5-12-17 Friday

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Fancypants v2.0 update:

(Picture taken by Fred before The Great Betrayal)

He is FIV positive. He is otherwise healthy, and the vet estimates that he’s 3 or 4 years old. He’s been neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped. The vet called him “a live wire” and “angry,” which sounds about right.

Our plan is to keep caring for him the best we can (depending on what he’ll allow).

HOWEVER.

If you are wanting a floofy, fancy, attitudinous black long-haired cat who will trust you only after you put in some serious time and effort, let me know. We’ll see if we can work something out.

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Meet Belle Starr and her adorable kittens.

There are four kittens – three boys and one girl.

Girl.

Boy.

Boy.

And boy.

Belle and her kittens were found by a local radio personality in rural Cullman County. Belle is tiny, and young – the vet estimates her to be about 10 months old. I would guess that this is her first litter – and now it’s her last! She is super sweet and friendly, and didn’t stop purring for one minute, even when Susan made one of her babies cry by looking for teeth.

Her kittens are about 10 days old, and fat and healthy.

Belle and her litter are my fosters-in-waiting. They’ll come here when there’s room for them – or when I can convince Fred that we can find space for them in my bedroom or in the bathroom or… come ON. In this house we can’t find SOMEwhere for them? Hmph!

For now they’re safe and warm and being fed and well cared for and I looove them.

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Didn’t the Croc Shoe have a fuzzy bottom in it once upon a time? I imagine it got pee’d on (or worse) and tossed many a kitten ago!

Believe it or not, I still have that liner (I have to admit, I’m kind of impressed that I haven’t tossed it by now). It’s been peed upon (and worse!) many times, but it’s washable. I just don’t use it because the kittens seem to like fighting with each other through the holes, and that just means less laundry for me.

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Do you get the impression Nola is not all that keen on motherhood?

Actually no, Nola is a wonderful mother. She just gets a little bored at this point, which many mother cats do at this stage. When four little brats are jumping all over you, it can be overwhelming. I will say that she’s never retreated to a spot where the kittens couldn’t reach her, as most of my former mothers have done.

She’s also started doing something that I haven’t seen before. She’ll wait until the kittens are sleepy or until a couple of them are busy playing, and then she’ll coax one or two to her and let them nurse, then repeat with one or two of the others. That way (I assume is her reasoning) she doesn’t have to deal with all four of them flailing at the milk bar at the same time. I will admit that I miss seeing all four of them nursing, but I’m sure it’s a whole lot easier for her!

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I’m curious… has it become any easier to tell Praline and Roux apart as they’ve gotten older? Because I can’t tell them apart at all.

I am so glad that you’ve asked, because I finally have amassed pictures to showcase their differences. There are three main differences between the two sisters that I use to tell them apart. (It is entirely possible – likely – that there are differences that I’m just not seeing)

FIRST, Roux’s lower lip is black on either side with quite a bit of pink in the middle.

Praline’s lower lip is black all the way across. Unfortunately, I don’t have photographic proof of that, so you’ll just have to trust me.

SECOND, though they both have a splash of caramel-brown across their noses, Praline’s is much more pronounced. In both of these pictures, Praline is on the left.

THIRD and last, the most common way I tell the two apart, their back feet. Roux’s got white on one of her back feet all the way to the ankle, and on the other back foot it’s nearly all white. Praline’s back feet are about 1/3 white.

Roux.

Praline.

Also, Praline has bluer eyes than Roux at the moment. I expect that won’t be so for long at the rate they’re changing.

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Considering how much he HATES the dishtowels, I’m surprised at Archie’s affection for washcloths.

Or is that the reason? He’s sensing a kitchen cabal and is siding with the sink kingdom?

Archie’s no dummy, is all I’m going to say!

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Fancypants 2 is at the vet! Yay! I hope he loses his standoffishness along with his nads.. Why the ear tip? is he going back outside? I don’t recall that you tipped the most recent walk on kitties, did you? Archie and Stefan have theirs intact, right?

Archie and Stefan weren’t ear-tipped because they’re not feral. Fancypants v2.0 might not be 100% feral, but it took Fred a year to convince him to allow petting, and we figured it just made sense to have it done. I expect that with the wanderin’ hormones out of his system he’ll be more of a Crooked Acres full-time resident, but if he wanders elsewhere, at least people will know he’s being cared for. But, yes – he’ll be an outside cat unless/until he decides he wants to be inside. I don’t expect that to happen, but I’ve been surprised before!

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“Yes, I’m in the cubby again. You gots a problem with that, lady?”

Oh, that boy. He’s such a muffin.

Roux tries to decide whether to play with the feather or the spring. Oh, what a dilemma.

Pretty Nola, keeping an eye on things.

“HALLLP! Grab my paw, I’m falling!” (Praline)

Someone please tell me what on earth this picture makes me think of. Maybe a cartoon cat? Another cat? Anyone?

Roux’s lookin’ guilty.

Beignet has a think.

Nola up close.

Look, it’s Beignet and she’s NOT in the cubby!

Poor Praline. Everyone’s asleep and she wants to play!

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Videos! In the first, Andouille and Beignet get their floofy fightin’ on.

YouTube link

And in the second Praline shows off her finest hunting and leaping skills.

YouTube link

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Hello, Dewber Dewber Dew. (Aka “Dewey.”)

His overbite kills me dead.

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Previously
2016: Regina Phalange gets a moment to herself.
2015: Rickles is all “RAWRR! STOP BITING MY HEAD, LOUIS.”
2014: He had his last vaccination and has been loved and snuggled to top off his love tank, so off he goes!
2013: “‘Get ready, Mama!’ they said. ‘We’re going to SPOIL YOU for Mother’s Day!’ they said. Now I’m all spiffed up and THEY’re over there napping. SIGH. This mothering thing is SO FRUSTRATING.”
2012: No entry.
2011: “HI MAMA! HI!”
2010: It’s a Jakeapalooza!
2009: How… how did this happen?
2008: CLEARLY A GENIUS.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

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