Posted on 05/18/2008 8:48:58 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
It's that time of year when all people who have been thinking about getting a new kitten and even some who haven't, are suddenly faced with a lot of choices!
Well, if you want a lot of smiles and fun, I say adopt not just one, but two. :~)
We think they are best in pairs. We have two we adopted two years ago.
But we also have two wild cats who have taken refuge in our barn... I've fed them and given them that safe haven, though I can't get near them. They hunt and kill mice and at least one large mole, so they've more than earned their keep. I thought about the possibility of kittens of course, but the idea of trapping them seemed daunting and stressful for them, and because I'd never seen signs that they were attracting males, I'd actually convinced myself that maybe they were already spayed.
Well... the other day, high up on top of the cabinet in the barn where I've made them a bed, I saw her... and the kittens she could no longer hide, they were starting to move around too much!
I'd seen her up on that cabinet a lot lately and I noticed she'd stay there when I came in instead of running off like she used to. I thought she was finally getting used enough to me to not run away. Now I know she was protecting them.
She was NOT amused at my interest!
I was very concerned about them being on top of that cabinet. It's very high, over a concrete floor, and I realized if we didn't take them now, not only would we not be able to catch and tame them, they'd probably all start wandering and falling off of there.
So we caught them and put them in a dog crate... FOUR kittens. Healthy, fat, cute kittens. She'd taken good care of them. We ~tried~ to catch momma too, but she's a much harder challenge and she escaped.
We did pick up some milk replacer, and I'm glad... they aren't really ready for solid food yet.
In fact, I wasn't convinced they were eating enough on their own, so I've been feeding all of them with a dropper.
Sometimes I've felt I get more on them than in them.
For not having been handled from day one, they are remarkably happy and well adjusted in their new life.
Now enter the dog... yes there is a dog in this story!
My Gidget the Dalbrador, has been obsessed with these kittens since they were found... I thought a little ~too~ interested, she's lethal on mice, after all, and these are not much bigger. But she seemed very worried and maternal about them... so I opened the crate door and let her look in.
And they aren't afraid of her at all, in fact, they seem drawn to her.
I know we see stories now and then about mixed species adoption of babies, but it's still surprising... She's really a good momma to them, cleaning their dirty bits and playing with them...
This morning at breakfast... I feed the kittens...
And she washes their faces afterwards...
Aren't they CUTE?
And now the punch line... I know this is a national board and many of you are too far away to adopt these kittens... but For those of you in Western Washington, these kittens are nearly ready to make someone very nice pets, they're happy, well adjusted, and they need homes where they'll be taken for shots and spay/neutering once they're old enough... My hubby and I will travel if you are within a reasonable distance!
My hubby and I already feel like we're full up with animals, with our three dogs (two of which are refugees themselves!) two cats, horses, and now these. We want to focus our expenses now on taking care of the mother, and getting her spayed so she doesn't do this again. We can't afford spays and shots for ALL of these.
For everyone else who is too far away, please consider adopting some kittens this spring from your local shelter or rescue. Get two. They're inundated with them, and they are so much fun!
And if you have an unspayed cat around or ferals, please look into having her spayed... the life of a refugee is often a hard and short one, even without the burden of more litters of kittens.
Hope you enjoyed the pictures of our bunch, and hope it will inspire you to get a couple... these smiles can be found all over the country, just go to your nearest shelter.
I think so too. Thank you.
Without a doubt.
[Without a doubt.]
Yes.
Thank you Phil.
I wish I could take them all—they are so pretty...~~
Here's a pic from when she was a pup...
“Awright, da kitten is cute. Caption me and you ain’t doin’ no more captions.”
Darling pictures. Great Monday morning ping to start the week. Thanks!
Poor Stuart. Condolances to Sheila.
Awwwwww. The only thing sweeter than those kittens (and dog!) is you, for taking care of them.
Thanks all! So far no takers who are within driving distance! Feeding all of them this morning was a frenzy... and then they get all fueled up and they want to run all over the place!
This little crate is not enough room to run for them. They need to run and play. It worries Gidget very much though when we take them out. Awww geeze. Good thing I don’t have anything else to do today but juggle animals. ;~)
Thanks for the ping Slings and Arrows... :~)
Can I get a Washington Ping this morning Sionnsar?
Doesn’t everyone need to be pressured into giving a home to a needy kitten? :~)
My pleasure.
Fawn... I already feel guilty, don’t nag me. I don’t need to watch videos on responsible pet ownership.
Actually, I was just hoping ‘everyone’ would watch and pass it on to others who don’t realize the problem....
Good luck in finding homes for the precious kittens. I was in a similar situation and still have the mama cat and her four kittens — Missy, baby boy, and two that looked like twins when they were little that we named Peanut Butter & Jelly. Peanut Butter has grown up to be a 24 lb. cat. He weighs the same as my 18-year-old American Eskimo dog.
Welcome to kitten births season! =^..^=
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