Kittens and more kittens and cats and more cats.
I have six cats in my house.
With two more scheduled to arrive tomorrow.
Planning is hard.
Or I am incredibly stupid.
One of those seems more likely than the other.
Tomorrow– Friday, June 22.
A day which shall live in infamy.
Minya and Sir Earl Grey (chancellor of the Tea Party), are returning for 10 days while their family goes on vacation. (in case you forgot, Minya is Baby Godzilla.)
I can get through the cats.
It’s Paul I’m concerned about.
He KNOWS this is happening.
Because I told him months ago.
So he has DEFINITELY FORGOTTEN.
So reminding him is telling him all over again.
But this time I’m telling him while already we HAVE SIX CATS… which was DEFINITELY NOT THE PLAN… which is why I had such terrible anxiety that I was unable to think clearly and went to an auction and now I need to figure out how to surgically remove my own organs for sale on the black market.
Hopefully there is a good YouTube tutorial.
BECAUSE I AM A WINNER.
I repeated my urn-swan-song but with a revised and expensive ending.
Like Juan Diego Florez.
But with urns, instead of talent.
So I will now narrow down my dream faucet options, to the hardware selection at my local dollar store.
At least I have my priorities straight.
Anyway.
Cats.
I have Webster.
My adult foster.
And five kittens.
I originally took a crew of three kittens + a single… so that once everybody was cleared healthy, they could go together, and I would not have a singleton being adopted alone.
But the people who brought in crew-of-three, found Baby Sprout, two days later… so now I have odd numbers.
Exactly what I was trying to avoid.
If you know anyone who would like to adopt three kittens… these are good ones!
Baby Sprout!
Sprout. Sprouty sprout. Sprouty sprouty sprout pants.
Her fur looks like a mix of lentils— orange, browns, blacks, and a big white tummy patch… when she came to me, she was TINY TINY!! Her tail was just this itty bitty little squiggle… she looked just like a baby sprout.
Batman!
If you have ever seen a baby bat – that is EXACTLY what he looked like when he came to our house.
And he has grown into the name… he is the one who is most likely to fly out at you unexpectedly… somewhere around shin level.
He is tireless in his defense of Gotham.
Against all shins— foreign and domestic.
Handsome Orange!
He’s orange!
He’s handsome!
He’s Handsome Orange!
Elvis, the Prequel.
I’m struggling mightily with this one.
The love is paralyzing.
Baby Yoda.
The singleton.
Looked like Yoda when she first came.
Still does.
She has no baby fatness… she looks like a very small cat wearing full-size features, which makes her look very serious and not at all kitten-y… BUT her serious face hides a baby sweetness AND she is growing into her face now that the rest of her is starting to catch up!
She LOVES to be held and starts purring like a LAWN MOWER the INSTANT you pick her up. And she LOVES to be with her friends… she has bonded with her new pals LIKE CRAZY and they have accepted her totally.
Prequel is constantly.
at all times.
without ceasing.
SHOCKED
BY
LITERALLY
EVERYTHING
**
What I’m Reading:
Jenna Blum, Those Who Save Us.
Her storytelling is amazing.
She has a new book out (but I’m like 57th on the library wait list,) and I was reminded that I owned her first book and hadn’t re-read in years. It holds up… STRONG.
In the vein of The Nightingale and The Women in the Castle.
Both of which I loved!
I’m on a re-read kick… when I am stressed, I like to read things I ALREADY know I like.
I did Dry, Augusten Burroughs; THAT didn’t just HOLD UP. It’s SO SO GOOD… personal-memoir-of-crazy is my jam; the people with the unpredictable brains and too many words.
I hadn’t read him in FOREVER and I pretty much RAN to re-read Running With Scissors… and it may have been BETTER than I remembered. Which… has that ever happened? I’m not sure.
Now this post is over.
I took Batman, Handsome, and Yoda to be fixed early this morning… I’ve never split up a kitten crew’s fix date, but they were big, and Sprout is still far behind.
Kitten season is hard.
So many are waiting, hoping they get a foster home… so.
I’m trying to speed up some spots for them.
If you too are IN in.
I am thankful for you.
xoxo, VEB
June 21, 2018 @ 11:33 am
We just trapped four kittens and mom last week. The kittens went to a local compassion club where they’ll be socialized and adopted. We kept mom and she’s gradually coming out of her safe spot to interact with our other indoor cats. Then two days ago, found the fifth kitten. And decided to keep her. Bringing the total to nine. I have a “crazy cat lady” magnet on my car, because I believe in truth in advertising.
June 21, 2018 @ 11:36 am
I’m dying to know what you got at the auction. A husband’s anger is fleeting, but auction purchases last forever. xo
June 21, 2018 @ 11:41 am
such precious babies!! ahhhh!!! Please take lots of pics of Minka, I have wondered how she is doing 🙂
June 21, 2018 @ 11:41 am
VEB I love your blog! You have such an wonderful way of looking at the world and I admire your passion about all things – cats, big furniture & mirrors and of course all things fancy.
Thank you for the reading recommendations, I also loved The Nightengale so I feel I will enjoy your suggestions.
I recently read a book that I thought you might like – “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman.
Looking forward to your next post,
Elisabeth
June 21, 2018 @ 11:42 am
Victoria darlink,
If you believe in reincarnation even a tiny bit then perhaps Prequel is actually Elvis Redux?
Prequel Redux. Nice Name. Sounds like a cool Cajun kittie.
But I digress…
Best to you and the meowzers :- )
June 21, 2018 @ 11:43 am
My only question is: Why are you not keeping Yoda? Are you just not ready?
June 21, 2018 @ 11:44 am
As someone who would have killed for a cat as a child and is now married to man who is allergic, I loved this post and the delicious photos you took of all the babies.
June 22, 2018 @ 9:43 pm
How allergic is he? My husband was allergic too, but after we adopted two kitties his allergies cleared up within a few months! He had to take allergy meds every day for a while but in time he didn’t need them any more.
June 21, 2018 @ 11:46 am
We got 4 kittens a couple of years ago (of course feral). Their mom moved them around about 17 times and then while I was having surgery, got into something (I think at the neighbor’s because we don’t keep poison around). The kittens had been moved by then, but one day when I was at the barn, they returned to the scene of the crime … Muffy, Peachy, Irma and Thomas. Thomas decided he didn’t want to be a part of the group, so now we have the three sisters. We were asked to foster them until the locals could take them to Chicago, but when the time came we couldn’t let them go. So now, because we already have 2 cats and 2 dogs in the house, they have a lovely house in my horse barn. I would have brought them into the house, but I do have a husband that has some say. LOL
I love that you do this. They are amazing kittens and I too would be totally in love with them. Every. Single. One.
June 21, 2018 @ 11:47 am
I am cuddling my elderly-but-not-in-his-mind Roo (Si-Aby cross) as I read your latest post. The kittens are all gorgeous but that Baby Yoda…there is something special about her. The look in her eyes says quite clearly – ‘I’ve been here before and it can be a very good thing’; she seems an old soul in the photos. I’m throwing my vote in for her to become your furever kitty – imagine what a help she would be to welcoming fosters, and easing the small quiet empty spot in a way the fosters can’t. Ftr, I am completely awed by your fostering.
June 21, 2018 @ 11:47 am
So precious! Your Sprout looks just like my Bandit and her sister Nose! We have 4 adults now – they started off as 2 feral kittens, an adult dumped on our cul de sac and one Humane Society adoptee – all loved.
June 21, 2018 @ 11:57 am
Fostering my second litter thanks to YOU! Waited to tell husband until they were in house – “Hey, could you help me with something?” “Sure, what do you need?” “I need another pair of hands to help me put together the monster crate in the spare bedroom” “What for?”……Silence……”Kittens?”….Silence….”When?”….Silence, avoid eye contact ….”Are they here now?”…..”YEP!!!!”….. The only down side to all this is the anxiety about finding them good homes in a reasonable amount of time.
June 21, 2018 @ 12:00 pm
I’m so glad I live on the opposite side of the country from you. I want Yoda, and Sprout. And . . .
Bless you for what you do
June 21, 2018 @ 12:10 pm
Baby Sprout could come live with us in the mountains of southern Oregon. She would join Thelonius Monk, our grey with white paws rescue.
June 21, 2018 @ 12:36 pm
My daughter, upon seeing the pictures of the kittens and hearing that you have 6, said the following, “She has six?! She can’t complain about anything ever again!”
I think she wants to be you when she grows up. Minus the GFT, just with all the cats.
June 21, 2018 @ 12:40 pm
I love your kitty posts. We are on our first trio of foster kittens (thanks to your inspiring posts + my endless love for kitties + the need to hang out with as many different kitties in my life as possible). We converted our guest room to a kitten nursery since we have never once had anyone stay in our guest room LOL. Best idea EVER!
I would love a post about kitten care – what your kitten space looks like (if you have one).
June 21, 2018 @ 1:14 pm
If I didn’t have 7 cats already ( a combination of strays and adoptees) I would adopt them! But I think 7 is my limit….or at least my husband’s limit! I’m not sure I have one.
June 21, 2018 @ 1:53 pm
they *are* incredibly cute… but just watch out, because they start spraying/pee marking at a surprisingly young age, and it’s not just the cats you hate that do it, one of our all time favorite cats did it, and it can soak into the legs of a piece of furniture, making it not only irreparably stinky to your nose, but a magnet for all future cats to do the same. it can also ruin the nicest antique leather armchair of all time, crushing your spirits forever because reupholstering is not only $1200-2000, but also may not remove the odor. they may also, during kittenhood, claw an antique arts & crafts settee, ruining the beautiful, seemingly irreplaceable perfect-olive-green leather (yes, we’ve looked, no one can find this color). at the same time i am cooing at those adorable faces, i am cringing with fear that some irreplaceable treasure you waited your whole life to find, may be permanently ruined. maybe i’m cold hearted, but i can’t help but think a critter that lives 15-20 years has no business ruining a timeless treasure that will last for hundreds.
June 22, 2018 @ 3:08 am
Please never adopt a cat.
Signed, The World
June 22, 2018 @ 3:14 am
I would also like to add that we human critters, that live 60-90 years, have made it our business to ruin a timeless treasure called earth that has lasted for millions of years.
June 21, 2018 @ 3:17 pm
Firstly, what do you do to those adorable kittens with that you are able to read? do they not want to ‘help’ with turning pages? All of the pages? Immediately?
Second, though perhaps more important, why are you only adopting them in pairs? We found through the years that the existing members of the menagerie were much better at accepting a single new furbaby than any other age/numerical combination. Sadly the Mr is allergic to cats. Since we lost the last one, I’ve been campaigning.
June 21, 2018 @ 3:52 pm
Thanks for all you do for the cats. You are amazing, and have great taste in fancy!
June 21, 2018 @ 4:27 pm
Sadly, cats and good furniture don’t always mix. We currently have four, but have had six at one point – all rescues and feral. At present, we have a Phantom Widdler – we think we know the guilty party, but have never caught her in the act. Whether she doesn’t like furniture being moved, doesn’t like the locations of the litter trays or what (it’s not a physical problem – had her checked), we don’t know, but the Phantom widdles on floors, carpets, and even in or on plastic bags, regardless of contents. She also knows the best way to get what she wants is to claw the furniture, because that makes Mummy get off her arse to see what’s wanted.
The cat collective also finished off a perfectly good vintage leather Knole sofa by hurling themselves on to it at such velocity that eventually the leather split. The Phantom Widdler struck on its replacement. Other pieces of furniture were deemed suitable for particularly good parkour workouts that required use of claws on difficult sections. Luckily, most of this took place on reclaimed pine pieces, but if Mummy found this happening on good pieces of Muscular Gothic furniture from the 1870s, she would not be amused.
All cats need love and homes – but be prepared that your furniture might not be what it once was.