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.