FREEDOM!!!

Today my charges... Princess Leia, Gracie, Little John, Frankie, and Loverboy... were let out of quarantine. Once one is strong enough to jump the gate, I pretty much know that that's the time. The gate slid up (low enough to keep Mr. B. out, but high enough to let them in to go potty and to eat. I'm keeping the food separated, much to Mr. B's consternation, because he doesn't need the calorie rich food like the babies do to gain weight and get healthy. He's already doing VERRRRRY well in that regard.

So Princess Leia was the one to jump the gate. I pretty much could have predicted that. Mr. B's doing pretty cool except for yelling at the little monkeys if they want to run up on him too close. Only one small potty problem, with Frankie thinking the bathroom rug (and hey, she's never been on a fluffy rug before, and right next to the litter box she probably thought it WAS a litter box, so I have no problems with her) was to go potty on. Grab her, take her to HER bathroom, wash the rug and scrub the floor, and it's all good.

They all seem much less wound up now that they have a lot of room to run and hide and play. Frankie discovered she likes sitting in the window watching the world go by, Gracie loves sitting in the sun snoozing on a white fuzzy blanket that I used to cover the ottoman, and Little John loves to lay UNDER the ottoman while Loverboy has staked out the top with P.L. sitting in the chair. Right now they're ALL zipping from one place to another while Mr. B. hangs out on the couch with me. Zip...stop. Zip....stop. Tackle. Stop. Zip.... and so on.

 Everyone checking out the comfy place....

 Frankie in the foreground, with Princess Leia and Loverboy wrestling in the background.

 Helloooo!!!!

 Gracie napping in the sun....

 Frankie and Little John snoozing under the ottoman...

 Frankie and Princess Leia wrestling....

 Gracie just can't hold her head up....

 Gracie and Frankie....

BONK!  There it goes....right into the rug...

Hey, it was a long and adventurous day.....

Don't forget.... these little lovies will be ready for adoption in about three months.  If you want to talk about them, and find out more about their personalities... just leave a message!  I'll be happy to talk about them with you. Everyone needs someone to love, and I just know that with this wide range of personalities and cute kitten bellies, I could find just the right one for you...  :-)

Kitties!!

The Five are getting bigger and bigger. What felt like bird bones now feels like little full bellies. What used to be cautious tapping has turned into full blown skirmishes. In other words, Princess Leia, Gracie, Frankie, Loverboy, and Little John are becoming kittens. They're learning how to play. They had their first manicure (and did very well, I might add). They are, of course, using the litterbox, and we're working on that whole "cover your bathroom" stuff.  But overall they're doing brilliant. Which is sort of scary. Considering the fact that in a week or so they'll be out of quarantine and the Five will be unleashed on the rest of the apartment.

Oh who am I kidding... it's going to be great..... :-D

And as always...remember... Visit the Anti Cruelty Society and find a new friend. These adorable fuzzballs will be available in just about a month.

New Furbabies...the Quintuplets....

Last Wednesday I called Lydia at the AntiCruelty Society and told her I'd foster someone. It didn't really matter who.  She suggested two different sets of kitties that had been ready for fostering for a week. I said OK, and she set me up with the Five. One month, 23 days old. That at first look are all alike....

I sat down the carrier and opened the door, and out they slowly came to check out the alien landscape. All except for one. Who has now become known as Gracie. More on that in a bit....

They had been named Toes, Shoes, Boots, Mittens, and Socks. Alas, ALL of their descriptions were listed as "brown tabby", so this did me NO good in figuring out who was who. But leaving them nameless wasn't really an option, so I decided after a few days to give them names from what I saw, and their personalities... I'm still working on the names part...

But so far I have Frankie (after Frank Sinatra, old Blue Eyes...even though she's a girl. She plays like a tomboy, anyway) and Gracie (after Gracie Allen, from Gracie Allen and George Burns...she's so cute and petite and girly with big eyes [one is just ever so slightly crossed] and she'll tap politely on your leg to get your attention to be picked up and loved. Then there's Leia [after Princess Leia...another tomboy...with her big ears looking like Leia's hairdo], Loverboy [who LOVES LOVES LOVES to give face rubs and get petted and loved], and Little John [from Robin Hood, the biggest boy of the bunch, who loves to wrestle].  And they're ALL sweeties who love to play king of the mountain with me as the mountain and perch on my shoulder...sometimes two at a time...

Remember, they'll be hanging out with me until October 1st, then it's back to the Anti Cruelty Society to be spayed and neutered and out for adoption.... and one of these sweeties could be YOURS.  Please pass the word...and pass the love....

First and last day out.

I'm happy to say that Milkshake and Cheesecake went back to the Anti-Cruelty Society, were fixed, and within one day of them being out for adoption... they were adopted! One down, thousands and millions to go...

comfy....

It's very fun to watch these kids get a bit bigger (I had to let Milkshake's collar out a hole). It is definite. She's a little independent soul, and Cheesecake is about the biggest snuggler you can find (when she's not chasing around with Milkshake). If you let her, she'll crawl up right under your chin and stay there, kneading and giving loves.  I've caught Mr. B down on the floor wrestling around with them, too... when he's not pretending he's above such antics.... :-D

Remember... August 8.  That's when the little monkeys will be back at the Anti-Cruelty Society waiting to be adopted.  And I doubt they'll last long there... so get down there quick!!

Babies growing up...

but still babies. Napping hard, playing hard with each other.  A fun moment of peek-a-boo.

Aha! FINALLY...

 The ONLY time you can catch them together and get ANY sort  of a good photo without blurring.  :-)

 Cheesecake the finger sucker (yes, she likes licking the tip of your finger then nibbling...not hard, just a nibble...)

Milkshake the brave taking over my art chair....

Milkshake and Cheesecake: A week and a half in...

Well, we knew it wouldn't last.  The tiny cutie pies have grown and are now strong enough to, as of this evening,  jump to the top of the gate and over. I'd take a photo of them to post, but that's going to have to wait until they get tired from running around in their new found freedom. Instead, I will describe...

Milkshake, the brown and white tabby (born 04/24/2011), is an adventurous soul. While tired, or unsure she will gladly sit in your arms while you stroke her cheeks and chin. However, once she is more comfortable, she would rather be on the floor, or by your side, walking around, exploring, playing. She's rather cautious, yet very independent.  Although the smaller of the two sisters, she has a deeper meow (which has amused me to no end) and you can see her processing her surroundings, then going after it full tilt. This I could see from the beginning, but the characteristic has stayed with her...

Cheesecake, the white with brown tabby spots, (born 04/24/2011) is still the impetuous kitten, running and jumping then thinking after.  She is more of a cuddler than her sister, but will quickly excuse herself to go play chase and wrestle with her more introverted sister. She has become the bigger sister of the two, with a tiny, cute, squeaky voice. She was the first to jump the gate, by the way....

As I type, waiting for them to tire enough to slow down for a photograph, with my faithful B by my side, I feel I shall have to wait for quite a while. Which makes me chuckle. Racing from one end of the room to the other, I can see how they would be okay if they were adopted out individually, but they have loved and played with each other for so long, they would definitely miss their sibling. From the perspective of a human who adopted a single cat, I must say that a pair is more fun to watch than any TV show.

From Mr. B's point of view (kittens are a first for him) he's doing rather well with them. Basically ignoring them imperiously, until someone decides to come running up and then he lifts the meaty paw... and taps them on the head.  Which cracks ME up, since he's a whopping 13 pounds, but knows not to hit hard.

Oh, and did I happen to mention that they have discovered his fishbowl, and they like to drink out of it, too?

*No fish were harmed in the making of this blog....

Remember, these kids will be up for adoption soon. So if you'd like to save on the energy bill (T.V.), and need some laughs in your life, be sure to come down to the Anti-Cruelty Society at 157 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago. Ask for Cheesecake and Milkshake!  :-D

Mr. B's Playtoys

Yesterday I went to get them something that would give them a little satisfaction in scratching I wandered home with a sisal mat (that Mr. B. tried his hardest to crawl in the bag with, as it has some catnip in a pouch on the back. He was a bit put off when I told him that it was for the kittens, but perked right up when I showed him that I'd bought some to stick in an old toy for him to play with.). Funny thing IS, hanging it from the door, they stretched up and were too short to reach it.  Ha! So I taped it to the floor for easier access.

B. has taken to watching them quite a bit. He finds them very interesting, has since the first, but now instead of tiny aliens he wants to play with them. I've explained that they're still in quarantine, as they only showed up a few days ago, but he is rather impatient to play with them, going so far as to try to play toe tag with them under the separation gate. Which doesn't really work, as he has huge paws. Here's what he, and I, have observed so far:

Milkshake, the tabby grey with white("Tips" to me, because of the beautiful white/ grey/ tabby stripes running down her ears...it looks like she was dyed like an egg) is the more reserved of the two (if kittens can BE reserved). She takes a second, measures things up, and kind of eases into the situation. She can get rambunctious, definitely, but she appears to think things over a bit.  Whereas Cheesecake, the white with spots (obviously I call her "Spots") is gung ho and goes hell bent for whatever she wants to do at that moment. She does tend to give up quicker than Tips, who will run with an idea (we're working on that whole "off" thing. Pants legs were not meant to be climbed. Ow.) hehe! :-)

So far this seems to be my observation.  That and they love playing with each other. (duh) and would , as a pair, keep a person entertained for hours on end.

Milkshake and Cupcake

 They seem to be adding a tiny bit of weight, even about just a day later.  They feel more solid, anyway...

Aaaaaannnd...they discovered the fridge. Checking out the apples. Because, hey, everything is new! Yes, this is my empty fridge. Don't judge me. And since they discovered the fridge, we're working on them knowing what "out" means.

Today they had their first experience with getting their nails done.  I didn't push them, I don't want them to get antsy, but they did rather well, holding still enough for me to clip a few nails. They're kittens, though, and they're naturally energy machines. I'd rather get them used to it than wrap them in a towel. So much easier.  :-)

Milkshake and Cheesecake

If I had my way, though, I'd name them Peary and Cook.  More on that later.

Today I went down to the Chicago Anti-Cruelty society to pick up these two little bits for a few weeks, as they were a bit to small and underweight to adopt out. One bonus on using the CTA is you get a lot of people oohing and aahing over the cute little babies, and maybe implanting the seed of an idea. Yesssss!!!!!

At home, the kitchen was to be their area. No mixing in with the current wildlife, since we want to make sure everyone stays healthy, no colds are incubating, and they get used to each other. After all, as kind and wise as he is, Mr. B. has about 10x the body weight that they do, and when a young whippersnapper gets wound up... well... yeah.  Best that they get used to each other.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Peary and Cook. Well, with Mr. B. watching us like my Mom hooked on Survivor, I played with them a bit and watched them play as I stayed in the kitchen cleaning, and playing with them once in a while, touching their paws (that makes it MUCH easier to get them to hold still to clip their nails and no, don't even MENTION declawing... how would you like to get your fingers cut off at the first knuckle?) and then I opened the fridge door to get out some lunch. And in they went! exploring the coldest recesses of the icebox.

Even just knowing them for less than a day, I'm becoming familiar with their personalities. But I'll still have them for another few weeks. Remember, if you like them and what I write about their personalities, I'll let you know when they go back, go visit them at the Anti Cruelty Society and you can adopt them!!!

Oh, and if you will? Send this out to your friends so we can get a big old following and network the heck out of them. And any others that come to my attention... :-)  After all... everyone needs love.  And a home.

Day One.

I swear, to you by all that is holy that I'm not an animal hoarder. Or someone misplacing their misspent "mom" years babying animals in place of that longed for child.  Or someone who will at some point become the embodiment of the running joke about old cat ladies dressing up their "babies" in doll clothes. I have one cat, Mr. B., I have a million nieces and nephews, so I'm good there. And I have no desire, other than clipping Mr. B's nails to keep any roughhousing injuries to a minimum (mine AND his...) to dress my cat up. He's a cat. He already owns a beautiful white fur coat.

Why, then, you ask? Hopefully to hook people up with the pets that I foster, and that I find or someone tells me about that needs love and a home. But with more than an impersonal blank form letter... with someone's personal experience so that you know what you're getting yourself and them into.

As I go on with this, I'd like to expand and link any viable rescues in so that people can click and go visit.

All I ask is that if you want a pet, you think long and hard about it, about what you want to get, and about what is realistic for you.  The shelters out there are full of the pets of people with good intentions....

Mush mush, love, home, best friend. Yup. All that. So here goes: my first foster: kittens.