The trip to the adoption center on Tuesday sucked. Of course it did – they always do. It didn’t help matters that about halfway there, Bolitar and Rhyme started howling like their little hearts were breaking. I almost turned around several times. I almost called Fred and told him I couldn’t do it a hundred times. But in the end, I got them there, I got them set up in their cages, and after much hugging and kissing and telling them I loved them, I left them.
I took heart in the fact that they didn’t immediately go into the litter box to hide. They were scared and nervous, but they had each other, and were snuggled up together when I left. Reports from the adoption counselor for Tuesday night were that they spent the evening hiding in the litter box, though.
It will take a few days for them to relax – it always does – and I know they’ll be okay.
But I miss their little faces, and it is SO much quieter around here without them!
Reacher and Corbett don’t really seem to notice that anything’s different. Corbett has maybe become a touch friendlier – he was never unfriendly, but also hasn’t been super-friendly either, but yesterday and today he’s been approaching me to be petted. He’s also putting up with being kissed a lot better than he did before.
Jake and Elwood are fine. They have Reacher and Corbett to hang out with, and if they get bored with that particular selection of kittens, they jump over the half-door upstairs and hang out with the upstairs kittens.
Bolitar and Rhyme, of course, haven’t been adopted yet, but I know they will be, soon. And you know I’ll let you know when that happens!
I snapped a few last pictures before we left for Petsmart.
See that collar? In his last few days here, not only did Bolitar spend a lot of time sneaking out into the back yard, he also managed somehow to get OUT of the back yard twice. We have an extra collar on hand (we have an electric fence around the back yard), and it worked very well to keep him from escaping.
Brudderly love.
Rhyme gets in a last snuggle with Jake.
Martin, Melodie, and Dodger are about to go be spayed and neutered. Since Moxie was already spayed, she gets to stay home and hang out with me for the day. Things are certainly going to be QUIET around here today.
Once they’re recovered from their surgery – probably this weekend – I’ll be opening the half-door in the hallway to allow them the run of the house. Martin has shown that he’s VERY ready to go exploring. I’ve been having to hold him back with one hand as I go through the half-door. Last night he slipped through and headed down the stairs with no hesitation whatsoever, like he had places to go and he was GOING. Without BolitarZilla around to hiss and smack at them, I think they’ll be okay.
We were hanging out on my bed, and heard the noise of a cat jumping over the half-door. Moxie and Martin ran to the end of the bed to see what was going on – no doubt they were worried that Bolitar was coming in!
It’s hard to see, but Moxie’s got her back leg hooked up behind her head. It was bath time.
“What?”
Maxi and Newt join me in the garden.
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Previously
2009: “GIVE me that camera!”
2008: Laundress Kitteh despairs at the task before her.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: I guess they haven’t spent enough time in carriers to know that they’re supposed to be scared of them.
Bolitar was SO not amused at having that collar on!! Maybe these tabby boys think they are real tigers – just gotta get out there in the jungle! My tabby boy has just this minute come in with a feather dangling from his mouth – “Jus killed a h’eagle, Mum, a BIIIG one!” Oh good, Solly, that means we don’t have to feed you for a few days. My heart really goes out to you having those boys for so long and having to give them up. Your heart must be huge to think of all the other babies you can help rather than keep them.
I’ll ditto that last line of Attila’s! Love the photos of happy Jake and happy Reacher — they show kittie contentment perfectly!
Also love the photo of Moxie and Elwood. It’s good to hear Jake and Elwood are moving on without skipping a beat.
Love the photos of Rhyme and Jake. The feet! They get me every time. I’ve been thinking about fostering kittens myself, but even the empathetic pain I feel for you is enough to make me wonder if I could go through with it myself.
D’oh! I meant happy Jake and happy Rhyme.
It is soooo hard to let them go! I think of you every time I drop off our babies at PetSmart, and how you sneak a look back when they don’t know you are watching.
We also had two 4 mo old kittens have their surgeries today. Sadly, these two are much too feral to be “adoptable” and will be TNR back to the home that was feeding them as outdoor kitties. After being in our home for 3 weeks, they both still have “that look” and won’t let us touch them at all. They are clearly not happy here, but it is so hard for me to think of these two outside in Cleveland winters. 🙁
Mom Sue to The Furry Bambinos (& Assorted Fosters)
Oh I’m so so sorry. 🙁 It’s so sad having to split the Bookworms up like so. I do hope they get adopted together – I feel really sad – I’m so sorry!!! I really feel such a part of them – I know this sounds silly but reading your blog and your beautiful pictures really brought them very close.
I can’t even bear to look at beautiful Rhyme with lovely Jake and that face of Bolitar!!!! 🙁
Oh I’m tearing up! 🙁
Take care
x
Looking at your post of 3/19/10, you guestimated their birthdate to be 8th Feb, so they are nearly 7 months. Wow, that’s a long time to foster them! I love them at this leggy, teenage, “I am all growed up” stage; my boy is 2 years older than them and I recall it well. I was looking back to see them as baby-babies….it’s a good job the neighbours are away as it’s midnight here and I have been ahhhhh-ing and exclaiming very loudly. So cute I could die. But they are destined to be big cats, they are kittens for such a short time. I always think that if I was homing cats I would look for people who talked about “Cats”, not just “Kittens”; they grow so quickly. But I get my fix on my favourite fostering blogs, every day!