A Little Hawthorne for the Holidays

Hawthorne came to us as one of the three Halloween kittens, who were abandoned when someone moved and rescued in October. Three little black kittens, sweet as could be, rescued just before Halloween. We named them Harriet, Hazel, and Hawthorne.

Hawthorne and his sisters.

Harriet and Hazel both found great homes a few weeks ago. Hawthorne is still in foster care, being as cute as he possibly can.

Black velvet, if you please!

He loves exploring high places. You may find him on the top of a door or on any tall perch he can find. He loves playing and chasing his foster brothers and sisters up and down the stairs. He also loves food, and will steal it from his foster brothers and sisters if they let him get away with it! (Mostly, they do, because this mischievous but adorable little guy is so hard to resist.)

We are the watchers on the wall.

But most of all, Hawthorne loves lovin'. He's resting his chin on my hand right now as I type this. His favorite place to be is right next to you. Unlike many cats, he loves to be picked up and held. Because of his size and floof factor, we wondered if he is part Maine coon, but now we are starting to wonder if he has Ragdoll in him!

Hawthorne and his magnificent tail!

Whatever his origins, Hawthorne is a great cat who reminds me of another most excellent  black cat who was fostered here a few years ago, Sirius Black--now happily adopted and known as Sirius Black Sabbath! We hope that Hawthorne, he of the magnificent ebony plume and the loud, contented purr, finds his own happy ending soon.

If you are interested in adopting Hawthorne, send an email to mirishouse(at)gmail.com or fill out an adoption application at CARE Southcoast.

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

New Kits on the Block

Some new kittens have joined the household! We are fostering them for CARE Southcoast.

Meet Owl (tabby kitten on the lowest perch), Smudge (tabby and white kitten one perch up), and Eleven (black kitten hiding behind Smudge). They are about eight weeks old, still very shy, but very playful!

Here are Eleven and Smudge, all wrapped up in a kitty purrito. Swaddling them and petting them helps get them used to being handled by humans.

Something special we've noticed about two of these kittens: they have thumbs! Little Owl and Eleven are polydactyl cats, which pretty much doubles down on their already extreme cuteness.

They will be ready for adoption in about 3-4 weeks. Applications are available on the CARE web site. Email mirishouse(at)gmail.com if you would like to schedule a visit.

In the meantime, as always, we will happily accept donations of Royal Canin kitten food (canned and dry) and other kitty supplies through our Amazon wish list, or you can make a direct donation through our Paypal button.

Follow us on Facebook for cute kitty updates!

Cute of the Day

Bettina

Paris

Adorable Adoptables

Maybe it's time we were formally introduced. After all, you might want to take us home with you someday.

Hi! I'm Bettina.

Meet Bettina! 
Age: 5 months
Sex: Female
Weight: 3.14 pounds (I'm tiny! But I'm growing.)
Breed: Domestic short hair
Color: Black (really the most elegant shade for a cat, don't you agree?)
Eyes: Green
Purr-sonality: Laid-back and sweet. Bettina likes getting pets and just sitting by your side, thinking deep thoughts. She's not as rambunctious as her foster brother, but she has her playful moments, too.

Hello! I'm Paris.

Meet Paris! 
Age: 4 months
Sex: Male 
Weight:4.9 pounds (I'm going to be a big guy! Also, FLOOFY!)
Breed: Domestic medium hair/Maine Coon mix (?)
Color: Classic tabby
Eyes: Green
Purr-sonality: Playful, fun-loving, and affectionate. Paris likes to be the center of attention. If he has to climb into your lap to get that attention, he'll be very happy to do so!

Both kittens were rescued by CARE Southcoast and are currently being fostered at Miri's House. Both have their first shots and will be ready for adoption as soon as they are fixed. To arrange a visit or fill out an adoption application, email mirishouse (at) gmail.com.

To make a donation to help with Paris and Bettina's medical expenses and spay/neuter expenses, you can visit CARE online or send a check to CARE Southcoast, P.O.Box 149, E. Freetown, MA 02717. 

Farewell, Little One

It has been tough to keep up the kitten blog, with everything that has been going on. Those of you who follow our Facebook page already know that all the kittens were struck by a mysterious, fast-moving virus, and that we lost our sweet little London.

London was the first kitten to get sick. It started with vomiting, and at first we thought it was just passing tummy trouble or worms, but then she came down with a high fever. She was taken to the vet's, but sadly, she did not make it. London died on August 22, 2017. We never got to say goodbye.

Goodbye, dear London.

Then things happened quickly ... Bettina came down with the same virus and had to be rushed to the emergency vet in the middle of the night. She had a high fever and was unable to eat. At one point, we were told that they did not expect her to live--but Bettina kept fighting.

Next, London's brother Paris started running a high fever, and he, too, was off to the vet. Dash, Bettina's brother, seemed to be the only one holding the sickness off--but then he stopped eating and started vomiting. Off to the vet for Dash, too. He still had plenty of fight in him, though. It took four people to hold him down to get his temperature.

Right now, Bettina and Paris are back home, and Dash is at another rescue house. The good news is that they all seem to be recovered and are eating, putting on weight, and seem stronger and more active every day. They tested negative for feline leukemia, FIV, and panleukopenia. We are hopeful that they will grow up to be beautiful, healthy cats and find the loving forever homes they deserve. After all, they've already beaten the odds once.

Beautiful Bettina

Sweet Paris

Meet the Fosters!

Two new kittens are on board for the summer! These adorable orphans were rescued by CARE Southcoast after their mother sadly died. They are about 8 weeks old and will be available for adoption after they are fixed and have all their shots. In the meantime, they need lots of love and socialization. At first they wanted nothing to do with humans, but now they purr when you hold them and are starting to venture out to play! 

Right now we are calling this little grey kitten Spitfire. She likes to act fierce, but she's really quite a cuddler once she gets started. She has short hair, a cute white bib and paws,  and a tiny little white spot on her nose. 

Her sister has classic Maine coon cat tabby markings, with a distinctive tabby M on her forehead. We suspect FLOOF is coming, but right now she's medium haired, with incredibly soft, dark fur. We are calling her Selkie. 

Follow our Facebook page for updates on these two adorable babies. 

Fostering Love

Could you be a foster cat parent? All you need is love! Well--love and a spare room, and the willingness to spend some time feeding, caring for, playing with, and petting some cute kitties.

Yes, playing with cute kittens. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

Orange Ollie reminds us of our Opie, who found a home recently!

Right now, CARE Southcoast is looking for foster homes for three kittens and for a mom cat who needs a safe place to give birth. Tegan, Tessa, and Ollie are all about 9 months old and shy. They could really benefit from some one-on-one attention to help them open up. CARE does not have a shelter building at this time, and they are relying entirely on a network of foster homes.

Another orange cutie, here's Tegan with his amazing fluffy tail!

 No pictures of the mama cat yet, but we do know that her person is moving into assisted living and she is in need of an emergency foster home as soon as possible. If you've never had the opportunity to see kittens grow from tiny, hamster-like balls of fluff into sleek, agile, and playful young cats, now is your chance! It really is a wonderfully rewarding experience.

Tessa is a lovely tortie girl who would really blossom with some attention.

If you are in southeastern New England and you can offer a foster or permanent home to one or more of these kitties in need, please email Karen at CARE Southcoast: kmste (at) yahoo.com as soon as possible. You can also email us at mirishouse (at) gmail.com.