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. 

Three Weeks Old!

Today the kittens are three weeks old. They've gone from tiny, furry blobs unable to see or hear to active, curious toddlers who are almost ready to start exploring the world beyond the kitten drawer.

Six kittens is a big litter, and Mama Opal is our heroine. Not only is she keeping all of them clean, well fed, and healthy, she's a watchful and diligent mom. When we put the kittens up on top of the bed so they can meet new people, Mama keeps a close watch, making sure no one gets too close to the edge.

This tiny girl is doing a great job, even though she looks as if she's barely eight months old herself. She's always hungry, of course, because she's got so many kittens to feed, and she can easily go through six to eight cans of cat food per day ... one per kitten and one to grow on!

We're off to the vet today to pick up some deworming medicine for the babies (and mom) to make sure everyone stays healthy. Meanwhile, Nimbus is approaching four months old and will be fixed at the beginning of August. He may be going home with his new family soon.

We appreciate all the donations we've received. We absolutely could not do this without help. Right now, we have lots of dry cat food. Our biggest need is canned kitten food and canned cat food, and money for medicine, vet visits, and getting Mama Opal, Nimbus, and all six kittens fixed.

If you'd like to donate, use the link on our page, or just send a donation to paypal.me/MirisHouse.  If you'd prefer to send a check, just email mirishouse(at)gmail.com for our address. Email us there for adoption applications as well, but don't wait too long--we already have several people interested in kittens!

Thanks for all your support.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Six Kits!

Mama Opal's six kittens are one week old today, and they're busy growing up and growing strong.  They really are an adorable bunch, each with unique coloring. And just in time for their birthday, we received some wonderful surprise packages from Amazon.

From Suzanne Fortier: a case of canned cat food, a bag of kitten food, AND a soft cat bed! Thank you, Suzanne!

And from Cheryl Hablanian, a kitten-sized scale, which we used immediately to check everyone's weight. Thank you, Cheryl!

Now that the kittens are starting to toddle around, open their eyes, and develop their own personalities, we think it's about time they had names of their own. In keeping with Opal's lovely and old-fashioned name, we're giving the kittens gemstone and mineral names.

So here  are their names and vital statistics:

Jasper--dark orange--8.1 oz.

Mama keeping a careful eye on Jasper, who's fleeing the scale

Sandstone--light orange/buff--8.4 oz.

Curious Sandstone--eyes open and ready to explore!

Sunstone--light orange/buff and white--7.6 oz

What a cute little Creamsicle!

Onyx--black with white markings--8.5oz

Look at those eyes!

Mica--grey and white--7.8 oz

Those little pink feet!

Galena--dilute calico--6.9 oz

So sweet and so petite!

Mama was a little worried that we took the kittens out of their under-the-bed drawer to weigh them, but once we had everyone back safe and sound, she took a play break.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped us care for this beautiful little family.

Six Plus One!

Mama Opal had her kittens. Seven of them. That's a big litter for a little mama!

Sadly, one of the kittens--who we named Star--was stillborn. Goodbye, Little Star. You were loved, however briefly, and will be remembered.

Mama and the other six kittens seem to be doing well. They're quite the multicolored bunch: black with white accents, dilute calico, light ginger, dark ginger, grey-and-white, and ginger-and-white.

Oh, and adorable--needless to say.

Meanwhile, outdoor rescue Nimbus is getting more and more social every day. When he's not zooming around a room, chasing the grownup cats, he likes to cuddle and purr.

So: six baby kittens, one crazy toddler kitten, one mama cat, and three very patient resident cats. It's a 44-paw household!

Thanks to all our wonderful donors for your support. We could never do it without you!

Kitten Season!

It's summer, and that means KITTENS EVERYWHERE! Including at Miri's House. Because, even though we were trying to take a break from fostering to give our older kitties a little rest, sometimes homeless cats find a way.

Like this little kitten who was born outside, and whose feral mama just gave birth to yet another litter of kittens.

Nimbus, age 12 weeks, learning to love a safe indoor life.

And this pregnant mama who turned up on somebody's doorstep, as hungry for attention as she was for food.

Opal, a sweet and very pregnant kitty.

Right now, we've got a full house--with more to come, because Mama Opal, the beautiful calico, is due to give birth any day now.

We named the gray and white kitten Nimbus, thanks to a suggestion from one of our adopters, and named his mother Stormcloud. When he first came into rescue, he hid and hissed at anyone who got near him. He wasn't sure about being picked up and cuddled at first, but now he immediately starts up his little purr motorboat when you hold him.

Stormcloud (L) and Nimbus (R), in their outdoor days.

And we've just learned that he has more siblings his own age. We are concerned about them, and about Nimbus's mother, Stormcloud, and her new litter of kittens who remain hidden somewhere outside. Our neighbor has been feeding the outdoor kitties, and was able to capture Stormcloud--but she managed to rip her way through a window screen and escaped outside.

Then there's a sleek, dark-gray cat who we think is the father of all these litters. He keeps turning up on porches, looking for a home.

The number of cats who need help can feel overwhelming. We can't rescue them all, but we hope to find some help to rescue all the kittens, find them homes, and, if we can't find homes for the older outside kitties, at least get them fixed.

Nimbus has had his first set of shots and is due to be fixed in a few weeks. Mama Opal and her kittens will also need medical attention soon.

Can you help? Here is our wish list:
--Funds for veterinary care and spay/neuter for all current fosters and strays (click our "Feed the Kitties" PayPal link)
--Foster caregivers for the outdoor kitties (all you need is love--and a spare room)
--Kitten food and cat litter (we have an Amazon Wish List for those wishing to donate that way)
--Pet-proof window screens, and someone to install them, to keep foster kitties safe

If you can help with any of these, please donate through our PayPal link on this blog's main page or email mirishouse(at)gmail.com.

Thank mew!

Mama Stormcloud--still outside; desperately seeking foster home for her and her kittens.

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

Official Kitties!

Cute little tortie Ember

Great news! Miri's House Cat & Kitten Rescue, Inc., is now an official nonprofit corporation in Massachusetts. Thanks to everyone who supported our GoFundMe drive so we could file for nonprofit status, and a special shout-out of thanks to Lori Bradley of iAnimal Southcoast Pet Rescue, Inc., whose work for animal welfare is a huge inspiration.

We've been really fortunate this year to receive donations of kitten food, a cat carrier, and several scratching posts and toys. High on our wish list: some cat trees to create more vertical space for both our fosters and our resident cats and a screened porch to give the kitties a chance to get some fresh air in a safe enclosure. We're hoping that someone will offer to donate materials and labor to help us build one.

Sweet tortie Shadow

In the meantime, our current crop of kittens are growing up and will soon be ready for their first set of shots. They will be meeting some potential adopters this weekend, and should be ready to go to their new homes after their second set of shots in October. Mama will need to be spayed, and we hope that we can find her a great home as well. She has done a wonderful job raising her girls.

It's amazing how quickly these little kittens grow up--and how cute they are in the process!

Kitty photobomb: white calico Moondust with a guest appearance by Ember! 

Learning to Play

Happy birthday, kittens! They are one month old and learning to play. 

They're starting to understand what toys are for--but they know a sibling is just as fun.

Kittens are rolling, wrestling, and chasing. 

And then stopping to pose adorably, just because they can. 

Ember

Shadow

Moondust

You can sponsor one of our kittens or Mama Cat! Your donation of $15 will feed this little family for a week. Additional donations will help with litter, toys, and the first shots they will need very soon. Thanks for following and for helping our rescue! 

Shadow Leads the Pack!

Today was weigh-in day for Mama Emily's kittens.

Sweet, small Moondust is the most petite kitten, but still growing well at 13.4 ounces.

Moondust

Little tortie Ember is in the middle: 14.3 ounces.

Ember

And our other tortie, Shadow, is the first kitten to pass the pound mark--she's in the lead at 1 pound, 2 ounces!

Shadow

Ember has a little skin swelling that could be a bite from roughhousing with the other kittens. We're keeping an eye on it and hoping she doesn't need a vet visit like Leo, our fluffy orange kitten from two years back.

Tortie Times Two! 

But other than that, everyone seems healthy--we've only heard a few sneezes, everyone's eyes are clear, and they are all active, alert, and relaxed around people. We think they're going to grow up to be great cats!

Wishin' and Hopin' ...

We had a wonderful surprise the other day: we came home and found a bag of kitten food hanging on our door. That's in addition to all the exciting Amazon deliveries we've had--food, toys, scratching posts.

Did someone say FOOD?

Now that the kittens are getting ready to eat on their own and learn to use the litter box, we've added some new items to our Amazon Wish List. We do have an older kitten litter box we could use, but we've noticed that Emily, our new mom, is highly sensitive to smells and reacts badly to anything that smells like other cats, so we think she would be less nervous if we started these kittens with a brand-new box.

Hard-working Mama Emily taking a lunch break after feeding the kittens.

If you'd like your gift to be acknowledged, or if you're donating in honor of a person or cat, please include a gift card with your order. In the meantime, special purrs of thanks to Laura C., Rosalie M., and Marybeth R. for their generous donations!

Baby Steps

Our three little kittens are growing bigger and more active every day! They're still in the "kitten drawer" for now, safe in their snug nook under the bed, but they come out for regular play sessions and to socialize with visitors. We also weigh them (in a Tupperware container, on a food scale), and everyone is doing well--just past twelve ounces. Of course, like any ladies, they don't always care to get on the scale!

Hey! Don't weigh me, FEED ME! 

We tried introducing them to wet food yesterday, but no one showed any interest yet. That will come very soon, though--and then they will learn to use a litter box--and soon they will be big enough to climb out of the kitten drawer on their own and start exploring.

Soon I shall escape this prison, and the world shall tremble at my wrath! 

But no rush. Right now they're three weeks old, no longer helpless babies but toddlers, just starting to take their first steps to independence. Good job, Mama Emily!

Mom still makes the best pillow! 

Thank you to all those who have donated to help support our little family. Donations (through PayPal) and adoption requests can be sent to mirishouse (at) gmail.com. The kittens and mama should be ready to go to their new homes around the end of September or beginning of October.

Two Weeks Old!

Ember, Shadow, and Moondust had a tough start in life. Their mother Emily--not much more than a kitten herself--was found undernourished and living on the street. The kittens were unusually small at birth. One of the siblings, Dusk, only lived one day. Mama was terrified of any potential threat to her kits and once even managed to get out of her room and attack another foster cat in the house. Was this going to be the little litter that couldn't? 

But now ...

Although they were all under three ounces at birth, Ember, Shadow, and Moondust are now closer to ten ounces. They have opened their eyes and are starting to move around on their own. Mama Emily, though still protective, seems a little more relaxed and is starting to ask for affection on her own.

Everyone seems healthy and happy. And did I mention cute?

SO cute.

Welcome to the World, Ember!

Little Ember opened her eyes today! She and her siblings, Shadow and Moondust, will celebrate their two-week birthday tomorrow.

And really, is there any better way to see the world than through the innocent eyes of a kitten?

Baby Mama

We haven't had a new litter at Miri's House for a while, and we didn't really expect to have one this summer. We are already fostering Sirius Black Cat, a big, fluffy love of a Maine Coon mix who came to us after his family broke up, and finances are tough. But when we heard about a local rescue that was overwhelmed with homeless cats, including four nursing mamas, we just had to help out. Mama Emily, a little black cat who seems like she's still a kitten herself, arrived on a Thursday night. On Friday night, she gave birth to four tiny, sweet kittens. (For some reason, four seems to be the magic number in this house. This was the third litter born here, and all three moms gave birth to four kittens.)

Since Mama had been rescued from the streets and was still very thin, we had hoped we'd have more time to build her up with good food. But the babies had other plans. At first, all seemed well. There were no complications with the birth, and the kittens, though smaller than we'd like, were nursing and seemed fine. There was a little white kit with black markings, two darker ones with tortie markings, and a dusky grey kit, the smallest of the litter.

Sadly, that kitten--who we named Dusk--only lived one day. At one point, we found him off to the side of the other kittens, cold and seemingly not breathing. We massaged him and blew air into his mouth and he revived. But late Saturday night, Mama Cat suddenly began acting strangely: sniffing the air, growling, running from place to place in the fostering room, and howling, as if something had come into the room to threaten her kits. We worried that she was sick, but when we checked the kitten drawer, we knew that something had come into that room. The littlest kitten was dead.

I've read enough cat rescue stories to know that birth complications, sickness, and even death of young kittens is not uncommon, but we've never lost a kitten before. It was heartbreaking. We buried him next to our first mama cat, Miri.

Fortunately, the other three kittens, Shadow, Ember, and Moondust, look to be thriving. They are just over a week old now and have more than doubled their weight. They were so tiny at birth that they looked like mice, but now they're more like guinea pigs!

Still, this has been the most challenging fostering we've done. Mama is now fiercely protective of her remaining kits, and when she slipped out of her room and took off after foster cat Sirius Black, the sounds of her fury shook the house. There were visits to the vet (Sirius) and to the emergency room (people). At times, we've had to question: can we still do this?

I think we can. I'm hoping we can pass through these dark, tense early weeks into the joy and fun of watching growing kittens open their eyes, start to explore, and learn to run and play. I'm hoping we can find terrific, loving homes for all of them, including Mama Emily.

We've already received some great donations of food and toys through our Amazon wish list. We've also had help from friends (thanks, Marlaina, for being the best kitty midwife ever!) and Animal Advocates, Inc. If you'd like to help, what we can really use now is donations, as we would like to start a fund for the kittens' first vet visit and for getting Mama spayed. Please make your donation through our PayPal link, and follow our Facebook page for more photos and updates on Shadow, Ember, and Moondust.

Thanks so much to everyone who cares and helps!