I have had cats all my life, but cannot remember at what age do they sit with folded paws. I think that is one of the most adorable of cat poses. Sometime the pose is sitting on their chests with paws folded and maybe with heads butted up against something, or lying on the side with paws folded looking so very regal. Any observations??
I think you’re talking about what we call “meatloaf position” and I can’t think of when they start doing that, either. I haven’t noticed the current litter doing it (which isn’t to say they aren’t, just that I haven’t seen/noticed). Maybe they start around 2 months or so? I’ll try to keep an eye on them and report back when I see it!
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How much does Charles weigh? He looks SO BIG!
Last time I weighed him (and it’s been a few weeks), he weighed about 11 1/2 pounds. He was 10 pounds 12 ounces when we got him, so I would say that getting three meals of canned food daily in addition to the always-available kibble has been a big hit with him.
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I’ve been following along with all the litters starting with Nola and gang. All have been adorable and fascinating. I keep thinking this group is “advanced”, but I think what I’m really noticing is the amazing interactions with both a Ma and a Pa in the mix, and that they’re both so so relaxed about it all. Kittens in the hallway cracks me up!
Having both parents here, and having them both so relaxed about us handling the kittens has been a really cool experience.
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So, I was thinking this morning. Which of the Permies would be best suited to take on the role of Mr. Edwards? Oooo, JAKEY!!!!!
Jake is TOTALLY the Mr. Edwards of this bunch!
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When the kittens get bigger, do you think you will let some of the permies in to visit them? I’m curious how Pa would react.
To fully answer this question, y’all need some back story. I think the kittens were about 2 weeks old when we thought it might be time to start introducing Charles to the permanent residents who hang out in Fred’s office during the day (usually Newt and Frankie). So while Caroline was in with the kittens, we shut the door at the top of the stairs and opened the door between Fred’s office and the rest of the upstairs. Frankie was in his bed on the cabinet on the other side of the room, and Newt was in his heated bed in front of the window. Charles went straight over to them, hackles up, and sniffed each of them aggressively. He got all up in their space, but luckily Frankie and Newt are fairly unconcerned about other cats, so they mostly ignored him. We let Charles explore the office for a few minutes, and then put him back with Caroline and shut the door. We did it again the next day and then the next day, and each time Charles came face to face with Newt and/or Frankie, he was a little calmer. Occasionally, when none of the permanent residents were in the office, Fred would open the door for a while so that both Charles and Caroline could come in and hang out with him if they wanted.
So one day, Charles and Caroline were in Fred’s office, and Fred came downstairs for coffee. When he went back upstairs, he opened the door and then realized too late that Archie had been right behind him. Archie ran through the door to go over to the bed under the window (the heated one where Newt usually sleeps), and as he ran he caught sight of Caroline, and hissed at her.
Now, Charles was okay when he first saw Archie, but the hiss from Archie set him OFF. He went after Archie and the fur flew. Archie got away from Charles and ran through the open door to the rest of the upstairs. Whereupon Caroline chased after him, pushed him into the bathroom, and by the time Fred made it to the bathroom, she had Archie cornered behind the toilet, probably fearing for his life.
I was downstairs, and the instant I heard the sounds of a kerfuffle I raced upstairs to help. Fred kept Archie in the bathroom while I grabbed the very poofy Charles and Caroline, and shut them in the foster room. Then Fred was able to carry Archie out of the bathroom and took him downstairs.
Archie was perfectly fine – no cuts or scratches, but he’d lost some fur (not enough that he has bare spots or anything, but there was a lot of Archie fur floating around Fred’s office.)
Now, I truly believe that if Archie hadn’t hissed, and/or Caroline hadn’t been right there, things would have been fine. But with Caroline right there and the kittens just down the hall (this was back when they were very small and still in the crate all the time), emotions were high.
So to answer the question, I think that rather than introduce the permanent residents into a situation where someone might hiss at a kitten and trigger Charles or Caroline’s protective instincts, I’d rather bring the kittens downstairs to meet the permanent residents. That’s my plan (though now that I’m thinking about it, we could just shut the kittens in the office and let the permanent residents in to meet them that way, too.)
To close this answer out, please enjoy the video from 2017 wherein Stefan hissed at one of Mercury’s kittens and Mama Mercury TOLD HIM HOW IT IS.
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We’re drinkin’ water! This is Laura (I love her reflection in the bowl), but I’ve seen several kittens doing it.
Post-bottle Willie would like you to know that that stuff is goooood.
Mary was in my lap and started to roll over, so I caught her and held her like this, and she was perfectly happy to stay like this forever.
Laura’s tellin’ secrets.
Albert getting a bath. First the back…
And then the front.
Fuzzy Laura.
Watching shadows.
Charles just cannot believe how tasty kittens are.
Albert havin’ a think.
Pa keeps an eye on the kids.
Yep. We’re playin’, too.
Pa’s gotta snoopervise.
“Aw c’mon, Caroline, the churning can wait. Pa needs a hug!”
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Alice Moses supposes her toeses are roses.
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Previously
2018: New rule here at Love & Hisses: no more naming the kittens ’til they’re at least two weeks old!
2017: “I disapproves, lady.”
2016: Then Art Vandelay was all “You’re right, she is exceptionally comfy!”
2015: No entry.
2014: No entry.
2013: “That’s right, rub the belly.”
2012: “Am sleepin’. You go ‘way.”
2011: Corbie’s afraid you might have forgotten how beautiful he is.
2010: “GIVE TO ME THE PREGNANT CAT!”
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
“Aw c’mon, Caroline, the churning can wait. Pa needs a hug!”
Maybe it’s the early hour, but man that cracked me up…
I remember when Khaleesi lost her crap on…Jake? I think…a few years back when he accidentally got too impatient or hissy with one of her Dragons, and proceeded to knock him into next week. You can never tell with Mamas, and now with a Pa in the mix…
I might misremember that as a Mr. Boogers swaggerin’ in to show who’s the man around these parts story. Those crazy blue boys!
Yeah, it was Kara and Mister Boogers, May 13, 2008, I was thinking of. (Gawd, where else can you read something so awesome as the caption “The Booger fur left behind.”??)
Oh lord, poor Mister Boogers. She TOLD HIM how it was!
I found the Khaleesi v Jake story on July 6, 2013 “Nippurday” – a hilarious post beyond the kerfuffle part.
I had completely forgotten about that one!
You can’t blame any ma or pa for instincts to protect the wee ones. Yeah, I would not put the perms at risk, in that arena, or stress the parents. (Mercury had some.serious paw action and gave quite the fuming look at the end.)
Those babies are growing up fast but they still have that cute round ball bodies!
Cute! I remember that Laura was ALWAYS telling secrets on the show to Andy Garvey (yes I had to look it up).
2010: Super funny when you know how it ended 🙂
Also, I don’t think we tell you enough what an incredible knack you have for perfectly captioning pictures. The pictures are fabulous, but the captions are the frosting (buttercream, thank you) on the cake.
I know, I was so excited about having my first pregnant cat since Kara and she turned out to be a FAKER.
And thank you. 🙂
So adorable, the lot of them. And wow look at those mama instincts go, love Stefan’s jump when she makes herself known!
I had a bad day yesterday and on my walk home in the dark the universe sent me a ginger kitten (young cat really, older kitten), out on the street, it ran over and threw itself at me for hugs and strokes, climbed onto my leg where i knelt and kneaded and kneaded my leg and purred, it fixed me right up! We even faced off a passing dog together, and it sat in my arms and let me protect it from the curious dog. 😀
Just had to share that with some cat people 😀
poor Archie…..chased by a pissed off momma and poppa cat
Shhhh…I’m sneaking a peek at fuzzy cute kittens and cats during work hours ‘cuz that’s how I roll on a Friday.
But Alice Moses supposes erroneously… 🙂