger daughter, Theona twice, scratching her and scaring her. I talked it over with my husband as we took the kittens in, and we decided to mention it to Ashley. She asked if the kittens were getting much at all nutrition-wise from Dolce, to which I said no. Ashley agreed that it was more important for the kittens to be safe than kept with Mama. So, with sadness and trepidation, we said goodbye to Dolce, and brought just the kittens home.

I am very glad to say they are doing amazingly well. They all come tearing up to us when we enter the kitten room, clambering up to get to the bottle first. I have to laugh at how often the kitten I am nursing has to fend off his or her sibs! Quite the ill-mannered little things! But they are so fun to watch playing now. They wrestle and tussle, jump and pounce, kick and run constantly.

I will post more pictures tomorrow.

Smart boy!

When I was feeding the kittens this morning, I looked over to see Ivan climb into the litter box and go pee! All the kittens have climbed in and out of the litter box, but it was the first time I had seen one of them actually get the purpose of it. Now, if the kittens can stop leaving poop deposits all over the room, I will be very happy. I must admit, I'm not surprised that it was Ivan that did it first. In spite of his early leg deformity, he has proven to be the most advanced of the kittens. Last night I watched him stalk his mum while she was eating, and I see him fight back when Dolce is in a playful mood. He's also the one who has started trotting. So instead of calling him 'Ivan the Terrible', we've nicknamed him 'Ivan the Loveable'.


Ivan investigating...


Zyra looking pretty. She has the most gorgeous markings.


Ivan playing hide and seek. All the kittens love the cement blocks.

Cuddle of playful kittens

Theodore the HUNGRY boy. He can suck down half a bottle!

Shayla the beautiful. You can see that her markings are quite striking. I think she looks a little like a lynx. Theodore is using her tummy as a pillow.

Ivan the loveable getting pets and snuggles.

Well, it's official...

Evanee is actually Ivan . I was right with the other three, though. I had to take all of them in to get their ear mites treated - YUCK. The amount of crap that got cleaned out of their ears was quite revolting. But they are much happier now. Ashley and the other shelter workers were ooing and aahhhing over my babies - they are clearly lookers. I had several of them tell me that the kittens would be snatched up in a second as soon as they are put up for adoption. I have to say, I would prefer to meet the prospective adopters myself, but that is mostly because I get so attached to my babies, and want to make sure they have happy homes.

Developing individual personalities

Each of the kittens is really becoming distinct and individual. It is amazing to have my relationship with each of them grow and change, particularly since they are much more attached to me than the last set (bottle-feeding is the way to a kitten's heart).

Shayla has surprised me by becoming more tabby than I expected. She looks very much like a tabby point siamese, complete with a perfect "M" on her forehead. She is quite a beauty. I usually feed her last because she rarely complains or climbs up into my lap when I am feeding another kitten. Plus, she loves to snuggle in my arms after she has eaten her fill. I noticed the other day when I was feeding her that she has 6 toes on one front paw, and she has *7* on the other paw. One is only partially developed, but still: SEVEN TOES!!!

Evanee (or Ivan, as we suspect that she is actually a he) is the most attached to my husband and I. It is rare to enter the kitten room and not get noticed by him. I love the markings on his face: one tabby stripe above each eye, and one on the left side of his face by his eye. He is also the most adventurous, which is ironic since he was the one born with club feet. He seems to have grown out of the deformity completely; it certainly doesn't slow him down.

Zyra is quieter than her two brothers, but still makes her presence known. She has learned to climb up my leg when I am sitting feeding one of the other kittens. She is also the one who latches on to the bottle most efficiently. She is quite a beauty with her striking black and white patches. She also loves to snuggle and play with her sibs. It's rare to find her sleeping on her own.

Finally, we have Theodore, the 'runt' of the litter. I thought originally he would develop into a classic siamese, but he has surprised me by developing a brown 'saddle' on his back, and a brown face with a white blaze on his nose. His tail and ears will be dark brown/black, but the rest of him looks like the color of cafe au lait. He has quite the voice, and tends to share his opinions without reservation. He always wants to be fed first, and he loves to hold the bottle with his paws as he eats. Once he has gotten past his first few chug-a-lugs, he will start to purr while nursing. Plus, he will continue to suckle long after he has filled his belly. About half the time he will have one helping, and then ask for another one after his sibs have finished nursing. It's no surprise that he is now around the same weight as his sibs.

I love them all dearly. More pics very soon.

Growing and playing

All the kittens are growing at least half an ounce a day, and are eating almost a full bottle each feeding. When I enter the room and sit down, at least one of the kittens will crawl over and start climbing up my leg onto my lap.

The kittens are just starting to play as well. If they are full and happy, they tend to spend a bit of time climbing over each other and starting to bat at each other. Usually they will bat, then lick each other.

Shayla is still the most laid back of the four kittens. She is happy to hang out on her back in my arms. Evanee seems to be the most bonded to me. She is the first out of the nest the minute she hears the door, and she loves to snuggle up against my leg after eating. Zyra is quick to start nursing on the bottle, but she often needs a couple of turns with breaks in between. Theodore can suck it back! Despite being the runt, he can out-eat his siblings nearly every time. His face is more lion-like than the others. I often think we should nickname him "Simba" and start singing "Hakuna Matata".

Unfortunately, the kittens seem to have caught ear mites from Mama. :-( I checked after Theo was shaking his head more than normal. Little brown dots in the ears of at least two kittens, so looks like another trip to the Humane Society.

Kittens growing and Mama got an earful

Dolce has been spending quite a bit of time shaking her head and scratching at her ears, so today I took her back to see the vet at the Humane Society. Yep - I was right. She got a treatment on her ears (which she thoroughly HATED), but hopefully the kittens will not catch them now that she's been treated.

The kittens are all doing wonderfully. We have two bottles now, since the kittens can be quite vocal about getting fed, particularly Evanee and little Theo. I am filling up the little nursing bottle twice a day, so each kitten is eating between one and two tablespoons of formula within a 24 hour period.

The best time is right after they have eaten their fill. Evanee loves to lie on her back and get her tummy rubbed. She will bat at my finger and purr. Theodore has taken to falling asleep in my arms, as has Shayla. Even Zyra loves to curl up and sleep against me if I lie down near them. And I can't count the number of times the kittens have pushed their little faces into mine and given me milky kisses. It's delightful (although messy).


Theodore sleeping in my husband's arms after a huge lunch

Another cute sleeping Theodore pic

Dolce curled up with her family

Kittens competing for the coveted spot next to the warm belly of Mama

Shayla rarrrs

Theodore getting a bath.

Theona and her friend with a pocketful of sleepy kitten

Monday morning feeding time

I went in to feed the kittens at 5 a.m. this morning and discovered all four kittens curled up with Dolce. She seems to have really caught on to the motherhood gig. What surprised me, though, was that at least two of the kittens seemed to be nursing on her. I have no idea whether she has any milk left, but it certainly is a comfort for them at least. When I run Dolce's tummy, her nipples feel soft and flaccid, so I doubt the kittens are getting much. Anyway, they were all fast asleep, so I went back to bed for another 2 hours, and fed them all around 8 a.m.

Continuing to thrive

The kittens have all finally caught on to the whole process of nursing from a bottle. I think that they now recognize my scent and have associated it with food, because as soon as my hand goes into their nest box, the meowing begins. Theodore is the worst. He has a piercing Siamese meow, and he is more than willing to let me know that he is *not happy* when I choose one of his sisters for the first feeding. I am still concerned that he may be constipated, because his poor little anus looks redder than the others, and it seems to be protruding. I have tried stimulating him, but he has only peed for me so far.

All the kittens are gaining, and Shayla has regained her heavyweight title. Theodore has probably gained the greatest percentage, though. He is now above 6 oz.

I am particularly enjoying the time after they have been fed when they are fat, satisfied and cuddly. Shayla seems to love to curl up in my hand and purr. The knowledge that these kittens would have died if I had not taken responsibility for feeding them is rather overwhelming. I keep being reminded that I am actually making a difference. It's a really good feeling, particularly because there was a point just a few days ago where I was very frightened I would lose one or all of them. Seeing their little eyes opening, and the few tottering steps they are taking on their shaky legs reminds me daily of how precious they are to me.

Quick Friday update

All the kittens are finally eating AND gaining. I really think they are going to be OK. I was quite concerned I might lose them all. If I can get them all over 8 oz, I will breath a HUGE sigh of relief.

Over the worst (I hope)

After a tiring night, and a shift at work, I got home and fed the kittens again. None of them had lost weight (thank goodness), but no gain yet, either. Zyra chowed down, taking in about 10 ml of formula, but the other three were not so accomodating. After talking to Ashley, I also gave the kittens some fluid under their skin, and I will also be adding doses of Clavamox to their daily regiment.

At four this afternoon, I fed them again. Both Shayla and Theodore (after some coaxing) ate well - 15-20 ml between them. Zyra ate a little, and once again Evanee refused to eat. I have been wondering if perhaps she is getting some from Dolce, since her weight has not gone down. But she is being quite stubborn. Even if I feed her with the syringe, she spits the formula out onto her paws. Grrrr.


My daughter got some great pics of the kittens:


Shayla eating voraciously.

Zyra making a mess.

Theodore after some coaxing.

Our little yin and yang with full tummies

Shayla looking cute.

2 and 4 a.m. feedings - groan

I was up every two hours or so, feeding the little ones. Dolce seems happy to hang out with them, but it has been at least 48 hours since I saw any of the kittens actually nursing on her. I'm kinda stumped as to what is going on.



Theodore, the littlest one, is a champion nurser from the bottle. As soon as the nipple is in his mouth, his ears start vibrating back and forth and he sucks down as much as he can. Given that his stomach is probably the size of the tip of my little finger, that's not much. The girls seem much less consistent with nursing from the bottle. I managed to get each of them to eat something, but there was definately more resistance. Evanee is the worst. She squeaks, pulls her head away, and chews on the nipple rather than sucking. Shayla went to town nursing at the 2 a.m. feeding, but resisted mightily at 4 a.m. I can only hope that she got enough the first time and just wasn't hungry. Zyra has been good both times, although she can take a bit of convincing at first. I'm just glad I seem to have the technique down finally.



I am keeping a small space heater on in the room (on a shelf away from the floor) since I am concerned that the kittens may get cold. Dolce does seem to spend time in the nest with them, but they don't always sleep in a pile. I have come in to find one kitten in each corner.



I could really use some reasurrance from the Humane Society about how they are doing. I did read online that kittens with a birth weight less than 3.2 oz have a mortality rate of 59%. All my little ones were nearly an ounce less than that. I just want to know I am doing *everything* I can. I really don't want a repeat of little Tag. She faded away so quickly.

Midnight

I am trying to feed the kittens every two hours, even if they refuse. I am more and more convinced that Dolce is simply not producing enough milk. All of the kittens except Evanee ate more this feeding than they did at 10 p.m. I hate having to shove the nipple into their mouthes, but they seem to get the idea once it's in there. Even so, only Theodore seems to have a strong suck reflex.

It worries me that Dolce will lie down in the correct position for nursing, but will get up the minute I leave the room. I can hear her meowing for me right now. She seems so much like a kitten herself.

Not sure what to think

In the last 48 hours, Shalya has lost 0.2 oz, which is worrying. But the thing that concerns me even more is that twice we have come into the room to find Shayla out of the nest and under a blanket beside the nest. My fear is that Dolce is rejecting her. So I am redoubling my effort to get extra food into them all.

This morning, when I came in, all four kittens were in the correct place, which helped allay my fears. I tried feeding Shayla, and got her to take a bit. Dolce was quite curious as to what I was doing. After a few minutes, she came over and I put Shayla on a blanket next to her. Dolce promptly started grooming her (whew). Of course, when Dolce nipped Shayla's paw, she jumped and squeaked! I think Dolce was after the taste of the kitten formula.

I have sat in the kitten room for about 45 minutes now, and I have discovered that the kittens are capable of getting out of the nest on their own! Both Theodore and Evanee at separate times have made it to the edge of the carrier. It seems more likely that Shayla got out while searching for her mama, then got stuck.

I have also learned that Dolce is not fond of the washing machine. I turned it on to wash the nest bedding, and as soon as I left the room, she started finding her inner Siamese! I could hear her clear across the house! I would come in, and she would be fine - she wanted to get out of the room, but she didn't seem scared. Just irritated at the noise. LOL. She will have to cope - we really don't have another space suitable for her and the kittens.

Monday morning

I got up early to head off to work, and spent a few minutes with Dolce. Her fur is noticibly softer, and I have seen her grooming herself more often. Her nose, which had been dry the morning before, seemed soft and damp again. It was particularly nice to have her come sit on my lap and snuggle. I think we have turned the corner with her dehydration and cold. She is also eating and drinking much more. We are filling her water dish every couple of days now, which is much better.

The kittens are still gaining weight, but slowly. I am starting to try and give them supplemental feedings, but I don't seem to be having lots of luck. Either they are not hungry because Dolce is providing enough for them, or there is a technique that I am lacking. I will keep trying so that I am certain they are getting enough nutrients.

Sunday morning update and pictures

Dolce seems to be eating and drinking again, and the kittens continue to gain weight. They were all delightful with visitors coming in to see them yesterday during our housewarming party.

The promised pictures:



The kittens this morning.
The cream kitten on the right is Shayla, and the other cream one is Theodore. The spotted kitten is Zyra, and the one with the dark back is Evanee.





Dolce snuggling with Evanee as the other three nurse.









What a happy mama.

Dolce's medical update

After discovering the sneezing mama cat, I got some meds from the Humane Society. Dolce doesn't like to take them, but they do seem to be helping her with her congestion. However, I had noticed that she wasn't eating or drinking much (Delilia would go through a large bowl of water in a couple of days), nor was she using the litter box. When I tried pinching the skin between her shoulder blades, it looked to me like she was getting dehydrated. Big sigh. Back to the Humane society to pick up subcutaneous fluid treatment and appetite stimulant. Ashley suggested that I give her the fluids twice a day and check the kittens regularly for weight gain and signs of dehydration.

Getting Dolce to take the fluids was...challenging. She *hated* it. Luckily, my husband helped me hold her while giving her the treatment. And giving her the appetite stimulant pill was humorous. For anyone who hasn't read the very humorous "How to give a cat a pill in twenty easy steps" go here and read it (http://www.nanceestar.com/CatPill.html). Dolce was almost that bad. She has a nack of spitting it out of the side of her mouth. Luckily we don't have to give her another one until Monday.

The good news is that the kittens are all still gaining weight. Theodore is still the smallest at 4.7 oz, but the other three are now over 5 oz. each. And Shayla and Theodore are showing signs of looking like Siamese cats - their ears and tails are starting to darken a little. I will get more pics up today.

The last kitten has a name

Kya has decided to name the little black and white kitten Zyra. It is a different spelling of an italian name which means 'Dawning'.

Dolce

When I went in to visit Dolce and kittens this morning, I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that she is sneezing - A LOT! Looks like she has an upper respiratory infection. Plus, it is now possible to see how painfully thin she is. Her hips stick out, and she weighs next to nothing. Poor thing. Luckily, the kittens are gaining weight at a great rate. Nearly all of them are near to doubling their birth weight.

I am planning to get some meds from the Humane Society today, and I will wash all the bedding she and the kittens are using. No point in giving the infection any advantages.

When we had Delilia, she seemed so capable of taking care of herself. Dolce is tugging at my heart strings much more. I find myself wanting to protect her and her babies.

Four out of five kittens named

After Pasha passed away, we decided we needed to name all the kittens. My husband decided to name the cream colored male kitten 'Theodore'. I have named the female cream colored kitten 'Shayla' which means 'fairy' in gaelic. Theona has named the little female black and white kitten with the clubbed back feet 'Evanee' which means 'young fighter'. We are waiting on Kya to name the black and white spotted female.

Here is a picture of Dolce with her first kitten.

Dolce with her four kittens.

Sad news

I took a look in on the kittens this morning, and the grey tabby had what I thought might be a loop of intestine herniated from the umbilical opening. I called the vet, who asked me to bring all the kittens and Dolce in for an exam. Sure enough, the one kitten had a birth defect, and the vet recommended that we not let her suffer, as there was no way to correct the problem. So I named her Pasha and held her as she passed away.

The other four kittens were examined, and look to be in good health. No cleft palate or any other obvious problems. The one kitten with the funny back paws has all the necessary joints and bones (according to the vet) so the deformity may be something s/he grows out of. Nonetheless, it doesn't seem to bother or impede the kitten at all.

The surviving four still don't have names. I will update as soon as we name them.

5 kittens in all

The final two kittens were born at 8:10 and 8:27, respectively. The first one weighs 2.8 oz, and is dark, possibly tabby. The last kitten weights only 2.4 oz, and is another cream colored one. I think all the cats have some form of polydactylism. I do have some concern about deformities - there are several kittens with paws that don't look entirely "normal", but they all seem to be able to move around just fine. They are all nursing and snuggling with Mama, who seems quite pleased with herself.

Kittens are arriving!!

We got home from doing some shopping this afternoon, and when my husband went in to visit Dolce, she was lying on the blankets under the shelves in the laundry room. She normally greets us at the door, trying to escape into the rest of the house. A little while later, I went in and lay down on the floor in front of her. She was lying on her side looking quite uncomfortable. It was quickly evident to me that she was in labor! She seemed to be comforted by me petting her head and stomach, so I kept her company. At 6:22 p.m., she delivered her first kitten - a little black and white one weighing 2.6 oz. The second kitten was born at 6:53 weighing 2.7 oz. The second kitten seems to have clubbed back feet, although s/he has no problem finding the nipple. Dolce has been wonderfully maternal, washing them off and nursing them. At 7:12, the third kitten was born, a cream colored beauty with a zig-zag tail and *6* fingers on the front paws. A Hemingway kitten! There is definitely at least one or two more kittens to come, based on the lumps in her belly, but she seems to be taking a break.

No babies yet...

Dolce seems quite content already, although she does seem uncomfortable being as round as she is. She loves having one of us visit with her - already she insists on climbing into my lap for a cuddle as soon as I sit down. She is also eating well, which I am glad to see. Despite her rounded tummy, the rest of her is very thin. I have also noticed that the very end of her tail is crooked, as if she broke it at some point. It doesn't seem to bother her, so I am guessing its an old injury.

She definately has some Siamese in her - her plaintif meow is testament to that. Although her mew is quite dainty, it seems to have that Siamese pierce to it. Hopefully we will not be regaled with yeowling as she delivers. Theona keeps asking, "Do you think she'll have the kittens soon?!" to which I can only say, "Well, she does seem pretty huge already..." Here's hoping it happens soon.

Dolce the snugglepuss

Dolce has settled in nicely. She is incredibly friendly and loves being in someones lap. She will rub her nose against my cheek and purr madly for as long as I will let her.

My husband is convinced that she is going to go into labor on Saturday morning, after the girls and I head off for our all-day excursion. I happen to think Dolce is capable of giving birth without any need for help, but I do understand his anxiety at being left to play reluctant midwife/doula to a cat.

Anyway, here are the promised pictures of our new little domina.


Showing Theona some love.


Here you can see how round her belly is, and how lovely her markings are.



Snuggled into Theona's arms.

The pics don't show how blue her eyes are, but I'm sure I will manage to get a picture of them eventually.

Here we go again

Today I got a call from Ashley at the Seattle Humane Society. She had another pregnant cat - did we want to foster again. I was up for it, but I wasn't sure about my husband, so I gave him a quick call. He said, "lets go for it!" so the girls and I headed down to the shelter to meet our new foster. We were introduced to a beautiful young kitty with bright blue eyes, siamese type markings, and a huge belly. The shelter staff had tentatively named her Leah, but the moment I saw her I thought, "Dolce".

We brought her home and let her out into the laundry room. She has familiarized herself with the space quickly - including finding the small space behind the dryer. Hopefully she will have more sense than to give birth back there. Luckily she comes out as soon as someone comes into the room. She is extremely friendly, rubbing her head against our hands and purring loudly. She seems quite happy to have people around her and she is eating already!

Pictures by the end of the evening!

Quick update

We stopped by the cat shelter on Saturday and got a brief visit with Dee as she was being brought out to one of the cat "condos". She looked healthy and although she was hesitant about her new surroundings, I think having us there made it feel slightly easier on her. She happily snuggled with me for a few minutes, which helped me a great deal.

The kittens were still recovering from their surgeries, so we were unable to see them. However, when I went on the website this morning, I saw that both Raiden and Catwings have already been adopted. There were no postings for Dee or Kara, so I don't know if they have also gone to their forever homes. I have an email in to the Cat Foster care coordinator - I'm sure she thinks I'm nuts or high maintenance (LOL). But somehow knowing the cats I loved for two months are settled would help ease the ache of missing them.

Gone to find forever homes

We dropped off the kittens last Friday. It was heartbreaking to say goodbye, but I was relieved to get a call from the Cat Foster Care Coordinator who reported that they are all doing great, and will be fixed today or tomorrow. She commented on how much they eat! I had to laugh - they were kinda eating us out of house and home.

Catwings trying a box NOM!

'Cat'-aloguing the books for us

We ARE the cutest!

Nearly time to let go

Wow, the last two weeks have been amazing with the kittens. They have grown so much! They're all over 2 pounds each now, and they all seem to be incredibly healthy. It is common to visit them and discover they are using the family room as an obstacle course. They are into EVERYTHING! And beware if you are a cat toy - you will see much abuse. Their favorite game is to chase the leather strips tied onto a long stick. They will chase and leap after it (competing with Dee, who must have been a wicked mouser) until they are ready to drop.

Catwings is definately the rabble-rouser. It is rare to find him on the side lines of the kitten wars. More often, you can find him putting the beat-down on his brother and sister, or sometimes on Mama (although she can still pin him for a good wash). He and his sibs LOVE socks, or more accurately, love to chew feet encased in socks. 'Ware those who wear foot coverings, for they are the enemy! It is not uncommon for me to come into the family room in the morning to fill the cat bowl, and get both feet attacked by Catwings and Raiden while trying to get the food to the dish.

Raiden has cute down to a T. He is so soft and fluffy, he should be a celebrity. He has this slightly quizzical, worried expression when you stare at him. He and Catwings are nearly inseparable. I am hoping that they will be adopted together.

Kara is the quietest of the group, but she can be just as ferocious as her brothers when given the chance. She can often be found sitting on the sidelines, plotting how to take down both the boys at once. If you watch her, she will wait for the most opportune moment, then jump in and tackle both of them as they fight each other.

Dee has become an incredibly loving cat. She is always the first to greet me and insist on a cuddle. When we first got her, she was happy to be picked up and held, but she didn't initiate cuddle time; now, even when kittens are in my lap she will climb on and insist on her love too. I will miss her so much when she is gone to her forever home, but I am confident that someone will fall in love with her very quickly.

They go back to the shelter on Friday. We will miss them so much.

Rascals and rapscalions

The kittens continue to thrive and grow. They are spending much more time playing than sleeping now. Catwings has discovered the cat food, and seems to enjoy chowing down. I haven't yet seen the other two show any interest, but I'm certain it will happen soon. Kara has figured out the basic mechanics of the litter box. It's quite entertaining to see her avidly scratching next to the box. The next step will be actually climbing in and doing her business.

Raiden seems to be becoming a shoulder cat. It is not unusual for him to climb up whoever is holding him and flop down on their shoulder to survey his domain. Unfortunately, he tends to head around the back if you lean forward, so getting him off can be a challenge.

More pics later today.

First official vet visit

I took Delilia and the kittens to vet services today for their first vaccinations and general check-up. They did NOT like the car ride one bit. It was hot (nearly 90 degrees) and even with the air conditioning blasting, the poor things were pretty overheated.

Once we got there, they got weighed, vaccinated, and microchipped. Now the little ones are all crashed out in the family room. I hope they are back to being playful in the morning.

Kittens at play

Here's a chance to see how big and playful our fluffballs are getting.

The fast and the furious

The kittens are getting faster and more coordinated. It's not unusual to enter the family room and have all three of them scamper out from under the couch. If you don't immediately sit or line down, they'll congregate around your feet and mew until you give them attention. They're climbing the couch now as well, and play-fighting with each other more ferociously. Their teeth are these little razor sharp spikes - when they bite now IT HURTS. Of course, they get a dose of their own medicine when Dee gets fed up and holds one down and bites them. It looks quite disturbing, but she will bite, then lick, then bite, then lick. She's teaching them who is boss, while still showing them she loves them. It's funny to watch.

The other evening Dee was eating out of her bowl. A moment after she finished, Catwings toddles up to the bowl and starts eating like a big boy. He ate three crunchies before deciding it was too much work. I've tried introducing them to wet cat food, but Dee tends to chow down before the kittens get much. Maybe I need to lock her in the bathroom to give them a fighting chance...

Kittens getting playful

The kittens have finally hit the playful stage. Although they are quite tentative about it, they are beginning to bite and jump on each other. It's quite funny watching Raiden stalking the tail of one of his siblings. They are also scampering faster and further than before. It's not unusual to enter the room to find them under the couch, by the door, or across the room from their nest. They also love to climb onto people who are willing to lie down on the floor.

It's particularly funny when one of the kittens disappears under the couch. Dee gets quite concerned, chirping at the invisible kitten until it re-emerges.

The kittens continue to be cuddly and love sleeping in a heap, whether it's on the ground or in someone's arms.