So, on Friday you met Carlin. He’s estimated to be about 5 1/2 weeks old, which puts him at two weeks younger than Lucy’s Fools.
Carlin’s story is simple and sad and full of question marks, but ultimately Carlin is a lucky little guy. Someone found him in Tennessee, in the road with a dead sibling (hit by a car, I believe) lying nearby. He was alone, and he is so lucky that he was spotted and that the people who spotted him stopped. How did he end up on the road? Was he dumped? Did he wander off from somewhere? There’s no way to know.
Edited to add: Carlin was also tested the same day as the other kittens and his tests came back negative. Ordinarily I’d still keep him quarantined for 2 weeks, but he very much needs the other kittens around, not only to play with, but to help him learn his manners.
He went to the shelter on Wednesday and stayed there overnight, and on Thursday when I picked up Lucy’s kittens after they were tested, I picked Carlin up as well. When I got home with them all, I let them all out of their carriers and sat back to see what would happen.
There was a little bit of hissing and floofing, but overall it was pretty drama-free. The only one prone to acting like a drama queen was big baby Louis.
But even Louis got over himself after a little while.
After about an hour, the bigger kittens were treating Carlin like an annoying little brother. He was jumping on them and biting them, and they were fighting back, teaching him his manners. It took a couple of days, but finally they allowed him to snuggle with them at nap time, too.
Showing Skelton who the boss is.
Discovering the ceiling fan.
He is just chock-full of personality, runs and plays and snuggles and purrs. As I mentioned, he’s two weeks younger than the other kittens, and the difference is kind of amazing. I was thinking of the Fools as being babies, but he’s such a baby compared to them. He’s still got that little baby voice, and that baby waddle and that round baby look.
He is super duper friendly and will run right over to you to be picked up and snuggled. He purrs immediately.
Sharing the lap with Gilda and Skelton.
Slap-fight with Louis.
I’m not sure how noticeable it is to y’all in the pictures, but he’s missing about 1/4 of his tail. At the point where it would taper down to a point, it’s just gone. I don’t know if he was born that way or it happened after he was born, but I don’t feel any scar tissue there, and it doesn’t seem to bother him. It kind of adds to his charm, if you ask me.
If I had it to do over again, I think I should have caged him (in the kitten room) for the first few days, because he didn’t make it to the litter box in time and had several accidents that resulted in the loss of the ess scratcher (don’t cry for the kittens, there’s already another one on the way). After he had another accident in the corner of the room yesterday, I moved litter boxes from the closet to a couple of places in the room. Hopefully that’ll help – if not, I can always go to caging him for a couple of days, but I don’t really want to do that unless I have to.
Of course, I know y’all want to know what Lucy’s take on the whole situation is. I brought her home from her spay surgery Thursday evening, and we kept her in the bathroom overnight. Friday afternoon, we let her into the kitten room to see how she’d do. At first she was glad to see her babies, but then she caught scent of Carlin, and she had a lot of very rude things to say, not only to Carlin but also to her own kittens.
SUCH language.
“Oh H-E-Double-Hockeysticks to the NO. Nope. Nope. Nope. And… NOPE.”
Fred, who has more patience than I do, started taking Lucy into the room for very short visits, bringing her back out if she got too overwrought. She calmed down a little more each time, though it was a toss-up whether she’d growl or chirrup at them when she walked into the room.
THEN, last night….
That’s Carlin, draped over the center of her body, nursing alongside the rest of the kittens (except for Shecky, who was passed out behind Lucy.)
We’re still not to the point where Lucy will get unsupervised visits with them, but if things continue to go this well, I expect it’ll only be another day or so before she can hang out in there all the time, if she wants to.
Oh, and to answer the question asked on Thursday (which I didn’t see until Friday morning, or I would have included it in Friday’s post) – lactating cats will lactate as long as they’re willing to let their kittens nurse. Lucy is still producing plenty of milk, and seems inclined to let the kittens nurse, at least for now, so nurse they shall!
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Video! In the first section, Carlin comes face to face with Louis, and in the second he has a brush with Rickles.
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Oh, that Dennis. Isn’t he just the MOST gorgeous thing?
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Previously
2014: No entry.
2013: Aslan’s all “You see what I put up with, here?”
2012: Rupert says hi.
2011: That look on her face epitomizes ::SIGH::, doesn’t it?
2010: Reacher and Bolitar: Brudderly Love.
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: We have officially named the kittens.
Oh Carlin, what a sweetheart you are! Bet you’re all “holy smokes, look at all these toys! And other kittens to play with! And O.M.G. A milk bar. I have arrived.”
So true!
In some pictures and in the video, Carlin looks a bit like a sand cat to me. Which makes him even more precious. What a rough start he had! But now he’s hit the jackpot 🙂
And Dennis’ eyes – stunning! Are they really the color of aquamarine?
They really are that color! I swear, my cats have the most gorgeous eyes. 🙂
Ohhhh, they ARE so pretty!
How did Carlin end up in Alabama from Tennessee?
We’re in North Alabama, about 15 minutes from the border and Challenger’s House is even closer. The clinic Challenger’s House uses is actually in Tennessee, but you could throw a rock over the border from the front door of the clinic.
Was he tested for whatever he might infect the others with?
Poor little sibling but I’m so glad he was found so he could became a Fool and can now eat at that wonderful milk bar 😉
Yes, he was tested the same day as the other kittens, and came up negative for everything. Ordinarily I’d still quarantine him for a while, but I’m taking a chance because he so needs other kittens around.
Bless the kind person who saw and picked Carlin up!! My own Jinx was rescued from a busy street at about the same age so that story brought tears to my eyes…
And I thought Carlin’s tail was a little on the short side but it does just add to the cute!!
Carlin sure is a cutie, and I love his stripes & slightly shorter tail. I bet Louis was a little miffed that he’s no longer the BAYYY-BEE! heehee… but now he’s got a little brother to torment, which leads me to this — at first glance I thought the title of that first video was “Carlin and his new boss”.
HA – that would have been an appropriate title! Although really, Rickles is SO sweet with him, I think Carlin might be the boss in that situation. 😀
And Louis will ALWAYS be the BAYYYY-BEE!
We have a sad for the other kitten but glad Carlin was found and is safe and has a new family.
Carlin is a cutie and quite possibly my new favorite (don’t tell Roseanne). In that last picture it seems as if Lucy is saying “oh what the—nevermind I guess”. Which coincidentally, is what *I* say to my own kids often.
Carlin is indeed lucky. From your descriptions though, he doesn’t sound feral. Makes me think he and sibling/s were dumped on side of road, wandered into it where they were hit. Jerks abound. Anyway, glad he is settling in — and poor Lucy, no wonder she was a bit “hesitant” at seeing a strange kitteh. The picture with all those kitties on her, truly a long-suffering momma! 🙂
That’s what I figure happened, too – there’s not a feral bone in this little boy’s body!
awww carlin! i am so happy he’s safe and warm now. question– was he already tested and everything at the clinic? i’m wondering if usually you’d have to quarantine him away from the other kitties or something just in case he had some nasties.
Yes, he was tested the same day the other kittens were, and he was negative for everything. Ordinarily I’d still keep him quarantined, but I’m taking a chance because I don’t want him to be lonely!
aww Carlin’s story breaks my heart. I am so glad he was found and has found his way into your care. Even more heartbreaking is how friendly he is… and trusting. He must’ve been around people before he was seperated. Poor baby. God bless you guys for what you do!!!
That picture of Carlin discovering the ceiling fan just made me want to swoosh him up and tell him everything is okay. He just looks so tiny and alone. I had a similar situation this weekend but it was a very sad outcome. I saw a kitten lying on the road and you can guess the rest. At least the kitty is now in a nice place under trees and where I will remember him. Rough start to the weekend. I thought of your babies and how lucky they are. This little guy was probably the same age as the Fools. Lucky Carlin.
We’ve unfortunately been seeing a lot of dead kittens in and beside the road around here, and it’s just heartbreaking.
It is so hard. I am pretty sure the little guy was living in the nearby woods so I worry that there are siblings or an entire family there in the woods. Not a lot you can do but at least give the little guys a nice final resting place where they will be remembered.
I saw one (buff) on the bridge (BIG) 2 days ago. He could not have gotten on there by himself. Some people make me ill.
I’ve got to say, I do love Carlin’s sweet little face
Carlin! Such a sweetie! Watching him walk in the video, compared to Louis and Rickles, dealing shows what a difference two weeks makes. He still toddles like a baby kitten!
I’m glad I can’t get to Alabama, because I have no room for another cat. Carlin’s story is exactly what happened to the cat I had with me for the first 18 years of my adult life–I was driving to college in the last quarter of my senior year and saw someone pull over and dump two kittens (by the side of an interstate, no less). One wandered into traffic before I could pull over, sadly.
AND he’s named after my favorite comedian. It really is a good thing that I’m in another country….
Carlin is adorable! What a face, and that tail. Stubby tails always get extra kisses around here. Thank you for taking him in and thank Lucy for the same!
Sweet little Carlin. I’m so sorry for his sad start in life, but so happy he’s found you and the Fools!
Carlin is too adorable for words.
And I adore Lucy even more for taking this little guy under her wing. We don’t know what happened to his mama but I’m so glad he has some great surrogate moms (and dad) now.
Carlin’s talio is so cute, and I love how he has sort of a thin face and close set eyes- adorable!
That look Lucy is giving you in the photo with Carlin draped over her….begrudging acceptance!
Every time you foster a new litter, I always think they’re the cutest bunch ever. But seriously, this bunch is just adorable! And with the addition of Carlin, they’re just too much. Again, thank you to you and Fred for what you do for the little kittehs! (P.S. Please give them all a hug and kiss for me….and Miz Poo too!) 😀
Oh, Carlin, you are so cute! Poor baby – but as lucky as Norbie! So glad he is now with you, Lucy and the other kittens.
And Dennis is one gorgeous tabby boy indeed!
Oh my gosh, Carlin! Poor little sibling… 🙁 But hi Carlin of the playful snuggly purriness. That is one lucky kitten indeed. Bless whoever picked him up, and may whoever dumped him and his sibling, if that’s indeed what happened (and given his friendliness, I’m going to bet so), get a vile itching in–uh, never mind.
Hi Dennis. *scritchies* Aha, judging by the comments, I’m not the only one with a giant soft spot for Miz Poo. Friendly torties are love.
I think Miz Poo has a piece of everyone’s heart! How could she not???? 🙂
OMG it made me so happy to see Lucy let Carlin nurse! he needs a little more mommy time! awwwww gosh!! *sniffle*. he is adorable. and TEENY, my gosh. Happy endings for little Carlin! yay!!