"I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."
- Henry David Thoreau

Last Days of the Mom Cafe

Lunchtime at the Mom Cafe

Our tiny kittens are growing up! They are five weeks old today, and they've graduated from the nursing box to the wide, wide world of the kitten room.

A world of boxes and toys and scratching posts and a whole big bed that they can get up on and down from, all on their own.

They're starting to explore the litter box (is it just a fun box to play in, or is it something else?), and, just yesterday, they took their first bites of solid food!

Of course, they're still nursing, but Mama Opal will no doubt be glad to no longer be the sole source of nutrition for her gang of six. She's been doing a great job so far. All the kittens are well over the milestone of one pound, where they should be at this age.

Here are their current weights, in ounces:

Onyx--21.55
Sandstone--20.99
Sunstone--20.07 
Jasper--19.68
Mica--18.20
Galena--17.53

This confirms our suspicion that Mica and Galena are the only girls in this litter. They may be smaller than the boys, but they're not lagging behind in their development in any way. All the kittens are bright, curious, playful, friendly, and in perfect health. Great job, Mama!

Kitten food! Yum!

The Three Little Kittens

Ember, Shadow, and Moondust were some of the tiniest kittens we've ever seen ... and now, approaching their two-month birthday, they're still pretty tiny.

Left to right: Shadow, Ember, and Moondust

They are still not so sure about solid food, though they're happy to lap up KMR (kitten milk replacement formula) and have started sampling a mixture of that and wet food. They're learning to use the litter box, but they still have accidents sometimes, like any toddlers. In short, they look and act more like 5-week-old kittens than almost 8-week-olds.

But Mama Emily, herself, is a tiny cat, and probably not more than seven months old. She was living in an abandoned house when she was rescued, so she probably didn't get the greatest nutrition during most of her pregnancy. We think the kittens were premature--so, like all preemies, they may not hit the developmental marks on the same timetable as others their age.

A box of Moondust!

 But the good news is, they're healthy, active, and playful as all get-out. It may take them a little longer to start looking and behaving like big cats, but what's wrong with that? We get to enjoy their kittenhood a little bit longer--and it's hard to find anything cuter than little kittens.

A catnap for Ember

She Likes It! Hey, Moondust!

Ember (on scratcher ramp), Moondust (in scratcher ramp), and Shadow (on track). 

Okay, a kitten taking her first taste of non-Mom food may not seem like a huge deal, but since we've been worrying for weeks about the kittens not wanting to eat, it's a pretty big deal around here.


The kittens are six weeks old, and still not weaned. Most other litters we've fostered have shown interest in food by around four weeks.

"What's this stuff?"

Of course, all kittens develop at different rates, and our current crew--Shadow, Ember, and Moondust--were smaller than usual at birth, with a very young mama cat. We even think they might have been slightly premature. One kitten in the litter, little Dusk, only lived one day.


But they are growing well, and they are beyond any doubt active, playful, and healthy. Still, we couldn't help worrying: were these kittens ever going to eat?

"She likes it! Hey, Moondust!" 

Today, Moondust, the smallest of the three, took the plunge. She came out from her new favorite hidey-hole in the scratching ramp to investigate a dish of KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement)--and she decided it was worth a taste. Once she got started, she licked up nearly the whole dish!

We're hoping her litter-mates follow suit. And we're pretty sure Mama hopes so, too!

Cute of the Day

 

Cute Rule #1: Big head + huge eyes + floofy little body = CUTE!

We let the kittens know that they are famous model kittens, featured on Good Morning Kitten. They seemed to take it in stride.  After all, they're used to being worshiped for their cuteness.

The kittens are in their adventurous phase. They're no longer content to stay in "the kitten room," and when the door opens, there they are, ready to march out, single file, either following Mom or leading her. When she wants them to go back, she'll chirp to them and lead the way home.

This is fun to chew on--but not as fun as Gale!

They've also managed to create their own jungle gym by pulling some drawers out of a small storage dresser, then climbing all over it. They still think the broom and the litter-box scoop are toys, and they don't understand why anyone would use them for cleaning up messes when making new messes is so much more fun. They've already managed to bury one toy mouse in the litter box (bye-bye, mousie!), shred another mouse, and lose various toys under the bed or under the dresser.

Since they started eating last week they actually cry when they hear the can open---well, mostly Peeta cries, but they wake up and drop anything they are doing to trot over for the food game. All five of them gather around the two bowls I have emptied the can into and start chowing down. Many times Mama has to push her way in just to get a bite. Today Katniss ate almost a whole dish by himself. Rue is least likely to get a seat at the table, as she is the littlest and her kitten sibs think nothing of shoving her out of way. Today Rue ate most of her dinner spoon by spoon as I encouraged her to nibble bite by bite.

He followed me home. Can I keep him?

Gale continues to recover from his bite wound and exhibits no fear of--well, anything! Today he leaped from my shoulder, bounced off the side of the bed, and then bounded to the floor and ran off, not at all bothered, as I cringed and gasped. He is seemingly unaware of his hair scar and thinks he is the cutest ever--which of course he is!

Stay tuned for more kitten antics in the days and weeks ahead.

Peeta Steps Out!

Sweet little Peeta. Yes, he's a bit of a crybaby. Yes, he's something of a mama's boy. But there's something about his innocent little face, wobbly legs, and wooly coat that makes him impossible to resist.

Peeta and Mom

Peeta is the smallest of the three boys (only little Rue, the one girl of the litter, is smaller), but he's no slouch. Not only has he managed to jump up to the window perch on his own, he was also the first to try eating solid food. After Peeta took the plunge, Gale chowed down, and Katniss had a few bites. Only Rue is still holding back, but she's showing some interest, and we're sure she'll catch up to the boys soon.

Yay, Peeta! We're sure Mom is breathing a huge sigh of relief. Now, off to buy more kitten food!

"What's THAT stuff? I'M not gonna try it! Let's get Peeta..."

"He likes it! Hey, Peeta!"

Hungry, Hungry Kittens!

It's a floofy ball o'cuteness!

They're small and fluffy and playful, and they're growing every day. Katniss is still the leader at 1 lb., 7.8 oz. ; Gale is not far behind at 1 lb., 7 oz.; Peeta is catching up at 1 lb., 5 oz., and tiny Rue has finally broken the pound barrier at 1 lb., .5 oz.

Mom Runway in a rare quiet moment

Meanwhile, none of them have started eating solid food, despite many attempts to introduce it. They still think Mama's Kitchen serves up the best meals in town! But the kittens are five weeks old now, so it is time for them to start being more independent. We expect the next week to be messy but fun, with more attempts to interest them in "kitten glop." Stay tuned! 

Peeta, a/k/a "Cry Baby Kitten." He's very vocal when he's hungry!

Feed the Kittehs!

It takes a village to raise a kitten. We are fortunate to have had help from friends and animal lovers over the years.

We feed our nursing mama cats a high-quality canned kitten food, supplemented by dry kitten food. As the kittens learn to eat solid food, they eat a special "baby cat" food designed just for young kittens. Food is the major ongoing expense for both moms and babies; there's also cat litter, blankets, toys, and bedding. Before they're adopted, kittens go for a vet check and get their first set of shots, and mom cats need to be spayed. We always appreciate donations to help with our fostering and rescue.

Sponsor a foster cat or kitten!

Kitten Vet Visit $80.00 USD 1 Case Kitten Food $30.00 USD 4 Cans Kitten Food $6.00 USD

You can also go to PayPal and send a donation of any amount to mirishouse@gmail.com. If you'd prefer to mail a check, please email us for our address.

Miri's House in reality has existed for years. We'd like to take this time to thank all those who have helped with donations of money, time, loving homes, referrals, and advice over the years.

Big Purrs to: 

Lisa B., Somerville, MA
Lori B., New Bedford, MA
Samantha C., Warren, RI
Kimberly C., Warren, RI
Julie D., Somerset, MA
Lily Marlaina G., Somerset, MA
Christa H., Oakland, CA
Kendall K., Portsmouth, RI
Emily L., Portsmouth, RI
Linda L., Nantucket, MA
Kiersten M., Cranston, RI
Amy U., Newport, RI
The Crowley Family, Somerville, MA
The Kret Family, Newton, MA
The Rua-Larsen Family, Somerset, MA
C.A.R.E. Southcoast, New Bedford, MA
Animal Associates, Dartmouth, MA
Rhode Island Community Spay/Neuter Clinic, Warwick, RI