3-24-23 Friday

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When you have both hands free, does she [Daisy] let you pet her head and belly at the same time, or does she think you should dedicate both hands to her pretty face?

She has a strict no-touch policy when it comes to human hands and her belly. I did learn – in about the last three hours of her pregnancy – that she would allow me to pet the SIDE of her belly, but the belly of her belly was a great big NOPE. (I have tested this policy since the kittens were born, and it still holds true.)

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I don’t recall any previous mamas insisting on your presence during the birthing; is this a first?

I was going to agree with you, but then I remembered Canasta! She yelled at the top of her lungs until I came into the room, then climbed into my lap and had her first two kittens there.

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I have a question. What’s the blurry, furry blob under Daisy’s mouth in the photo captioned “Sweet little family” on Wednesday? I feel like an idiot but I can’t figure it out!

I’m not sure what you’re seeing – I see her mouth, her chin, her chest, and then (on the floor of the crate) a kitten. Maybe it’s the shadow on her chest you’re seeing? Does this closer crop help?

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did Fred make Alice’s blanket?

He did! He started it intending to make a full-sized blanket, but then didn’t like either the feel of the (cheap) yarn or the pattern (I can’t remember which), so was going to THROW IT AWAY until I took it and put it on the back of the recliner to protect it from all the cat fur that accumulates there. I think it’s really pretty! (And Alice ain’t bad either.) (If anyone is interested, this is the pattern he used.)

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Joanie in the scratcher.

And out of the scratcher!

Marsali in the scratcher bowl.

And gettin’ scritches.

Yesterday, I opened the door to the foster room to let Marsali and Joanie explore the rest of the upstairs (which includes a short hallway, the bathroom, and my bedroom. The little room that is my office, where Daisy and the kittens are is separated from my bedroom by a door. I put up a baby gate across the doorway so that Marsali and Joanie wouldn’t dig at the door and stress out Daisy – though very little stresses out Daisy, it seems.) Joanie reacted to the open door (and the odd noises from downstairs) by hiding under the blanket on the couch. Marsali came out, and then walked around talking. After an hour or so, I shut the foster room door so they could relax a little, then opened it for a while in the afternoon. By the end of the day, Marsali was pretty calm about the whole experience. Joanie was taking short peeks out of the foster room, but I don’t think ever actually left the room. It’ll probably take her a few days to start exploring.

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Snoozin’ Nick.

And snoozin’ Jay (and Nick… and Myrtle’s behind.)

Line ’em up! Left to right: Jay, Nick, Myrtle and Zelda.

Myrtle takes point.

Line ’em up again! Left to right: Zelda, Nick, Myrtle and Jay.

The milk bar is open, but most of the clientele is sleepy.

Myrtle’s little face just kills me.

Here’s a size comparison for you: Zelda next to Daisy’s back foot.

Another shot of the milk bar.

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Spring seems to have arrived, and Khal is happy to see it. (That’s his happy face.)

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Posted on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr) yesterday.

The toes! As I’ve mentioned, Zelda (the tortie) is the only kitten with extra toes. After extensive examination on my part, I can report that she has the normal number of toes (5) on her front paws and one extra toe on each of her back paws (cats have 4 toes on their back paws usually – Zelda has 5 on each rear paw.) One interesting thing is that – see the picture in the upper left? That’s her front left paw. She has the regulation number of toes, but they’re divided so that it looks like she has a really big thumb. Her right paw (the picture on the right) is the same way. (The lower left picture is her back left paw, and the lower right is her back right paw.) These pictures were SUPER hard to get (she’s a very wiggly girl), but as she gets older I’ll hopefully get better pictures of the paws.

The kittens at 4 days old (I took the pictures yesterday – they are actually 5 days old today. Well, they will be this evening!) Jay has lost his umbilical cord, but the others are hanging on to theirs for now. Eyes usually start opening around 7 – 10 days (some sooner, some later), so that’s something to look forward to… along with their ears slowwwwly moving up the sides of their heads!⁠
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If you’re interested in seeing their weight progression, I update a spreadsheet here every day (at least for the first week or two, and then each week after that).
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And if you’re interested in comparing their weights to the weights of previous fosters, there’s a spreadsheet for that here.⁠

YouTube link
Jay’s hissing at me, and Daisy’s like “I don’t know why he’s hissing, but I’m sure you deserve it.”

Joanie (left) and Marsali are available for adoption! Read through their descriptions (below) and if they seem like the perfect fit for your home, EMAIL Forgotten Felines of Huntsville at info (at) ffhsv.org to inquire/apply.⁠

Joanie (dilute tortie, DOB 3-26-2022) was turned in to Forgotten Felines a few weeks ago along with her sister adoptive Marsali through no fault of their own. Leaving the only home she knew was scary for Joanie and she was timid at first, but given just a little bit of time to warm up, she turned into the sweetest little lap cat. She absolutely adores sitting in your lap and being petted. At just under a year old, she’s tiny but packed with personality. She loves to jump up after the feather teaser, and since she’s so light she can jump to impressive heights. She has a VERY serious face (we call it her “resting Joanie face”), but she is truly a very sweet girl.  She is best friends with her adoptive sister Marsali, and they need to be adopted together. ⁠

Marsali (brown tabby and white, DOB 4-9-22) was a Forgotten Felines foster last summer. She was adopted in August, and was recently returned along with her adoptive sister Joanie, through no fault of their own.  Marsali is a sweet, confident, VERY nosy girl who wants to know just what you’re doing. If you’re filling the food bowl, scooping the litter box, sweeping the floor, she’s right there watching to see what’s going on. She’s much larger than her sister Joanie, but she is ever so gentle – she will very often defer to Joanie, letting her eat first or play with the feather teaser before joining in. She loves chasing the feather teaser around, and will jump up after it (though she doesn’t get to the amazing heights Joanie does!) She likes having toys tossed for her, and did we mention she is very curious about what you’re doing? She is best friends with Joanie (they are not related by blood, but have been together since they were 3 months old), and they need to be adopted together.⁠

We are located in Huntsville, Alabama. Out of area adoptions are allowed, but adopters must come here to complete the adoption. Email Forgotten Felines of Huntsville at info (at) ffhsv.org to inquire!⁠

YouTube link
The milk bar: fighting (even though there are TWICE as many nipples as kittens, of course they’re still fighting), pointing out who’s who, and Myrtle is just livin’ the life.

Nick is a cutie cute CUTE.

Does Joanie need a kiss? I think she does.

Good night innernets. (The Crate Catsbys – mama Daisy and (from left) Zelda, Myrtle, Jay and Nick.)

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Previously
2022: Bramble is thinking “I gots short and stubby little legs, but I bet I could figure out how to get over that barrier.”
2021: Uno does a sneak.
2020: Things I’ve been doing lately.
2019: Trying to figure out exactly how those legs work.
2018: No entry.
2017: She looks tiny until she stands up, and then it’s all “WELL HELLO THERE” with the belly.
2016: “But we are so wittle and the world is so big!”
2015: Peter does a little Kravitzing. “ABNER! Come see what those wacky neighbors are doing NOW!”
2014: Angelo, toe-suckin’.
2013: Oh, girl tabby, you make me want to pop you right in my mouth.
2012: No entry.
2011: Despite challenges from Corbie and Jake, Elwood would like to assure you that he remains king of the scratcher. He knows you were worried.
2010: “Shall I run across the room like a little lunatic, or shall I take a nap? Decisions, decisions.”
2009: The Seven, named.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

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