“I’m da baybee.”
“You hear me?”
I love the way the sun is shining through his fur, showing his little pink splayed “fingers”.
Starsky’s pretty sure he’s the alpha male in the foster room.
One day last week I said to Fred, “Perhaps we could just keep Reacher and Corbie here as fosters until they’re adopted by someone.”
Given how they reacted to being in the cage at Petsmart last time, I was not looking forward to the idea of taking them to Petsmart again. I mean, I never like taking the babies to Petsmart, but for the most part they adapt pretty well and don’t spend a huge amount of time there before they’re adopted. But things are so slow adoption-wise right now, that I was afraid they’d languish for months.
“Maybe we should think about bringing Buster and Rhyme home and just keeping all four here ’til they’re adopted,” Fred said.
“Yeah. But we should wait a few more weeks and see if they aren’t adopted before we bring them home,” I said. “Maybe they’ll get lucky.”
“Okay,” he said.
BUT THEN.
We were out running errands Saturday morning, and I opened my big stupid mouth and suggested that we stop by Petsmart just to visit with Buster and Rhyme and Melodie, Moxie, and Dodger. And we did visit with them, and Fred started giving me THE LOOK, and before I knew it…
When we left the house that morning, I had no idea we’d be coming back with Buster and Rhyme, and so instead of doing it the right way – putting them in a room for a few hours, at least, so they’d adjust to being here before letting them out to explore a little – we just let them out of the carriers into the house. I don’t have any doubt that they knew exactly where they were. But Buster is a bit of a drama queen and seemed a little overwhelmed, and he walked around growling and smacking at everyone.
He smacked Miz Poo, who was minding her own business, and I said “OH NO YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT, BUSTER JONES*!” and made Fred hold him while I trimmed his front claws. He spent the rest of the day walking around in a state of high dudgeon. We were going to put them in the guest bedroom overnight (Rhyme was a little hissy, but mostly behaving himself, we were just going to put him in to keep Buster company), but as the evening wore on Buster calmed down a little. So we left them out overnight and everything was fine. Buster was still a little growly and yowly yesterday, but not nearly as bad as he’d been on Saturday, so hopefully given a few more days, he’ll calm down completely.
Reacher, hiding from the yowly Buster.
So, please, y’all. For the love of god – if you know anyone in the Alabama/ Tennessee area who’s looking to adopt some great, gorgeous, sweet 8-9 month-old kittens, feel free to steer them in our direction. Our house is about bursting at the seams with cats. We need to find these Bookworms homes of their own!
(I will box the ears of every person who suggests we keep them permanently. Or maybe I’ll just send them their very own Bookworm! Mwahahaha!)
*His other nicknames: Buster Brown (I very often say “Buster Brown, he’s a clown. He gets around!”, because I’m a dork) and Busties. In fact, most of the cats in this house have their names shortened and then an “ies” added to the end. Reacher’s nicknames are Reacher-Creature, Creature, Creatchies, and Reachies. Corbett is almost always Corbies, unless he’s Hello, Gorgeous. Sometimes Corbie McGee, too, now that I think about it. Rhyme hasn’t really picked up a nickname other than Rhymies and sometimes Rhymebones. I don’t think there’s a single cat in this house who doesn’t have, at minimum, two nicknames.
Kara, Reacher, Corbett, Tommy, and Jake. That’s a lot of cats for one picture!
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Previously
2009: “HEY I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS BUT I HAVE NOT EATEN YET!”
2008: No entry.
2007: I’m sure it’s eyeball cancer and we’ll have to put a pirate patch on him and it will cost one million dollars to cure him.
2006: No entry.
2005: The quintessential Crazy Eyes.
Honestly, I’ve been watching Bolitar/Buster since he was a kitten, and I’ve wanted to adopt him. However:
1. I am in Minnesota.
2. Quoth the wife, “HELL NO. WE HAVE FOUR CATS ALREADY.”
I realize #2 makes the wife sound bad, but she’s not. We’re down from five (cancer took one last summer), and we agreed we’d get down to three and never go above that number again.
Seems like Buster has a lot of admirers (me included!) But we all live to far away! I would take him in too, but
#1 We have three boys already and
#2 We have a possible move coming that will involve possible quarantine for kitties, so adding one more is not an option! (Hawaii is in the offing for a job for my husband.)
OK, so send me Buster! Except of course, I am in the UK (6 months quarantine), and I already have a tough-guy, tabby and white boy who is convinced he’s the toughest tom cat in town and the fights would be horrendous, AND my elderly lady cat would have me shot! No, actually, she’d have Buster shot, and then the other boy while someone had a gun…. SIGH; it’s not going to work, is it?
You’re in AL!? I assumed you were on the West coast for some reason…now I know you are just a few hours away from my parents in TN.
If we ever have space for another kitty (2 is max here), I’ll have to consider y’all!
I would say “You should keep them,” immediately followed by “Send me Corbett and Buster!” However, I am pretty sure the Dowager Feline In Residence would NOT approve.
(sigh.)
Oh you gorgeous people!! Awwwww! 🙂
I think the Bookworms are much much better off with you lovely people until they are adopted!! I would fly over there asap if only I could and bring them all with me here if I seriously could!!! Cos I think they are absolutely adorable and you;ve done such a great job with them!!
Awww poor Miz Poo!! I’m certain she’ll get her own back soon! LOL! 🙂
p.s Gorgeous Starky glowing in the sunlight is just amazing!!
Hugs to you all! take care
x
Not in the required area or even the required country but Corbett could come and live with me…
I’ll just ignore that pesky no pets rule…;)
Dan B: Clearly what we need around our house is someone like your wife, to put her foot down. ::sigh:: I remember when we had three cats… vaguely. 🙂
Attila: Boy, a 6 month quarantine? I had no idea! I guess I should unpack this box o’ Bookworms I had all ready to send to you!
Tammy: Forget Buster – I think you should adopt ME and take me to Hawaii to live with you! 😉
Rebecca: Yep, we’re in Northern Alabama, near Huntsville. Keep us in mind! 🙂
Gwen: I hear you – funny how the cats think they rule the household, isn’t it? (Buster’s pretty sure he’s in charge here – Sugarbutt rejects that idea!)
Old Kitty: Miz Poo has already made sure that Buster knows he’s not to invade her space again or there WILL be consequences!
Martin: Don’t tempt me! 🙂
Oh my! The sun through Starsky’s tiny toes is priceless.
If I weren’t in New Jersey, Corbett and Reacher would have moved in with me long ago! 🙁 I suppose FedExing is not an option?
I must say you two are good people. Insane, but good. Sometimes, we just gotta do what we gotta do. Do you think some of Buster’s behavior is because he went to the adoption center when he was a little older and had imprinted on you more than usual. I think animals are sometimes pretty much like people. They only want to be where they feel safe and loved. I hope someone will come along who will offer them a loving home. But, til then, I am so happy they are with you.
God Bless You and Fred.
i would love gorgeous reacher, but i’ve tried more than my fair share of playmates for nephthys, and i don’t think he would be happy with my crazy doxies either.
I, too say ‘send me any two you like BUT, here in Oz, we too, have quarantine regulations.’ I think it’s 6 months before they leave the States and then another 2 or is it 3 here in Melbourne. hm, maybe it’s just one…still they’d be pretty stir crazy by the time they got sprung. On second thoughts, you better keep ’em in the States…
Well, hey, if there’s a way to get them to North Carolina.
(I would take Corbie in a heartbeat, but he seems a little more shy. I have two small dogs. They’ve been around cats, but mostly the non-shy kind. If they see a kitty running, they’d likely chase. Though they do know when they’re being bad and will stop after a yelling, plus they’re much less likely to do so inside. I did foster one cat for a few weeks who stood up for himself, and one dog ignored him and the other semi-rushed, got hissed at, and then ran away terrified. I currently have no cats, but will likely be adopting an adult cat at my sister’s barn. Do you think any of the Bookworms would do well with two dogs? And would they need another cat’s company?)
Er, and I mean the dog ran away terrified, not the cat.
Yileen, I honestly don’t know how they’d do with dogs – I feel like Corbie would adjust well (after some initial shyness, he’s pretty relaxed), but I’d be afraid to get him in that situation and then not have it work out, given that NC is quite the drive. All the Bookworms would probably want to have another cat around, they’re pretty used to having other cats to hang out and play with, though not necessarily cats they already know, if that makes sense.
Allison: I’d almost love to put Buster in a FedEx box just to hear his whiny “I’m a BAYBEE!” complaining. 🙂
I’m pretty sure my dogs would get over their, ‘omg it’s a cat!!’ phase as they did with that one cat, so it’s good to hear that Corbie is relaxed. One of the dogs is very much like one of your older cats that doesn’t like kittens. As long as he’s left alone, he doesn’t care. He’ll even sleep in the same bed as long as they’re not touching. The other one is very confused by them. I’m pretty sure he thinks strange cats inside the house are going to eat us. But if he gets over that, he’d likely play with them if they wanted.
I do think if someone else closer can adopt, that’s probably better for them in case it doesn’t work out. I’m not sure how the cat at the barn interacts with other cats. From what I hear, she’s very relaxed and has lived with other cats in the past. But I’d feel bad if I was to adopt one of the Bookworms and then not have them play and keep each other company. I’ll probably talk with my sister more about the barn cat’s personality.
Yileen, upon thinking about it for a while longer, I actually think Rhyme’s the friendliest and most laid-back of the four and would probably adapt the best. But in any case, I agree that if someone closer is interested it’d be better just in case it didn’t work out. I suspect, however, that they’re going to be here for a while (adoptions have been super slow), so I don’t think we’re in any rush one way or the other. 🙂
Well, we’ll see then! If I were to get one of them, it probably wouldn’t be until December anyway, since that’s when I’d have the most time to drive there(and back if it didn’t work out). They’re so beautiful and sweet, I really do hope someone else adopts them.
Or, you know, you could keep all four of them. (I didn’t say that! Just that’s what everyone following you is thinking)
SUCKER! And of course I can say that safely because any time they get a kitten at the vet they KNOW that I too am a sucker. I would love to take one if we had room, but we have 6 cats and 5 rooms – not the best to add another one to! And oh Starsky is just such a cutie I can hardly stand it!!
erm, ‘scuse moi, BUT, isn’t that Hutch doin’ “i’m da babee”?
Cause you’ve tricked me otherwise. See, Starsky has a “smudge” on his nose and Hutch doesn’t. And as the kitten in the first second and third photos etc doesn’t…it’s Hutch really, isn’t it?
Lita: You’re right, that’s Hutch in the first two pictures, and him in the front in the last two – but by saying that Starsky’s pretty sure he’s the alpha male in the foster room, I was referring to the way Starsky’s behind Hutch, biting him. It was a hastily-written caption and not up to my usual standards. 🙂
Amy: The shelter manager also referred to us as suckers. Heh.
Yileen: NOT keeping all four of them. Don’t make me come box your ears. 🙂
What is it with us Cat People and expanding names? My Lizzie becomes “Lizzie Belle”, Millie is sometimes “Milicent”, and our youngest, Chip, is usually “Chipper”, “Chippy”, or ,lately, “Chunky” because he’s quite fat for a teenager kitty. Have you seen or heard of Caboodle Ranch, a shelter for cats? Google it, if not. It’s awesome!!
I hadn’t even seen there are two babees in the last few shots!
I just thought they were doing a ‘ceiling cat’ impression with all the glowy, lit up radiance…oohh, purrty….