Frances asked in the comments the other day if the permanent residents have reacted to there being babies in the foster room. They haven’t reacted at all so far as I can tell. Outside the door to the room is a three foot-tall gate (that Fred made), which we can both step over but which rests on hooks so that we could also open it like a door. When the gate first went up, the cats would climb over it, but they came to learn pretty quickly that there was nothing between the gate and the door that was of any interest at all. They spend their days downstairs with me – or outside – and in the evenings some of them stay downstairs and some (Miz Poo, Spanky, Jake and Elwood, occasionally Alice, sometimes Tommy) come upstairs with us. Most of the time, as far as the permanent residents are concerned, there’s nothing in that room they want.
Someone else asked how Emmy is doing, and if she’s any more relaxed with us in the room. Emmy is doing fine, and while she’s 100% okay with us petting and handling her babies, until yesterday I hadn’t seen her leave the box at all. I knew that she was – she was using the litter box and eating out of the bowls of food and water nearby – but every time I stepped into the room, she was in the box with those babies. Finally, yesterday morning, I went up and laid down on the floor near the box. I was laying there (playing Words with Friends on my iPod!) for probably about 15 minutes when I heard a noise and looked up. She came out of the box and went to the floor behind the box, where she stretched out on her side. I kept playing games for another 10 minutes or so, and then sat up to look at the babies. As soon as she saw me sit up, she went right into the box.
When she’s in the box, she lets us pet her and like I said, she lets us pet and pick up her babies as much as we want (well, I assume she’d let us pick them up as much as we want – we don’t do it that often, because the babies scream and we’re not jerks, we don’t want to make the babies scream). Hopefully as they get older and leave the box on their own, she’ll be a little more relaxed about being right there when we’re handling the babies – all we can do is wait and see.
First, the video. It’s a short one – Emmy’s sleeping, some of the babies are sleeping, one’s in a “hands against the wall” nursing position that cracks me up. Keep an eye out for the yawn around 20 seconds, it’ll knock you over with the cute.
There’ll be another video tomorrow ALONG with a video that I discovered of Everett, Lucy, and Sally Peppers jumping up after da bird!
Although the pictures in the sidebar don’t reflect it (I’ll get to it one day!), Everett and Lucy have been adopted – Sally Peppers is still waiting for her forever home (I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it happens for her soon!)
I love it when she lays her head on the babies.
“MOMMA! I HAZ A COMPLAINT!”
The only reason I don’t stick my face in there and kiss that baby is because I think Emmy might mess me up if she feels threatened. But believe me, I was TEMPTED!
Streeeeeeeetch.
::dead from the cute::
“What?”
You better believe this baby got a kiss before he went back in the box.
LOONYFACE!
Loony Jake is the most laid-back cat in the house. He’ll pretty much let you do anything to him.
Hold him on his back like a baby…
Make him open his mouth and show his pretty white teeth… (That’s Fred holding him, by the way. I was standing behind him.)
Rub his belly…
He could have stayed like this forever. (This particular move wouldn’t work with Elwood because first of all, Elwood wouldn’t put up with it, and secondly your arms would probably snap like twigs under the bulk of the Ellie Bellz.)
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Previously
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: They feel cartilage-y, like human ears.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
“arms snap like twigs”….lololololol 🙂
Love the video…thank you. I would be laying on my back with all the babies piled on top of me. I had a neighbor who had 2 litters of kitten at the same time (yes, I got on my soap box and lectured about spaying). I would go over and her boys (who loved me) would bring me all the kittens and pile them in my lap. When I get to heaven, that is what it will be like! 🙂
When my very first cat (birthday present when I was 6 or 7) had kittens, I was home one day sick from school, and she brought all her kittens into the bed with me and piled them on me. And I was in the top bunk bed. She was determined! 🙂
I am sure it made you feel better!!! 🙂
I certainly did. Kittens are the sure-fire cure-all!
Wow Robyn. If that wasn’t a sign from the cat gods that you were special to them even at 7, I don’t what would be! 🙂
Smart mama cat! She recognized that you were the perfect heating pad for her bebbehs so she could take a mothering break!
😉
More marvelous moggie movies and pics.
Thank you. XXX
Too bad the big kitties don’t get to interact with the babies; Jake looks like he’d end up being Fun Uncle Jake.
I’m astonished at how much the tiny tots have changed — already. Scritches to their mummy and a tummy rub or two to the excellent Jake. He’s such a special fellow!
Adorable babies!
I love me some LOOOOOOOONEY Jake! (Don’t tell the others, but he’s my favorite!)
oh man look at these wee baby kittehs! I was away for the last few days and just now got caught up with all the posts – they are so CUTE! and little stub tail <3 little stub tail! I'm glad emmy lets you attend to them, I was worried she would be very growly-bitey-hissyface at you both.
lol looneyface looks like the chesire cat in the first two pictures. What a good kitty boy!
GAH! That is IT. I am going to drive down there, all 12 million hours or whatever, and adopt Sally Peppers! I have tried to exercise self-restraint, but clearly it is meant to be and I’d better leave work and go pack the car.
Also maybe I can give Loony Jake a belly rub?
Every Sally Peppers adoption comes with a Loony Jake belly rub! 🙂 (Well, it would if Loony Jake wasn’t skeered of strangers!)
oh, surely you jest? Loony Jake ‘skeered” of strangers? It’s all part of his clever ruse…
and newborns with complaints? just kiss them till they forget what they were gonna say. 🙂
Allison, I feel the same way every day that goes by without a Sally Peppers adoption. Google maps tells me it’s an 11 hour drive from my house to Alabama. I have also contemplated sending Miss Sally a bus ticket north. The resident 3 cats and the dog? All boys. We could use a little femininity around here.
A Looney Jake belly rub? Worth the trip for that alone, although I would settle for a hello stroke to the gorgeous heads of Miz Poo and Spanky. I love kittens, but absolutely adore the seniors.
How do you not adore Jake? Looney or not he’s so loveable.
I’m amazed Emmy manages to sleep with all that massaging going on! Then again, being a mamma is tiring work…
Love the Loony Jake photos!
Robyn, do you get feedback numbers about page visits or views? That huge increase in numbers right around the time the kittens were born? All me. Whenever I get stressed, I visit for a minute to look at sweet mama and her babies. Better than any other medication I can think of 🙂
I can’t get over how contented Emmy looks. Jake is loony though. I mean that boy has gone, he’s left the building, he’s in a circus somewhere riding an elephant.
I’ve fostered several feral cats. The kind that would rather take your face off then let you anywhere near them, and they didn’t mind my lovin on their babies..
I noticed the same thing. Touch the feral mama and you will put back a stub…but take her babies out from near her and feed or snuggle them…well that was just fine! Very interesting.
Make that “pull back a stub”… not “put back a stub”! sheez! 🙂
My two previous mama kitties were pretty friendly (Kara) and super friendly (Maggie) – this is the first time I’ve had a feral mama, so I was worried. 🙂
Can Emmy really be regarded as feral and not just shy and reactive? She did go from hissing and running to letting you pet her within a week or so. My understanding of feral cats is that they never let you pet them for years!
Jake makes me think of my kitty that I can lay on his back, like that, and pose his legs and paws (and he will hold that position for me). However, if you pick him up from a spot to move him elsewhere, he plays “dead kitty” and it is like trying to pick up a pile of wet noodles or a glob of goo! Ha!
I think my keyboard would freeze up if I used as many “w’s” as I need to while looking at the babies! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!! Far too sweet!
Jake! Oh Jake, so looney and so adorable! The look in his eyes with fingers in his mouth… like he’s saying, “ok, you see the teeth.. done yet?” Then the next one, “Have we finished the messing yet? Not that I mind, but can we get on with it?” And finally, “Ah, that’s the stuff. Hope you don’t have to be anywhere for an hour, or two, or three.” I just want to kiss him on the whisker humps!
Loony face Jake! LOL!!
Awwww Emmy and her babies!!! I’ve turned into syrupy goo again! 🙂
Take care
x
Oh Looney Jake, my love, my love! You’re the only Crooked Acres cat which can distract me from Emmy’s kittens! Well, maybe Joe Bob could… but NO! You are the only one for me you looney hipster!!
I loved the video of Emmy and the kittens. And Charcoal spazzing out in her sleep near the end was as good as the tiny Stripey yawn!!
I’m glad Emmy is actually taking breaks from the box when you’re not around. All that kitten madness must be exhausting. I’m glad she’s protective while letting you handle the bebbehs! That’s the best combination!!
Uh oh… Those babies haz complaints already?!
Kittens are born hazing complaints!!
🙂