1-29-24 Friday

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You guys seem to foster one clan after another – do you ever take a break or are y’all ever able to take a vacation??

I take the occasional vacation (Fred is not interested in going on vacation, though I keep trying to convince him we should take a long weekend to Gatlinburg, TN or Florida), but for the most part we foster all the time. I don’t think we’ve taken more than a 1 or 2 day break from fostering since we’ve lived here (we’ve been here 2 1/2 years.) Though when we get to the point where the kittens are running around the house during the day (and in the foster room at night), it seems like a break to me because I’m not worried about them eating or using the litter box properly. Honestly, at this point I’m not sure what I’d do with my time if I weren’t fostering!

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No info on a Mamma cat?

The Ducklings’ mother was nearby when the kittens were pulled out of the empty building, but she has proven to be difficult to trap. They spent a good part of the night trying to trap her (and we are talking about someone who does a LOT of trapping – she’s no amateur) and were unsuccessful. They’ll keep trying to get her!

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Have the ducklings experienced being brushed? Looks like they are going to be seriously floofy.

They have been combed with a flea comb, but I haven’t brought the brush into the bathroom yet. I need to, though – they are going to need to get used to it.

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The ducklings are so cute. Their names are cute too. What breed are they? They are so fluffy.

They’re just standard North Alabama Goobers.

I kid – I don’t know what breeds are in their genetic background, but everyone loves to proclaim that floofy kittens must be Maine Coons, so we’ll see what sort of characteristics they show as they get older.

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Which heating pad (electrical,not self heating)do you use or recommend?

and

Do your heating pads turn off automatically?

We get into spats because I try to keep mine on for just thirty minutes and then leave it off for fifteen.

I am concerned about them cooking themselves like a frog in a kettle.

These are the heating pads I recommend – the K&H Pet Bed Warmer (affiliate link). We have several of them in various spots throughout the house (and in Alice’s house on the screened in porch) and they’re always very popular especially now since it’s gotten cold.

They do not turn off automatically (I wouldn’t buy heating pads that turn off automatically, because I would always forget to go around and turn them back on and I’d say to Fred “Why do the cats keep glaring at me? What’s their problem?” and neither of us would think of the heating pads.) I like the K&H pads because when no one is on them, they stay at just above room temperature. When a cat curls up on them, they get nice and toasty warm. But they never get warm enough to burn (or boil!) the cats. I leave them plugged in year-round and have never had a problem.

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We got snow here this week, if you hadn’t heard – but more than snow, we got ICE, and so everything is slick as can be. I’ve stepped outside exactly once since Monday, and that was just to fill the bird feeders. Otherwise, I ain’t goin’ out there – and the temperature is supposed to stay low for at least the next few days, so yuck.

When the snow started.

Monday morning.

Out the kitten room window.

A shot of the back yard.

Charlie and Khal have made a few very brief forays into the back yard (Charlie more than Khal), and the outside cameras caught them, so here is a very exciting video of them derping around. Also, a brief clip of Rocco coming out of the garage into the front yard.

YouTube link

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The Magnolias check out their Aldi chicken bag. There was a chicken hanging from inside the bag, and Drum was dragging the whole bag around the room by the chicken. But then the chicken came off. I have no idea where it went, but I’m sure it’ll show up in 6 years and I’ll wonder where it came from.

You can’t tell from this picture, but Drum was actually inside of my hoodie with me, hanging out and purring like crazy. SUCH a snugglebug.

Uncle Charlie was in the crate again, and the sentries were on duty.

Clairee kept poking her head into the crate to get a closer look at Charlie. I hoped that she’d climb right in there with him and snuggle up, but she never did.

I tried to get Shelby to sit in the pink Adirondack, and she wasn’t going for it.

Shelby, Drum and Clairee have no idea what that white stuff is (but they certainly enjoy watching the birds flit around!)

Clairee just loves to sit on the landing and watch the goings-on.

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The Ducklings like to play around the toilet, but they’re not hiding behind it, which I appreciate.

Poor Dewey: another day, another butt bath. (After I took this picture, I got Fred to hold him so I could trim back the fur on Dewey’s back end, and it seems to be helping.)

Dewey eating, Huey checking out the toilet.

They really like this setup (which is bed with a heated pad on top of it, and a couple of blankets on top of that.)

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Posted on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr) yesterday.

Uncle Charlie was in the crate, and Drum and Clairee took on the task of keeping an eye on him. Because SOMEONE’s gotta.

Back in late 2014 (!) we fostered a litter of kittens named after rock bands. Two of them, Thunderclap “TC” Newman (left) and Jethro Tull were adopted together and went all the way to Oregon!⁠
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This is them now – still best friends and, says Marc, “Jethro and TC in their daily ritual of watching the ‘Bird TV Network!” ” (Marc and Bonnie call them their “Bama Boyz.” 😻)⁠
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Thanks, Marc!

YouTube link
The Ducklings are free roaming in the bathroom now (which isn’t HUGE, but it’s better than the cage) and they think it’s pretty cool. (All the kittens had partial baths this morning, which is why their back ends are partially damp.)

Throw Back Thursday: In 2011, we had ducks (we did not need ducks, but Fred WANTED ducks, so we got ducks.) Anyway, before the ducks decided that the pond was okay, they would swim around in a little pool, and one day the ducks climbed into the pool and splashed around, and then ::BOING!:: this duck leapt straight up into the air and I just happened to catch him at the right moment. I love this picture so much.

YouTube link
Someone recently sent us this floppy fish toy that their cats wouldn’t play with, and the Magnolias really like it a lot, which took me by surprise. It’s motion activated, so it flops around for 10 seconds or so, then goes inactive until a kitten smacks it or runs across it, whereupon it starts flopping again. I turn it off at night, and even when it doesn’t flop they play with it and drag it around. Highly recommended by the Magnolias! (If you want one for your kitties, search on “flopping fish cat toy”, I’m sure there are a bunch of different versions. This one is rechargeable, and so far I’ve only had to charge it once.)

The Ducklings now have the entire little bathroom to run around in, and boy are they having FUN. I’m pretty sure Louie is thinking about climbing that outlet cover, while Dewey is all “?” (I’m pretty sure Dewey doesn’t often get a turn with the brain cell.)

Good night innernets. (Drum, Ouiser, and Shelby.)

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Previously
2023: Cinna made it to the very top of the tree in no time flat.
2022: “Just checkin’ out the view, lady.”
2021: Canasta has reached the stage of pregnancy where she tries to scratch under her chin, but can only get her back foot up as far as her side, so she kind of scratches the air.
2020: JoJo’s watching squirrels with Uncle Archie.
2019: No entry.
2018: …rough, rough life.
2017: How Sheriff Mama (Kara) spends her days.
2016: Levine was all “WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOING ON?!”
2015: Corbie.
2014: No entry.
2013: No entry.
2012: Sights from around Crooked Acres.
2011: I actually think that Corbie will be okay at the adoption center, because he’s the kind of cat who takes his cues from the cats around him.
2010: “Who, US? We weren’t doing anything, honest!”
2009: From the terrified, practically-feral kittens they were to the kittens who actually seek out human interaction they are now, they’ve changed a lot.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

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