Kittens on the Move!

 The Hunger Games kittens are four weeks old and coming into their own. Sure, they still like to snuggle with Mom and sleep in kitten piles ... some of the time. But they're much more active, exploring their environment. They're moving on up and out of the nursery!

Katniss leading the crew in the Great Escape.

They are starting to show their distinct personalities. Katniss is the leader, always the first to explore new turf. Peeta likes to splash and play in the water dish, as if it's his own personal swimming pool. Gale is rather bold, and prefers the heights of the bed, although we've had to pull him back from the edge a few times. Rue is the smallest, but by no means the shyest. Her eye infection is healing nicely, and she can hold her own in kitten wrestling matches against her bigger brothers.

Mama Runway, while still eating voraciously, is getting thinner. No doubt she's hoping the kittens will soon show interest in eating solid food, but so far, they're more interested in walking through the food dish than in actually eating the stuff. They have, however, been observed in the litter box--Peeta, especially, seems to enjoy kicking litter around. We can't say that they're actually using the litter box for its designated purpose, but we're hoping that Mom's example will guide them in that direction.

"Hey, have you tried that new sandbox thing?"

 Basically, they're changing from babies to kittens, and they're just adorable. Sturdy, sweet Gale is stunning with his bright blue eyes and red hair. Peeta's lighter ginger coat is developing beautiful tabby stripes. Katniss has a thick, plush  coat of soft grey fur, and little dilute calico Rue has the cutest, funniest smudge on her nose. They are starting to play with toys (we need to get them more of those), are spending more time running around and less time sleeping, and are starting to talk more, demanding to be noticed--as if such cuteness could go unnoticed!

For her part, Mama is less nervous when they're running about, more willing to let them venture from her side for short periods of time. She even seems to enjoy some alone time, lounging on the floor or in her window perch. After all, even the best mother needs a little break from the kids now and then.