Check out this wonderful video. I love it so much!
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Starr said: If anyone can spare a few dollars this holiday season, please consider a donation to Sheets Cat Adoption. This is a Vet in Greensboro, NC who runs a cat shelter right out of the clinic. My personal involvement with them is they were able to take back and re-home Molly, my Mom and Dad’s tripod tuxedo. It was very sad they had to give her up, but they were unable to take care of her after they had to move into assisted living last year.
I’m so glad they were able to help out, Starr. Y’all, I always say it: every little bit helps. If you can spare a little, I know it would be appreciated!
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Hi! I have a question for you and your readers. I was playing a video on Instagram this morning of a very young crying kitten. Well, my cat bolted in from the other room, tail down, pupils huge, looking for that kitten. She actually seemed very distressed, and I had to comfort and reassure her for a few minutes that there really wasn’t a terrified kitten in the house. Do other cats do that? Does this bode well for the possible addition of kitten to our family in the future?
That is completely normal – some cats react like that, some cats completely ignore it, it all depends on the cat. I don’t think it means that you can’t add a kitten to your family in the future – just imagine what your reaction would be if you suddenly heard someone screaming “OH MY GOD PLEASE HELP MEEEEE!” and you couldn’t find them and didn’t know where they were, but you could hear them. I think it’s the same idea with cats. If/when you add a new kitten to the house, you’ll do the slow introduction, and your kitty will understand that there’s a kitten in the house, will be able to smell it, will know where it’s coming from – really, it’ll be a whole different situation.
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I’d been meaning to post this — I do so love Adele’s tail, but I thought you might enjoy seeing another mighty tail:
Dropbox link.
©warriorinside
This is Fizzgig at 8 months. He’s a bitey little brat and drives the other cats nuts, but he’s very cat-oriented and I think he’s the facilitator in my household. His tail is as wide as he is.
That is a TRULY fantastic tail!
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That first picture of Adele looks like a screenshot straight out of an Adele music video. So much so that I had to do this.
If Petsmart allowed us to put up pictures of the cats at the adoption center, I would totally post this one. I love it!
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Given Adele’s sweet, loving, cuddling nature, and the fact that she prefers the company of humans, do you think she might make a good emotional support animal? She seems like she’d be just perfect for it. I’ve been seeeeeeeriously tempted to figure out a way to get myself down to y’all and get her and me back to California for that reason. I’m really looking into a support animal for college. Unfortunately, I have two cats at my permanent house who I don’t think would take kindly to a third. What are your thoughts?
I’m sorry that I missed this comment when it was originally posted and just now saw it. I don’t know if Adele would be a good emotional support animal, but I can tell you that I’m not sure she’d be happy without another cat to play with. Since Pink joined the household, the two of them play together a LOT. Before Pink was here, Adele would try to get Jake or Dennis to play; they wouldn’t, so she ended up playing with Stefan, who tends to be a little rough. With Pink here, Adele has really blossomed. I would say that she still prefers people – but she also really likes having another cat to play with!
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Holly said: Question for you and others: I am looking around for a hacky sack type of small fabric ball for my kitty. She has worn out the ones she has. They MUST be fabric and not filled with beads or anything in order to be kitty-safe. I have not found any. I’ve checked Amazon and several dollar stores in the area (they are actually kid’s toys she stole from my son). So if anyone knows anywhere I can obtain some or even would anyone be willing to make me some?
Connie said: Will any of these do? (There was also a link to a toy at Petco; the link doesn’t work anymore, so I’m guessing they don’t carry it anymore?)
Holly said: Thank you for looking Connie! The second that you posted from Petco would be good except I was not looking for catnip. The first ones are okay but not quite perfect and also I would prefer no bell. I forgot to look through Petco’s site so I will take another look around. Thank you again.
Teresa said: Andrea with Celestial Kitties has some great toys she hand makes and sells – Robyn mentions them once in a while, and it benefits Winnie’s Wish rescue… They’re durable & have stood up to my 3 cats pretty well!
So how about it, y’all – have any ideas for Holly? I have to confess that I actually looked around for instructions on how to make your own hacky sack, but quickly discovered that it’s far beyond my abilities!
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I know I said in Monday’s (was it Monday?) post that I’d tell y’all in today’s post which foster we came thisclose to adopting this year. But it’s been a busy week, and I need to gather all the names that y’all guessed, so I’ll confess in Monday’s post instead. (You can always guess which foster you think it was, if you haven’t already. Chances are good that that post will list all your guesses in picture form!)
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I hope you’ll forgive me for only having one picture of Adele and only a few of Pink in today’s post. It’s been a busy week – Fred had to travel to the Baltimore area for work for most of the week. I was trying very hard to get the house whipped into shape while he was gone, and also had appointments every single day, so it was a little crazy around here. I’ll get some good shots of those girls over the weekend, I promise!
I couldn’t find Pink, so I went looking for her. And I found her fast asleep in this bed. “Hey!” I said. “What are you doing?”
She rolled over and looked at me. “Making biscuits,” she said. “Obviously.”
She purred and purred.
Couldn’t you just squoosh her?
Adele and her coat of many colors.
On their third night out of the foster room, Adele spent the night in the window bed and visited me two or three times during the night. Pink settled down on my stomach, eventually rolled over onto the bed, and stayed there all night long. They sure are a couple of sweethearts!
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You may have already seen this picture on the Love & Hisses Facebook page yesterday, but I love it so much I have to post it again. I was walking upstairs, and found Archie hanging out on the stairs. He was clearly annoyed by the intrusion, and luckily I had my phone at hand and was able to snap this picture.
“ONE minute to myself, that’s ALL I ask!”
A moment later, Jake came downstairs, looking guilty.
Now that the foster room door is closed, I have a bowl of food in Fred’s bathroom for Adele and Pink. The permanent residents like to sneak up there from time to time and try it out. I’ve never told them not to or expressed any displeasure when I catch them doing it, but Jake has decided he’s not supposed to be doing it. Silly boy.
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Dennis says “I’m the KING OF THE WORLLLLLLLLLD!”
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Pssst! Hey! C’mere. Yeah, you! Did you notice what I said that up there about keeping the foster room door closed, even though I also talked about how Adele and Pink have the run of the house all the time now? Did you wonder why I’d keep the foster room door closed?
Come on. You KNOW why. ‘Cause there’s kittens in there, is why!
Meet them…
Shelton is a boy.
Stefani is a girl. She appears to be black at first glance, but then you see her subtle orange stripes and occasional white spots.
Levine is a boy.
If you hadn’t already guessed it, they’re named after Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine, judges from The Voice. I don’t actually watch The Voice, but after Fred said that we should have named Pink Stefani (because she looks so much like Stefan), it stuck in my head as a good name to use.
I’ll call them The Judges collectively unless someone has a better suggestion!
Their story is that they were left in a carrier on the side of the road in rural Madison county. They must not have been there for too long, because they’re in pretty good shape, and they’ve clearly been around people. When Susan first told me about them, she said that the black one (Shelton) was too hissy-spitty for her to tell whether he was a boy or girl, so I thought I was getting semi-ferals. They are 100% not the slightest bit feral. The first time I went into the room and sat down, they all ran over to me. They love being petted and snuggled, and they purr and purr. They are just the sweetest little things!
Stefani is telling me to STOP taking her picture and sit my butt down. She needs snuggles!
Shelton is all “I SAID, get down here!”
And Levine is all “Yeah. What they said!”
Shelton, hanging out in the scratcher bed.
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Previously
2014: This displeases Madame, who hissed at them when she realized they were exploring.
2013: “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” Adriana demands.
2012: That’s Pearl (formerly Dandelion) and her brother Duke, all snuggled up for a nap.
2011: It starts with someone who’s no longer around (Mister Boogers) and ends with someone who’s no longer around (McLovin’, our very first rooster).
2010: No entry.
2009: “Lady, it has not escaped my notice that when you’re around, chickens fall from the sky. I’ve got my eye on you.”
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: Two things about our country cats I have learned
2005: No entry.
First of all, I pray that Adele and Pink get adopted TOGETHER! I think that would be great for them. I love “The Judges”. They are precious. It sickens me that someone left them on the side of the road….BUT…at least they were in a carrier (for safety) and in a highly visible area. Shelters (around here) are making people wait months to turn in pets (by appointment only) thus it is increasing abandonment cases. 🙁 Also, our new shelter manager, doesn’t really care about cats so she TNRs as many as she can…even if they are sweet and NOT feral by any means. I have no words to express my “displeasure” about her choices.
I hear you. The shelter I’m close to has a TNR program as well and occasionally has to put sociable kitties back into their colonies even though it breaks their hearts, because they’re full and have no foster homes available.
Foster homes are so incredibly important in the system and I wish more people would do it. To me, it seems like a pretty ideal situation — not only are you helping to save lives, you get to spend time with many different cats over the years — COME ON, what could be better?
When my two elderly kitties (18 & 23) eventually pass away, I plan to foster only. I’m not getting any younger so if I adopted again I would worry about who would take in my cat(s) when I head over the Rainbow Bridge myself, so I think temporarily housing kitties until they can find forever homes is going to be just as rewarding because I’ll be helping to save multiple lives, not just the one I adopt!
I will be doing the same thing! Foster only when I get to that point. My babies will NOT go into “the system”!!!!
Thank goodness it wasn’t two girls and you had to name one Aguilera? That would have been a mouthful! Love the names of these cuties!!
And I’m thinking that pic of Adele may need to be her cover photo when she’s added to the Challenger’s FB Album?!
Then she’d be “Aggie!”
The new babies are totes adorbs.
Aggie works!!! (Now Robyn’s ready in case she gets that random addition…. :-))
I was thinking if the random addition is a boy, she could name him Pharrell! (Or Williams, if we’re going last names only, but Pharrell is a way better name.) 🙂
Oh believe me, I’m keeping in mind those extra names, just in case! 😉 (Aggie is awfully cute!)
I was about to say how aweful “Aggie” was….
The Judges are so cute! And I laughed and laughed that Levine is striped – I don’t watch The Voice but I’ve become smitten with Jordan’s voice after seeing his Queen cover go viral, and whenever Jordan sings they show Adam clapping and smiling, and (I’m really getting to my point here) Adam’s arms are all tattooed. So it’s fitting that Levine is the one that’s all stripey.
I’d like to be able to say that I planned it that way – but I assigned the boys’ names pretty much randomly! 🙂
The Judges are a fantastic Friday surprise!! I love the naming theme (I watch The Voice regularly) and this trio is really cute. Stefani, in particular, is beautiful and I’m hoping at some point you get them all on video singing the song of their people because THAT would be sooo amusing!
Well, that took me by surprise! Welcome, Judges – you’re adorable! And I agree with GD – it would be so great for Adele and Pink to be adopted together, since, apparently, you won’t be doing our bidding and adopting them both yourself! 😉
I vote for “The Coaches” as the collective. That’s what they call themselves on The Voice (because their primary role is coaching). Granted, there is a certain essential truthfulness about referring to cats as The Judges, but I think The Coaches sounds a lot more encouraging!
You’re right, Coaches is what they’re actually referred to! Good call!
Oh, I like that much more. The Coaches it is!
(Of course, now I think I need to name a litter of kittens after football coaches… but as a non-football follower, the only coach name I can think of is Bear Bryant!)
If you are going old school college football coaches…naming a wee baby kitty “Schembechler” would be pretty funny.
Seriously late here, but if you name a kitty “Schembechler” you have to name one “Woody” or “Hayes”. Well, you don’t HAVE to but it would be cool, especially if there was a little bit of sibling rivalry between two kittens.
Oh new babies!! Low growl because they were abandoned but at least it was in a carrier (but was there food and water in it?). How old do you think they are? 6-7 weeks or older? But their guardian kitty angel did a good job getting them to you!
And Fizzgig does have an AWESOME tail!! That tail needs its own zip code! 😉
Yeah, they’re guesstimated to be a little more than 7 weeks old, good job aging them. 😉
new cuteness!!!
mom has to admit, occasionally a video will get played here with kitten voices. sometimes we will look, most times we are all “whatever”. however, we had a momma cat still with us once after her kittens were adopted. a tv show came on with tiny babies howling and she ran in and LOST HER MIND looking for those babies. had to change the channel.
My cats would knock Yoda over and steal the feather. Guess they belong to the dark side?
HA!
Awww!! Yes, Pink and Adele adopted together would be fabulous! and I was totally surprised, didn’t even get the closed foster room door hint. Kittens!! so glad they made their way to YOU.
Wonderful post, and on a Friday. Looking forward to who was the foster you almost adopted…I’d take the Pattypan guess too.
My tortie loving heart is already in love with Stefani! A friend of mine rescued an adult cat several years ago that’d been left beside the road in a carrier on a 90 degree sunny day in May. Poor baby was covered in his own pee and panting. I don’t know if he’s still alive, but Challenger’s House got him a good home. So glad these babies were found before it was too late. They’re living the good life now!!
I remember that kitty! I can’t remember his name, but I remember how he was found. Poor baby!
To the reader who’s kitty reacted to a kitten crying on TV –
I had a kitty who had been a barn cat that had many litters before getting spayed and coming to live with me. I was watching a cat documentary on TV and when a kitten cried she jumped from my lap and went looking for the baby in need! She was the best cat ever, and a fantastic Mom-cat. When I got her I also got two of her kittens from her final litter. She out-lived them both and was desolate when the second one died at age 12. We adopted a pair of six month old kittens shortly after and she took to them like they were her own. She was a tortie and lived well over 20 years.
No way to know if your cat will accept a new-comer as well, but as long as the new one is not an adult and you introduce them slowly and carefully it should go well.
Oh what a sweet momma kitty! I had a cat who lived to 21…those cats never lose their place in your heart!
I love this so very much! I really wish that either Kara or Maxi were still the motherly types, but once their babies were grown and gone, they wanted NOTHING to do with little ones.
I’m going to guess that Ambercup is the foster you almost kept!
I didn’t put my guess in earlier this week, so I’ll do it now. My guess is Pattypan. After all that taking care of her little arm (I know it’s a leg, but the front ones are always “arms” to me) I would think it would be hard to give her up.
The new baybees are super-cute! And I too am in love with Adele…and Pink’s sweet little face…is that some tongue I spy in her second photo?
It is a little bit of tongue you spy. 🙂
It’s a Christmas miracle !!!!!! More kittens !!!!! It will be fascinating to watch them grow up and to see the photos you will get of Stefani’s hidden gems in her fur !!!!!
Aw, who would leave such sweet little babies in a carrier by the side of the road?? Really, people. Well, they’ve been found, and are happy little Judges now, all ready for Santa Claws next week! Now Adele and Pink will have to show the little whippersnappers the ropes around the foster room.
Oh man, did you see the kitty with the Princess Leia side bun hair in the Yoda video? I nearly died.
We think you should go ahead and put a (smallish) printout of that great Adele photo up at PetSmart for her when she goes. C’mon, do it! You might start a trend toward faster and better adoptions because of the extra (cool) attention! People might think, “Hey! These people are cool AND they have a sense of humor! We should adopt from them!” You know someone somewhere is probably thinking, “Now, what can we possibly do to get more attention to these adorable adoptable cats?” And there’s your perfect example of how, lovingly taped to the glass for all to see. And besides, you know what they say: Better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission…
Was the almost permanent resident River? Thought maybe Fred fell in love with her when he was in charge when you were on vacation.
Ugh! How can people take the time to put kitties in a carrier and leave it by the side of the road, but not take the babies somewhere safe like a shelter or the Humane Society!?! SMH — I do not understand people sometimes!
Amen… I hope they can’t sleep at night.
Fizzgig’s tail is freakin impressive.
The judges are adorable, and you really should get down there and snuggle them.
I’m late to commenting here, but I just saw the hacky sack question and I was thinking, hmm that cant be too hard, then I saw that Teresa commented that I make toys (thanks for the shout out!) anyway, all that to say that I have a half finished practice hacky sack on my desk at the moment and I’m wondering, beans or fiberfill? I’ll share pictures soon!
New kittens! Awwwwww so cute!!!! Love the dark, almost hidden tortie! She needs a kiss on that orange streak on her cheek!