8-10-15 Monday

Posted on by Robyn

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On Saturday, this happened:

Unfortunately, they didn’t adopt River as well, which is too bad. Hopefully we’ll get updates from Belushi’s new family!

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Pardon the blurriness, but this picture of Ambercup and Zuke, snuggled up with full bellies, was just too cute.


Calabash has a snuggle.


Wahhh! She’s da BAYBEE!


Zuke shows off his hidden stripes, and his toes and his fearsome claws.


Fred, feeding Ambercup – who is clearly all full.


Oh, the wee claws!


Fred feeding Zuke.


Pattypan does her Precious Moments impression.


Calabash keeps an eye on things.

I finally moved the kittens up to the foster room Saturday morning. They’re in a (big) cage, because Pattypan is the only one who’s showing that she understands what a litter box is for. I’ve seen the other two girls in the litter box, but they mostly look confused and crawl back out (though I think I did see Calabash use it once or twice.) Zuke, on the other hand, couldn’t be less interested in that litter box. He needs to get with the program! I also put a bowl of Babycat kibble in the cage with them, and when I went up to feed them Saturday evening, Calabash was actually IN the bowl of kibble, doing her best to eat some of it.

I offered them canned food yesterday morning. Pattypan, Zuke, and Ambercup just looked at me like I was crazy for thinking THAT was food. Calabash, on the other hand, climbed right onto the plate and ate like crazy. I’m starting to think she’s a little genius.

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With the kittens moved up to the foster room, I was glad to have my bathroom back.

Oh, wait. No I wasn’t!

Meet the Swimmers!


Spitz (who is a gray male).


Louganis (black male).


Torres (black female).


And Phelps (black male).

The phone rang Thursday afternoon, a call from Kathie, who told me that there were kittens who’d been left under a bush by their mother, and it was raining. HARD. The kittens needed somewhere to go. She’d barely explained the situation to me when I told her I’d take them. A few hours later, she delivered them to me. Not only had they been left under a bush, they were in a puddle of water, and by the time they were rescued, they were barely holding their heads up out of the water.

I was going to give them squash names because we all know that eventually the two litters will be put together. But then on Saturday, Susan emailed the idea of naming them after Olympic swimmers, and – well, how perfect is that? They’re named after Mark Spitz (and I’m sorry, but how perfect is the name “Spitz” for a kitten, anyway? SO perfect!), Greg Louganis, Dara Torres, and Michael Phelps.

The Swimmers are now living in my bathroom for the time being. They were born on July 22nd, making them 3 weeks old tomorrow. They won’t be introduced to the Squash Bugs for at least a few weeks, so I guess I’d better get used to sharing a bathroom with Fred for a while longer.

I will tell you what – there is NOTHING as frustrating as a hungry kitten who will not latch onto the bottle. I mean, I understand it – it’s not what they’re used to – but when they’re howling and clearly VERY hungry, and just keep turning their head away from the nipple, OH the frustration. They very slowly, one by one, got the hang of it (thanks mostly to Fred, who is FAR more patient when it comes to convincing kittens that they want to latch on than I am!), and now all four of them will latch on with little prodding. Which is a good thing – over the weekend, Fred was willing to help me feed them, but now that it’s Monday he’s got to work, so I’m on my own.

Not two hours before Kathie called, I commented to Fred that it was nice that the Squash Bugs are so easy to tell apart. Then I get three black kittens who are pretty much identical! For now I’ve got their ears marked with a tiny dab of fingernail polish, but eventually I’ll go to collars to make it easier to tell them apart.

And lastly, of note: this litter was born to the same mother who gave birth to Simon and Garfunkel. She’s been really hard to catch, but now she’s being fed in a location where it’ll be easier to nab her. Kathie said they’re hoping to get her spayed this week. Fingers crossed! If Simon and Garfunkel are anything to go by, she has awesome kitties, but it’s time for her to give up motherhood.

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I think you can tell by the obvious joy in Stinkerbelle’s eyes that she’s THRILLED to have even more kittens in the house!

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Previously
2014: No entry.
2013: Ever had one of those days?
2012: And you thought this fostering thing was all glitz and glamour!
2011: It was delightful.
2010: No entry.
2009: Mondays? They’re exhausting.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: So cute, these two.

Comments

43 thoughts on “8-10-15 Monday”

  1. I’ve got nothin’. Nothing. My Monday is complete. The only thing that would make it 184% better is if Pattypan did not have the little bandage around her little tiny arm. Cute as it does look though.

  2. ZOMG Robyn. You’re killing me here. Two litters of bottle babies?

    *thunk* I’m dead now. Your awesome blows me away. <3

    And yes, they're adorable.

  3. You are amazing. Thanks for helping the kitties. I will always remember you raising the “Peppers”, the five babies from Tennessee. We were connected by Lisa McDowell who I met on an elephant chat board.

  6. I don’t know what it is about that Calabash but every time I see her my heart just aches to bursting. I love her so darn much! It’s a good thing I’m in Canada otherwise I’d be camped out in your backyard waiting for her to be adoptable so I could take her home.

    hahah… I had a feeling there would be a last minute addition to the Squashbugs (and hoping the name Butternut would get used) but I had no inkling there would be a whole extra litter! The Swimmers are so lucky to be delivered to Crooked Acres…. and WE are just as lucky that we get to see both batches grow up simultaneously! Woooo!

    1. When Kathie showed up with the kittens, the FIRST thing I said was “Is there an orange one? If so, I want to name it Butternut!” 🙂

  7. So it was a water rescue!!! 😀 I’m so glad the little Swimmers kept their heads above water long enough to get to Crooked Acres!

    And yay Belushi!! Fingers crossed for sweet River’s family to come soon, too!

  9. Spitz’ ears look like a Scottish Fold! Although they’re probably just behind on the popping up. Lord have mercy though, they are freakin’ cute. I LOVE LOVE LOVE solid color cats (you know, as opposed to love lovin’ the multi-colored ones! ;)) and may have to suck it up and get one of these.

    Yay for Belushi!

    and Good job Fred!!! y’all keep up the fabulous work!

  11. Yay for more kitties! Glad you saved them and love the naming theme! Also congrats to Belushi. Let’s hope this is furever.

  12. Wow you are amazing…eight little kittens that need help. Will they all get to mingle and play together when they get bigger and healthier? And is it me or is Calabash’s right eye a little bigger than her left eye?

    1. lol… I think that’s what I love about her! I’m sure it’s an optical illusion due to her gray furs not being symmetrical on her face but it gives her such an adorable expression… I could look at that cutie all day long!

    2. They’ll get to mingle in a few weeks – once we’re sure they’re all healthy and eating on their own we’ll throw ’em together and let the fun begin. 🙂

      Calabash’s left eye might be a teeny tiny bit smaller than her right, but sourpuss is right, it’s mostly the way the color is around her eyes.

  13. Yes!!! And this home better be prepared for what it takes to have a Belushi! He’s a bundle of energy and a funny little fellow but with a heart like you wouldn’t believe.

    So it’s official. Squash Bugs!!! As in they’re so cute you want to squash them and they’re cute as a bug.

    Is Calabash’s right eye still bigger than the right? I thought that was a timing thing with her eyes opening but it still looks a shade bigger.

    Zuke is such a messy eater. He so has my heart already.

    Keep playing that sympathy card while you can Pattypan, that bandage will hopefully come off soon.

    What the heck did you do to Torres? She looks so offended. So glad that they’ve learned the secret of bottle feeding but good heavens.

    If I thought hot compresses on Pattypan were scary, I can’t imagine giving an enema on something that little. I’d probably chicken out and go to the emerg vet.

    BTW, I know that they’re kittens and haven’t figure dout a lot of things but why wouldn’t they move to higher ground if the puddle level was rising? Are they part domestic turkey?

    1. I think it was a combination of them being chilled from the rain, and that kittens at that age, when scared, will freeze in place rather than try to get out of the situation. I saw an excellent illustration of that (the freezing in place) about an hour ago when I went into their room with a garbage bag to empty their litter box. The sound of the bag opening scared them, and they froze where they were!

  14. Goodness they are such bug eyed kittens aren’t they??

    The new ones?! geeze, I should just give up and redirect my blog to yours.. with all that cute on who is going to come over and see my practically adult kittens??

  15. Nit pick of the day-Louganis is not a swimmer! He is a diver. Sigh, my beloved Rowdy Gaines would have been a good name. (Sorry-grew up in a swimming family. The defining scent of my childhood was the chlorine in our hair.)
    Can’t wait to see the merger. Make sure to take video of all the adorable hissing that will ensue.

    1. I SO thought I was going to be able to slide that through without anyone pointing it out. But – how does Greg Louganis get out of the pool after a dive? HE’S GOTTA SWIM TO THE SIDE AND GET OUT. Ergo, swimmer. 😉

      1. No arguments here – then again, he can do anything he wants anytime he wants where I can see him in those teeny-tiny diving suits; swim, dive, just stand there. One of my first and lasting crushes. Or, in other words, YOWZA!

        My mom and I agree – you are insane, but the best possible kind, for taking on all these bottle babies at once. I think your house is setting some sort of new world record for adorableness.

  16. You and Fred are heroes (I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating)! And Stinkerbelle is such a beauty (ditto).

    And I hope you and Dennis will still be engaging in nappin’ time.

    1. Speaking of the awesomeness of Fred, last night I was cruising the “Previously” links on yesterday’s post, and I came across this great tidbit Robyn posted on 8/8/11 (bolding mine):

      …Fred loves cats as much as I do. I don’t know that he’d necessarily choose to have so many fosters at once, but I ALWAYS ask him before I take a second litter of fosters and I ALWAYS tell him “You can say ‘no’, and I won’t be mad!”, but nine times out of ten he doesn’t even hesitate before he says it’s okay with him. He said once that when we have a lot of fosters in the house, he feels like Scrooge McDuck, only instead of gold coins falling through his fingers, he’s got kittens.

    2. There are things I’ll let fall to the wayside while raising two litters of bottle babies, but naps will always go on! 🙂

  17. Louganis Was a diver. He has a really interesting documentary on HBO Go. I highly recommend it.

    BTW–Miss Logan Virginia has been adopted! Her foster mommy sends me updates. I now have a friend in West Virginia!

  18. Once again, your Karma points are off the charts! Thank you and Fred for all you do for the kittehs! 😀

  20. I was briefly disappointed that there was no kitten named Butternut, but before I could even say so, poof!! Swimmer kittens!!

  21. that sugarbutt banner is the perfect photo but if you don’t mind me asking,erm, what happened to the banner I emailed you :p

    but more importantly, so many kittens!! yay!

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