Our semi- feral 2- week old kittens

I would wait if you can, you never know what sicko's are out there.

 

Regardless of the time of the year, you should be able to find good people and good homes for kittens.

I went to two local vets (my own and the emergency center that is local), brought the kittens, and the staff took photos and put the photos and info. up on their webpage. Within a couple of days I had two of the vet.'s patients calling, both wanting one kitten. It was very clear that these people wanted pets, not kids looking for kittens or cats to enhance a frat. party. Just talk to the folks calling and you will figure out immediately who they 'are' and what they are like. Both of these people were patients of my own local vet. who vouched for both of them, by the way. Of course the last kitten was not actually adopted out but seems to be hanging around here..... until I have a chance to get them all to the pound!

Just my own personal opinion but I would NOT use anything like Craigslist- it seems to bring out the worst of humanity, at least sometimes.

Kittens are in somewhat short supply so you should be able to adopt them out easily to good people and good homes. Best of luck with it.

Brian

 

We have another batch of "porch cats" to give away. I turned down one lady that didn't seem to be a good fit, but possibly today we have another woman stopping by to look at them.

Hopefully she will be the one, as even as cute as they are, they are just too much to handle with our dogs around too.

We also got the mother "fixed" so it will be last litter.

 

The Destructo Duo in one of their favorite play spots (when they aren't in the plant or tearing around the house like they were on a racetrack).

Spot has brought a leaf from a plant in another room to play in the tub. Guess it can't get away from her that way . Rainey thinks she is hiding behind the curtain.


Rainey watching from the side. Oh, she is just as destructo as Spot, she just likes to watch her sister get into trouble first.


I was noticing last night how grown up Rainey appears. She is still smaller than Rita, but she looks like a smallish full grown cat and she is noticeably larger than Spot (considering Rainey's original name was Runt, that is saying something). Spot is smaller and still looks like a teenager kitten.

 

It looks like Rainey has the same subtle silver mask that Phoebe does. In fact, Rainey looks exactly like Phoebe. And Phoebe is a heavy, rugged cat, not delicate so Rainey may also turn out to be bulky- nothing at all delicate about Phoebe. Glad to hear both are doing well (well, all three of you really).

As an aside, my neighbor has another litter of cats, this set living under her deck. She says they are about 8 weeks old and 'she is going to catch them' but she is trying to 'catch' them by putting food in a cat- carrier she leaves outside. I have no idea how she thinks that is going to work..... maybe the cats will enter the carrier, eat, and then get so tired they fall asleep so she can race out (the next morning) and close the door? Anyway, looks like a few more feral kittens / cats in the neighborhood.

Brian

 

Aw, that's just sad.

 

Yeah, and at 8 weeks old, they are not tough or big enough to survive the winter outside IMO, unless they find a very secluded, warm spot to live in. So it looks like two lousy choices: 1) they both die of exposure over the winter (already dipping to freezing here) or 2) two more feral cats roaming the neighborhood, struggling to live.

I know this kind of stuff exists all over the place but this is literally 'in my backyard'. Not much I can do about it either; even if I did put out a trap, they would never get near it while there is ample food outside in the driveway next door.

Brian

 

I can't think what you could do either, without your neighbors' cooperation. Ugh.

 

Yeah but I do want to point out that my neighbors are actually extremely nice, caring people. They are just not 'thinking right' IMO on this feral, outside cat issue. And there is a limit as to how far I can 'push' them; first it is not my place to push them at all, and secondly, they think they are doing the right thing and who am I to tell them otherwise. So it is much like a lot of life- I see it happening, do not really like it but am powerless to do much, if anything, about it. But again, they are really good people, we just do not agree on how to handle feral cats; otherwise, they are perfect neighbors as well as extremely tolerant of my residential 'nuclear mess' going on around my house for the last three years.

Brian

 

Cleaning up my computer at work and found some "old" pics I had downloaded. They are such furball roly-poly little chits it makes me laugh. Can even tell who is who.

For those not in the know: Gizmo (formerly Glasses) in back-left, Slash beside her, Rainey (formerly Runt) in front of those two, and the adventurer is Spot (still very adventurous)




It's seriously difficult to understand how they can go thru such a metamorphosis in a short 5 months!

 

And be able to have kittens of their own, yikes! And thankfully, can live for 20-odd years.

 

3 November: we are going to make an appointment to have them spayed this week. I just cannot bring myself to take them to the 'Spay and neuter clinic' even though it is a lot less expensive, so off to the regular vet. they will go.

They are getting big but still skinny as rails. Slash still LOVES Phoebe although Phoebe runs hot 'n cold with Slash. Gizmo is more independent overall. I happen to catch them plotting their next wave of destruction (they mask the plotting by appearing to be sleeping): Slash managed to cram into the cat bed by the wood pile with Phoebe, and this time Phoebe took it well:



Gizmo was happy sleeping on the couch with Andrea:



The way they look in these photos in no way reflects their ability to damage / destroy virtually everything. These two are far more destructive then Phoebe ever was; in fact, by comparison, Phoebe and these kittens are almost like two different species..... Having these kittens de-clawed would have made a huge difference in the damage they have caused but I still think of it as almost maiming them. Besides, I think they are too old now so it is not really an option, if it ever was.

Brian

 

The Destructo Duo have an appointment at the end of the month for their "alteration". Rainey is so heavy, solid and big compared to skinny Spot that you wouldn't know they were even from the same litter (much less that Rainey was the runt). I want to get a picture of them side by side, but never have my phone handy when there would be a good comparison shot. I have to think a minute if Rainey gets on me when the lights are out - she feels nearly big/heavy enough to be Rita. I "know" that Rita has still got to be a pound or two heavier, but dang does Rainey feel heavy when she is standing on my stomach.

The Duo is worse than a dog with toys. I got them a moving mouse that was about the size of a softball. That lasted 2 weeks before all the stuffing was strewn around the house . They haven't done much damage with their claws (KOW), but I have to yell at them when they decide it is window screen climbing time. Rainey managed to take apart a heavy 11x17 wooden picture frame and throw it down on me (leaving my mother's picture and the backing on the wall cabinet). Fortunately I instinctively threw my hand up and deflected the frame or I would look like I went a round in the boxing ring . They are a terror !

Rita will play tag for a couple of rounds, then lets them know she has had enough. She is not one to snuggle with the little ones but she is strange for a cat and prefers cooler places as to warmer.

Ahh, but when they snuggle in my lap, they are the cutest angels

 

We, or at least I, are not getting all that much cat snuggling from 'the kids' (and none from Phoebe- she does NOT sit in anyone's lap nor does she like being picked up though she is affectionate in her own way). For what it is worth, you got the two 'snuggle' kittens I believe, or at least they were the two who sought out sitting on my lap immediately when entering 'their' room. They were also my favorites, with perhaps a very slight edge toward Runt (Rainey) being my absolute favorite. She has an 'insistent' streak in her that used to really tickle me plus she has what I think is beautiful coloring. It also sounds like she is going to be built like Phoebe: medium length, a LOT of cat from belly to back (bottom to top while standing up), and lots of weight. And just when we get to thinking Phoebe is a fat, soft, slug of an animal, she will do something truly impressive regarding physical dexterity and strength.

It is great to hear all is going so well with all of you though- that was my only goal, to place them in a good home, and clearly they ended up with better than 'good'.

These kittens have destroyed perhaps 1/2 dozen aluminum blinds (I mean absolutely destroyed them, not just a dent or something), wiped out all the kitchen chairs (which they think are ladders and I guess that is true enough....) and broken / scattered all kinds of other stuff. That said, they have not scratched or 'sharpened their claws' on the couches or any other furniture and they know there are limits to their behavior and if called out on it, will stop and scamper away. I can honestly say that these two kittens, weighing around 6 lbs. now, have done more damage to our house and fittings in 4 months that our previous two ~100 lb. dogs combined did over 25 or so years. Sheesh!

Last night was 'tuna treat night' for all three and Slash grabbed onto the 'tuna delivering hand' with both paws and held it steady, with her claws well- embedded into both of my hands, until she was done. Fortunately for her (and all of them), her cuteness overcame the natural tendency to bonk her on the head with the nearest hard object, such as a remote control.

Phoebe will play 'chase' and 'hide and attack' with the kittens fairly often but she gets so rough that they cry while she pummels them. I stop that but am careful to never, ever scold Phoebe or even raise my voice because I do not want to get any rivalry started. All get along very well overall, and I am not sure just what Phoebe is doing when she gets a bit rough with the kittens- could be showing her dominance, could be that she just plays much harder because of her much greater size and strength. But it never gets out- of- hand, and the kittens are never actually scared although they most certainly do defer to Phoebe when that happens (on their backs, a little defensive but mostly subservient).

Brian

 

I have been lucky as far as scratching posts go. Rita has always used an old chair in my office and since its only use is to throw jackets on, I'm good with that (and the chair was free). Rainey has naturally decided to use a scratch post and cardboard cat scratcher - I just had it out on the floor and she uses it. I don't remember ever seeing Spot ever use anything for a scratching post - weird.

I gave Rainey her first pedicure yesterday and she did really well. Spot, well Spot got one nail clipped and was having none of that. That's okay, I'll slowly work her into getting used to it. Rita didn't used to let me do her paws either (I got her from a rescue and she was 7 Y/O). I'll not say she likes it, but she tolerates it when it is time. Cats love the petting and praise afterwards. If I have too, I'll bribe Spot with Iams chicken flavor treats - which they all love.

Here is a picture taken just minutes ago of dinner time. They split a can of cat food for breakfast and diner, with kibble between meals. Spot is in front so looks bigger than she would if they were all side by side.



OMG - look at that floor . I swear I sweep up the bird seed and any stray cat food every day. I don't really make them eat in a pig sty

 

As an aside: an acquaintance of mine has been looking for a kitten for months with no luck. I think that speaks pretty well of humans in that perhaps we have finally curbed the over- abundance of unwanted and unexpected cats' breeding. But here is the interesting thing: his wife found a kitten up for adoption but was refused because she (they) let their cats outside. I can actually see both sides and have no 'dog in this fight' and tried to calm the gentleman down because he was quite annoyed that he (they) could not adopt a kitten if it would be let outside. I tried to explain that the person putting the kitten up for adoption simply wanted the best possible home for the cat but he did not want to hear that side of the discussion. Oh well- he ain't gettin' the kitten and can keep looking I guess.

When I put Spot and Runt (now Rainey) up for adoption, I too had 'requirements' for their new home / owners. Being inside cats was NOT one of them but I would have preferred it to be that way. Also, I would have preferred that the kittens NOT be de- clawed but again, that was not a requirement for me. I did require that they get proper vet. care, including spaying as well as the normal vaccinations, etc. Of course Bogieb met and surpassed my expectations and I am very satisfied with where "my" kittens ended up. But the point is that kittens are now apparently rare enough that the owners (or is it 'adopters' ?) can be choosy about who adopts their kittens.

Brian

 

My two terrors have an appointment to 'take out the working parts' on 5 Dec., with a blood test scheduled for tomorrow. That means two exciting trips to the vet. along with the car ride, of course. They ain't gonna' like this one little bit.....

Brian

 

Always had better luck transporting kittehs by making sure they cannot see out the windows of the vehicle. I'm sure the feeling of motion freaks them out too, but always seemed that being able to see the world moving by made it even worse. Timber always rode on the floor, under my legs and did quite well...no carrier required and only minimal protest meowing.

 

He was better than any of mine in the car by the sounds of it; I could not get both kittens into the car at the same time w/out a cat carrier- the first one in would absolutely jump out when opening the door for the second one. They are still small enough to fit in one large cat- carrier so no problem there. Besides that, once we get to the vet., I cannot imagine trying to hold on to two of these things if a dog(s) shows up. The only time I have ever heard Phoebe spit (hiss), growl or make that low, harsh sound that cats do was when in the presence of a dog at the vet. and I am sure if she was not in a carrier, we would still be looking for her and that was a year ago.....

I sit the carrier on the passenger seat, with the zippered opening facing me (seems there ought to be a joke in there somewhere) so I can reach in and pat them on the ride. Trust me, they are NOT trying to look out the windows, they spend the whole trip, both ways, trying to figure out how to open that zipper....

But we have a nice cat carrier, not the 'bad' kind:

 

Slash and Gizmo have been to the vet. for their blood work. As expected, both hated the trip but were pretty nice to people once at the vet. Slash weighs 6.2 lbs and Gizmo is 5.5 lbs. No results on the blood work yet other than that they both have some

They are now both sleeping soundly after such a harrowing experience- two 8 to 10 minute car rides with a 20 minute vet. visit in the middle.

Funny story: I was told there would be no charge for today. That said, it was $132, which is considerably more than nothing. But they explained to me that while there was no charge for any veterinarian personnel, there are charges for the blood tests. Silly me- I though "No charge for today" meant, well...... no charge.

Brian