Dos Hermanos

It's hard to believe the kittens are eleven weeks old today. It's funny to see how they alternate between testing their independence and still wanting snuggle time with Mama.

Now that Katniss (AKA Dumbledore) has been adopted, the two remaining boys have gotten closer. We just had to share some adorable shots of their brotherly bonding.

Meanwhile, Gale--whose new name is going to be Leo--had his first meet-and-greet with his soon-to-be adoptive family, both human and cat. Bee, his future cat sibling, did some hissing, but Leo kept his cool. He's definitely an outgoing little guy, and he's already made friends with resident cats  Ian and Duncan (although Molly is still holding out).

As for Peeta, he is not quite as bold, but he's incredibly sweet, the snuggliest of the kittens. If Peeta were in a high school yearbook, he'd be voted "Most likely to be a lap cat."

Every Picture Tells a Story

This is Duncan.

This is Gale.

This is Duncan in his wild and abandoned youth.

Now, here is Gale meeting Duncan for the first time.

And here is Gale, later that very same day.

The evidence speaks for itself.

But there is one added twist ...

Apparently, someone's been teaching these kittens to wipe.

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.

Gale: Bitten Kitten!

Good news for Gale! We were worried about the strange bumps on his forehead, especially when they seemed to get bigger almost overnight. They were side by side, just above his eyes, in the middle of his forehead. It almost seemed as if he was growing little ... well ... horns! 

Should we start calling Gale "Hellboy?"

 At first, we thought Gale might have bumped his head, but since there were two lumps, and since they had changed size, we started to worry. What if this sweet little guy had a tumor?

Gale didn't act like a sick kitten. He still ran around, jumped, and played with his litter-mates, still had a good appetite, and didn't seem to have any hearing or vision problems. Still, this just didn't seem normal. So, even though funds are tight, we decided that another trip to the vet was in order.

As before, we decided to load the whole kit 'n' kaboodle into the carrier so that Mama wouldn't stress out over her missing kittens, or vice versa. Also as before, the awesome staff at Acoaxet Veterinary Clinic all gathered round for their dose of floofy kitten cuddles.  But this time, instead of Rue, it was Gale in the hot seat. Dr. Hall examined Gale and didn't find anything wrong, but he could definitely feel two bumps. We'd  hoped they could avoid shaving his head, but unfortunately, it looked like Gale was going to get a mini-Mohawk.

Whatchu lookin' at? I think Joe Strummer rocked this haircut once.

 Poor Gale! When the vet took him into another room to shave his head and aspirate the wounds for biopsy, he made his displeasure known, vocally and VERY loudly. Poor Runway was frantic, running around the room and chirping at the door: "I want my baby back!"

When Gale returned, he had a new punk haircut and two clearly visible red bumps. We couldn't help but comment on his resemblance to the comic character Hellboy. And there were further indignities to endure: an antibiotic shot and worm medicine, which he proceeded to spit out all over the examining table. We couldn't really blame the poor guy. He's had a bad day.

"I gots boo-boo!"

The good news is that Gale's bites, while serious enough to need antibiotics, should recover within a week. We'll need to keep an eye on his boo-boos, apply hot compresses twice a day, and make sure his siblings don't go all True Blood on him again. We don't know who the biter is, but we strongly suspect Peeta, who was the very first eater, and has already used our hands and ankles as chew toys.

Just another day at Chez Kitten. We will be keeping an even closer eye on the growing clowder, moving them into a bigger room to give them more room to play as they move into this new, more active phase of kittenhood.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to Gale's medical expenses. They were higher than we expected ($128.62), but we've already raised one-fifth of the cost through donations, and the vet has graciously given us until Friday to pay off the remainder. If you'd like to help sponsor Gale, or any of the Hunger Games Kittens, just use the link below to donate. Thanks for following our story, and stay tuned for more kitty adventures!

And remember, your brother's face is NOT a chew toy!

Image credit: "Hellboy and Kitten" by Kory Bingaman, retrieved from elfwood.com.

Gale goes to the Vet

Oh, No ... not the VET!

We are concerned about Gale, our lively little redhead. Five days ago I noticed a bump on his forehead and worried that he had hit his head during boisterous play with his siblings. I spent the next several days watching him for signs of illness or trauma: loss of appetite, listlessness, failure to use the cat box, or weight loss. He showed no real signs of illness but last night I noticed the bump on his head had grown into two bumps, side by side above his eyes.

Gale with his Mousie

I called the vet for an appointment and got one for tomorrow. The initial appointment will be $45.00, not including other charges for medicine, excision, or, worst of all, surgery.  

I’d like to ask anyone who can to sponsor this little one’s vet visit and treatment. Please use the PayPal link on our page to make a donation, large or small. Even a few dollars will help.

If you are not able to make a donation, perhaps you could post some good wishes for him on the blog to see him through this tough time and get him on the road to recovery, or share Gale’s status in the hope that others will come through for this rescued cutie. Thanks!

Sponsor Gale's Vet Visit

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!

Caturday's Child Works Hard (at Being Cute) for a Living

Four kits, three weeks. The Hunger Games Kittens--Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and Rue--turned three weeks old today, which meant it was time for their weigh-in. They didn't like it any more than we humans do (of course, we might not mind it so much if we were tiny enough to be weighed on a food scale)!

We're happy to report that all four kittens are growing apace. They are either closing in on one pound or have already passed it. This week, Katniss leads the pack at 1 lb., 6 oz., with Gale close behind at 1.4, then Peeta at 15.7 oz., and little Rue at 12.9 oz.

They still love to sleep kitten-pile style, but are more aware of their surroundings and have even made some attempts to climb out of their nursing box. Mom Runway is clearly proud of them, and who can blame her?

New Family on the Block: The Hunger Games Kittens!

How do cats and kittens get to Miri's House?

Miri, the first mama cat fostered here.

Sometimes, we've taken in kittens from a local animal shelter, but usually, like Miri, they just find their way here. Maybe homeless cats leave invisible hobo signs pointing the way, saying "Good food, soft beds, high-potency catnip here!" Maybe not. But however they get here, we're glad these little wanderers find a safe stopping place on their way to a forever home.

Runway, the current mama cat in residence, was wandering around the neighborhood for a while. Sometimes we'd glimpse a little calico face peeking out from under cars or bushes. On a hot Fourth of July day, we got a frantic call from some neighbors. They had managed to capture the little calico, and she was very thin--AND very pregnant. Panting and terrified, she looked as if she were about to give birth immediately. But once released from the cat carrier, she calmed down and showed her true nature: a complete purr bug. With two weeks of high-quality kitten food, Mama grew ... and grew ... Finally, on July 20, she gave birth to four healthy and absolutely stunning kittens: one calico, one grey, one light orange, and one dark orange--the same number and coloring as Miri's kittens.

Runway with Peeta, Rue, Gale, and Katniss.

 Runway got her name from the cute little "landing strip" of orange under her chin, but what to call the kittens? We'd already had a "Harry Potter" family (Molly, Ginny, and Luna), so it seemed only right to honor another favorite young adult book series and name these plucky little survivors after characters in The Hunger Games. So, we have strong and determined Katniss, with the softest grey fur ever; Peeta, the fluffy ginger-blond boy with a gift for gab; sleek dark-red Gale, already a bold explorer; and sweet little Rue, the tiniest but very likely the brightest.

Right now, they still wobble when they walk, and they haven't really seen the world beyond Mama's side. But soon, they will be getting into all kinds of cute kitten trouble, the way kittens do. We'll keep you posted.