We had some bad weather here yesterday and some tornadoes touched down, but nothing really even came close to Crooked Acres. We just got some wind and rain. Fred leaves work early on Fridays most of the time, so he was home by 11. If we’d needed to take shelter, we would have put Emmy and her babies in a carrier and brought them downstairs into the closet. Fred’s pretty good at nape-ing cats, so he would have been responsible for getting Emmy moved.
And really, on a side note: Emmy is scared, but she’s not mean – when she’s cornered, her number one goal is to get away, not to attack, so I think it might have been a struggle to get her into the carrier, but not impossible.
Despite our intentions of just leaving Emmy and her kittens in the box with no bedding, since that was how she apparently preferred it, I noticed that her kittens were having problems gaining purchase on the smooth wood floor of the box. And then Fred went up, and her kittens were laying there like little frogs, and he worried that it might not be good for their limbs. So he grabbed a pink pad, put it in front of the box, laid the kittens on it one by one, and then pulled Emmy out of the box (which she didn’t like, but he managed to do it without stressing her too much), and then slid the pad into the box. She didn’t react by pushing the pad out of the box or anything, so it must be acceptable to her – and the kittens have a much easier time moving around.
We went up this morning and got a face shot of each of the kittens and weighed them all. We did it quickly because the kittens were yelling and Emmy was growling, but at least I finally (after two WHOLE days!) got face pictures of each of them.
This is Stumpy (obviously a nickname for the time being!). Stumpy weighed 4 3/8 ounces. Fred thinks Stumpy is a girl, but don’t take that to the bank, it could change.
This is Stripey1. Stripey1 weighed 4 1/2 ounces. Fred couldn’t tell whether Stripey1 is a boy or a girl.
This is Stripey2. Stripey2 weighed 4 7/8 ounces, and we don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl.
This is Charcoal. Charcoal’s the biggest at 5 1/4 ounces. Fred says Charcoal is “possibly” a boy. We’ll see!
Now, here are Stripey1 and Stripey2 side by side for comparison purposes:
The differences I see: the dark marks on either side of their noses – S1 has shorter dark marks and S2 has longer, curved marks. The middle of S1’s “M” comes down further. Fred pointed out that S1’s “M” has a big round dark circle above it.
Those are the differences I’m seeing – y’all feel free to chime in, here! Obviously it’s easy for me to tell Charcoal and Stumpy apart, but I want to be able to tell the other two apart as well – which, I am sure, will become easier as time goes by.
After the kittens were cruelly weighed and had their pictures taken (which took about 20 second each), they were returned to their mama, who curled protectively around them.
I’m sorry, what’s that? You’d like MORE pictures? Well, if you insist!
The happy family.
“I HAZ A COMPLAINT!”
“I SAY! I HAZ A COMPLAINT AND MY COMPLAINT IS THAT YOU ARE HOLDING ME AND YOU SMELL LIKE A SMELLY HUMAN, YUCK!”
Stripey2 was a bit calmer about being held.
The tiny, delicate little whiskers slay me.
Not bothered, was our little Stripey2. Not bothered in the slightest.
SUCH a good mama!
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Tommy likes to make sure Elwood stays clean.
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Previously
2011: Like I say to Fred, every single day, how could you possibly see that face and not think he’s the MOST gorgeous boy in all the land?
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: That, my friends, is a powerful stench.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.