Webster and his kittens… *video*
Life for Webster, my adult foster, has been scary.
Surrendered by his original owners, he sat in a cage for nearly a year… then in quick succession, he was adopted, returned to the shelter, adopted again, and returned… again.
Then he sat in the cage for another six months.
When I took him to foster, he was just a solid ball of sadness.
use the arrows on the photo to see all of his glory.
He was so kind and sweet.
No aggression at all.
But SO curled into himself.
Terrified of literally every.single.thing.
He was not cleaning himself— even his fur was sad.
He let me give him a bath.
IN THE BATHTUB.
I mean, he wasn’t THRILLED about it.
But he accepted it.
I think he figured– whatever.
Life can’t get any worse.
When Webster came, he hid at all times.
So I took his hiding spots away.
He kept finding new ones… HOW did you get IN there?
So I emptied the third floor of ALL HIDING.
Shut the door.
And just SAT.
And he was like— FINALLY SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS.
He became my buddy.
TURNS OUT HE LOVES BEING LOVED.
It’s all he wants— to be someone’s true companion.
But also, now he refuses to come downstairs.
Unknown humans come and go.
Things bang down there.
It’s unnecessary.
The shelter had been told Webster hates other animals.
So my other fosters were not allowed up there.
But kittens don’t care about the rules.
So one day they found him.
Webster was terrified.
THE GAPING MAW OF KITTENS.
Nothing scarier.
But the kittens did not get the memo about how Webster is an old cranky lion *STAY OFF MY LAWN* so they just charged right up to him.
hullooo!
we love you!
do love us?
would you like our butt in your face?
we are going to eat your tail because it is a prehistoric monster that we are stalking!
WHAT IS THIS THING SUNLIGHT MOVING ON THE FLOOR?
your butt smells delicious!
LET US CHECK AGAIN.
I was not at all worried that Webster would swat them.
I WAS worried they might give him a heart attack.
He was OMYGODWHATNOW.
But the kittens INSISTED ON LOVING HIM.
This cat was a SOLID LUMP for MONTHS.
But Elvis the Prequel just does NOT understand NOT LOVE.
She MUST GIVE YOU LOVE.
To get to SEE Webster have THIS MUCH JOY.
I realized: how LONELY he was.
So.
Last week, in my post, about doing EXTRA DEEP KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS <– I AM STOKED… I mentioned that the kittens were away getting fixed, and Webster was inconsolable… WHERE ARE MY KITTENS?
Truly.
He behaved completely different than I have ever seen him.
ALERT.
He positioned himself in a CONSPICUOUS spot and STARED at me.
HE LEFT THE THIRD FLOOR to wander the house howling.
Returning to stare.
Then.
It was time.
But somehow he did not realize I had brought the kittens up… so he was just staring at me WOEFULLY BALEFULLY… until he heard something familiar… BUT YOU CAN SEE HE WAS UNSURE.
WHAT IS HAPPENING.
Like, it took him a minute to realize all his dreams had come true.
The life of animals.
At the mercy of humans.
Is hard.
It is the thing that rips my heart out.
We despair for the abandoned cats.
The unwanted dogs.
The sadness.
The solitude.
We lick our lips for bacon.
Living beings.
We pay ardent lip-service to the ideal of motherhood.
We take the breastmilk of mothers.
Made for their babies.
We debate— should females have autonomy?
We exploit the female reproductive system.
For ice cream.
We should all be feminists.
Cheese tho.
July 16, 2018 @ 3:19 pm
Webster has found his forever family with you, Paul and the kittens. That he survived his earlier mistreatment is astounding. Your video — the reunion — made me misty. Isn’t this new family a natural result of your generous fostering efforts?
July 16, 2018 @ 3:24 pm
Weeping. I had to watch that three times. So far. It is priceless when he realizes that they are ‘HIS’ babies and trots over to love on them. You have a good heart, VEB.
July 16, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
I love reading your blog and your stories, Victoria, but I especially love your cat stories. I lost my kitty a little over 2 and 1/2 years ago. He was, hands down, the most loving animal I ever had. I thought I would die, but then I adopted two rescues. Brothers who were three months old. I named them William and Harry, after, well, you know…two brothers who are very bonded. Who knows where they came from or what they went through, but they were scared to death. Now they have come to love their home, and thankfully, me too. They are so adored, and feel very safe. It makes me so happy. They still do not do well with other people coming in the house, and I don’t know if they ever will. Either they went through something very traumatizing, or they were never socialized properly when they were kittens, but together we are a happy family. It appears Webster has found his calling, and his kitten friends are precious. I hope you are able to keep them all.
July 16, 2018 @ 3:31 pm
You must be kitty clairvoyant to have known how to help Webster and bring him out of that dark place.
July 16, 2018 @ 4:27 pm
Webster found a purpose. Keep him he will help you foster all the kittens.
July 16, 2018 @ 4:33 pm
Victoria you are wonderful: kind, caring, passionate about animals, stylin’, a lovely dancer, and funny as hell. Darling Webster, sweet ferals. Thank you for that video I may have watched 15 times so far.
I LOVE your posts and I don’t even care at all about kitchens or fanciness!
July 16, 2018 @ 4:48 pm
Bless you, Victoria Elizabeth Barnes, for giving Webster a life of purpose and love. You took the time and have the understanding that that sweet kitty needed. My heart sings.
July 16, 2018 @ 4:53 pm
You made me cry. How sweet is Webster with his kittens.
July 16, 2018 @ 5:09 pm
I have no words. NO WORDS. My heart is aching with love and longing. I so want a cat. Mr B insists on breathing. Damn him!! Oh for the love of Webster.
July 16, 2018 @ 5:21 pm
Now – who will adopt all three when the time comes? Surely he can’t be separated from his kittens? I have all my fingers, toes, legs crossed for that perfect someone to know themselves😻😻😻
July 16, 2018 @ 5:44 pm
Please don’t separate Webster from his babies!
Karen
July 16, 2018 @ 5:44 pm
Webster finally caught a break, please keep him and at least one baby so he has someone to love on. We have two brothers that showed up at about 8 weeks old on a frigid day in February, they are devoted to each other. Animals have an immense amount of love to give………
July 16, 2018 @ 6:24 pm
thanks for sharing, little do we understand the need that creatures have for community.. ~t
July 16, 2018 @ 7:33 pm
What a wonderful mama-papa Webster is. Thank you for your kind soul. =^.^=
July 16, 2018 @ 7:53 pm
This makes me so happy. It balances being so sad when I read about how your Elvis chirped. I lived for 19 years with handsome chirping boy. I miss it so much that when I read about Elvis I started to cry because I miss my chirping boy so much. Thanks for the happy ending true love story of Webster and his kittens.
July 16, 2018 @ 8:23 pm
I have watched the video several times and each time the happy tears start to fall. To see Webster run to the kitties and start licking them is such a joyful moment. Many people just do not understand the depth of emotions that animals possess and the feelings they are capable of expressing. Webster makes my heart sing.
July 16, 2018 @ 8:46 pm
Video, yay!!! \o/ \o/ \o/ \o/ Thank you!!
I would say that it would be ideal to keep Webster and whatever-his-minimum-necessary-number-of-kits is, but I’m pretty sure his number will be EACH AND EVERY KITTEN WHO ENTERS THE HOUSE. And then Paul will be lonely because he will have had you committed.
Maybe Webster and his kittens are meant to be your kitty tribe? If you do decide to keep them and foster more, go for a singleton next time. That way it won’t overwhelm the household when Webster absorbs them into his clowder.
July 16, 2018 @ 8:49 pm
You found a foster helper in Webster! Unless you like licking the kittens, too….!
July 16, 2018 @ 9:30 pm
I agree with everyone else. You must keep Webster. He’s had such a very sad, hard life. Finally, someone has found him who understands this and will make him happy for the rest of his life. He deserves you, and I think you deserve him!
July 16, 2018 @ 11:56 pm
I love this story. I read it twice and cried both times 🙂 I’m on your team. We have rescue cats too and they are a joy.