Spot looking like a very cute xmas gift!
Spot scampering around (probably chasing after cookie!)
Cookie looking down on his/her domain from the top of the enclosure.
"No it's my paper towel and you can't have it!"
"Seriously - bugger off!"
Monday, November 29, 2010
Show Me Teh Kuteness!!
I managed to find my camera and so without any further ado, here are the pictures of the IBKC at 5 weeks old. They are actually almost 6 weeks now! This was the first day we let them completely out of their small enclosure and I taught them to jump so they could use their climbing/scratching post. Their favourite spot now seems to be on top of their enclosure. Talk about a power trip! First immunisations on Wednesday - now that will be fun. Shortly after that they will go to the proper enclosure downstairs so they can have much more space.
Spot looking like a very cute xmas gift!
Spot scampering around (probably chasing after cookie!)
Cookie looking down on his/her domain from the top of the enclosure.
"No it's my paper towel and you can't have it!"
"Seriously - bugger off!"
Spot looking like a very cute xmas gift!
Spot scampering around (probably chasing after cookie!)
Cookie looking down on his/her domain from the top of the enclosure."No it's my paper towel and you can't have it!"
"Seriously - bugger off!"
Tricksey kittenses...
Just a brief update because I'm about to run out the door. Arbie will have more later today hopefully, including some pictures.
Last night, as arbie was bringing the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee (IBKC) their dinner, Cheeky decided that he wasn't going to hang around for the baby-cat food, snuck between arbie's legs and out the door, and scampered into the kitchen, where he was was promptly chowing down on a bowl of big-cat food (the bowl being about the same size as Cheeky is!).
Every day the little guys are becoming more and more cat-like. They're now pouncing on each other, playing with balls and mice and other kitten toys, climbing their scratching post, and generally acting like the little cats that they are. Next they'll be sleeping on my keyboard while I'm trying to blog!
Last night, as arbie was bringing the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee (IBKC) their dinner, Cheeky decided that he wasn't going to hang around for the baby-cat food, snuck between arbie's legs and out the door, and scampered into the kitchen, where he was was promptly chowing down on a bowl of big-cat food (the bowl being about the same size as Cheeky is!).
Every day the little guys are becoming more and more cat-like. They're now pouncing on each other, playing with balls and mice and other kitten toys, climbing their scratching post, and generally acting like the little cats that they are. Next they'll be sleeping on my keyboard while I'm trying to blog!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
5 Is our Lucky Number
5 seems to be a really good number for "the bubbies" as I call them. They were 5 weeks old yesterday, and I weighed them today with the results being 505g (Spot/Cheeky) and 550g (Dora/Cookie). Lots of 5's. Still very small for 5 weeks but they are growing.
We have started calling them different names so I can teach them to come to their name (yes you CAN train a cat, it just doesn't work like dogs) but they had to be more generic since "cheeky" might put off some prospective adoptive parents and Dora could be embarrassing if it turned out she was a he (which I think is the case - still hard to tell!).
Today's achievements:
What can I climb ma? - Cookie (Dora - the long haired one) now has an eye on anything and everything above him/her to see how far up s/he can get. This is a good sign as it means he/she is more steady on his/her feet. I found Spot (Cheeky) on top of their enclosure yesterday too. Can't wait to get them into the downstairs enclosure where they can climb about. Could be a while yet though. They desperately need a scratching post - I might buy a climbing one this afternoon.
Wheeeeee - Cookie took his/her first grand slide on his/her bum across the lino floor in their room today whilst scampering away from spot. They love to play chasies. It seems they have finally discovered the momentum of running can allow one to skid along on one's behind thus relieving one from running as far. Clever Cookie!
Would love to have posted newly updated (and now much more fluffy and getting cuter by the second) pictures, but I think Jinx (the eldest) has decided to take up photography and absconded with my camera. Nothing is sacred in this place!
We have started calling them different names so I can teach them to come to their name (yes you CAN train a cat, it just doesn't work like dogs) but they had to be more generic since "cheeky" might put off some prospective adoptive parents and Dora could be embarrassing if it turned out she was a he (which I think is the case - still hard to tell!).
Today's achievements:
What can I climb ma? - Cookie (Dora - the long haired one) now has an eye on anything and everything above him/her to see how far up s/he can get. This is a good sign as it means he/she is more steady on his/her feet. I found Spot (Cheeky) on top of their enclosure yesterday too. Can't wait to get them into the downstairs enclosure where they can climb about. Could be a while yet though. They desperately need a scratching post - I might buy a climbing one this afternoon.
Wheeeeee - Cookie took his/her first grand slide on his/her bum across the lino floor in their room today whilst scampering away from spot. They love to play chasies. It seems they have finally discovered the momentum of running can allow one to skid along on one's behind thus relieving one from running as far. Clever Cookie!
Would love to have posted newly updated (and now much more fluffy and getting cuter by the second) pictures, but I think Jinx (the eldest) has decided to take up photography and absconded with my camera. Nothing is sacred in this place!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Clarification on "weasel" issue
For the record, Addy got the "weasel" descriptor hung on him because - particularly when he was younger - he had a tendency to burrow under the covers of the bed while arbie and I were in the said bed. He also had a tendency to launch vicious surprise attacks on various sensitive parts of my anatomy that he encountered down there! This was unusual as both Jinx and Poppy won't go under the covers, and hate having any kind of covering over them - if they're sleeping on top of a blanket, for example, and I fold part of the blanket over them, they will get up and move out from underneath it, then go back to sleep.
Candy had similar tendencies to Addy in relation to the infesting-the-bed behavior. I referred to her as a "white mink" for some time but after a particularly vicious sneak attack on my backside she got demoted to "arctic weasel". I can see certain similarities, can't you?
Candy had similar tendencies to Addy in relation to the infesting-the-bed behavior. I referred to her as a "white mink" for some time but after a particularly vicious sneak attack on my backside she got demoted to "arctic weasel". I can see certain similarities, can't you?
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| Photo of Mustella Erminia by Eddie Callaway Creative Commons licensed |
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| Photo of Felis Catus Clawsmybutt by Dale All rights reserved! |
Big Brave Steps & Memories
I think it's becoming quite clear who the regular poster is here. The saying "no rest for the wicked" certainly applies to me. The glamorous life of fashion, photography and graphic design is often expressed by a woman who hasn't washed or slept for days, in a corner of an office slaving over a computer screen she can barely see because her eyes have given out in protest.
But enough about me...
Dale lovingly brought home a bottle of rum tonight and I have indulged just enough to work up the courage to upload the photos from my camera to the computer. I haven't been able to bring myself to do this since the passing of Bitey & Red but it's not a kitty blog without photos and Dorah and Cheeky deserve their time in the spotlight. If it's one thing these little ones have confirmed for me, it's that I'm no good at grief. I am, however, good at showing cute pictures from my camera!!
Dorah and Cheeky are approa
ching the 5 week mark. I think they are quite small for their age but they are growing rapidly. They eat almost their body weight each day so I should certainly hope so! They are starting to act like the kittens most people know, with a new achievement each day. Today's achievement? Playing with a ball!
These guys still need to be bathed every day (well ok, every other day - wet ones are a miracle product) even though they can groom themselves all over now (finally learned all their kitty yoga moves) they just don't seem to be able to sustain it for long enough to actually get themselves
clean. So here are some shots from their last big bath. They don't much like being soaked, but they do enjoy the cuddles afterwards!
Retrospective - Addy's Story
Addy was our 5th foster kittten - the one that broke me. After weeks having him at my side, I just couldn't let the little guy go and he is currently wreaking havoc all over the room next to me playing silly buggers with Candy (his adopted sister).
This picture was taken in the first few days of having addy with us. Just to give some perspective, the width of the "cat throne" he is on is 45cm. Not a large kitty!
We were actually still fostering our first brood (Lois, Clarke, Diana and Lara) when Addy joined the crew. We had taken the others back to the Animal Welfare League to be weighed and checked and this little man came in - fairly late in the afternoon. He had been found wandering the Gold Coast streets by himself, separated from mum and litter by events untold. The foster co-ordinator had no place for him to stay over the weekend and figured she would have to take him home with her, but didn't really have the room. We happily took him home to join the others, knowing the brilliant enclosure Dale built could house 5 kittens easily, and then some!
Addy was (and still is) a very loving and curious little guy, but also very reserved. He didn't vocalise or purr and he still doesn't to this day. You might get a very strained meow if he is hankering for some cat milk but that's about the extent of his vocalisation. Unless you step on his tail - then you know his voice box works! (only by accident - promise!). He loves to play and while he was smaller than any of our other cats, would play with all of the foster litter, and even our adult cat Poppy. Addy and I shared a very strong bond, and when I had to take back the litter of 4, and the gorgeous little Lois I really wanted to keep, he was there being particularly cute. Of course, we couldn't leave him all alone in the enclosure with no play mates, so he joined the household - firstly in his own room and then out amongst the 2 adults. Poppy found a great companion in Addy and they loved to tear around the house and wreak havoc.
The day approached when Addy was about to reach his goal weight (kittens need to be 1kg before desexing) and I couldn't let him go. Despite grumblings from the sidelines, I put my foot down on this one. Addy would me "my" cat - my mate. Almost a year later, and he is very much my little mate. Still the same as he was as a little tiny stray and even more loving. He likes nothing better than to cuddle up next to my head in between Dale and I (of course, this often means his bum is in Dale's face - I call that payback for when the others did it to me!) and he does purr - but only when he is completely and entirely content. Usually when we are cuddled up and sleeping. Dale calls him a "weasel" because of his curious nature and the fact he always seems to be digging in something - his other nickname is "baron von poopycat" given his strangely poor attitude to litter use. I see him through entirely rose coloured glasses and think he is wonderful anyway.
But enough about me...Dale lovingly brought home a bottle of rum tonight and I have indulged just enough to work up the courage to upload the photos from my camera to the computer. I haven't been able to bring myself to do this since the passing of Bitey & Red but it's not a kitty blog without photos and Dorah and Cheeky deserve their time in the spotlight. If it's one thing these little ones have confirmed for me, it's that I'm no good at grief. I am, however, good at showing cute pictures from my camera!!
Dorah and Cheeky are approa
ching the 5 week mark. I think they are quite small for their age but they are growing rapidly. They eat almost their body weight each day so I should certainly hope so! They are starting to act like the kittens most people know, with a new achievement each day. Today's achievement? Playing with a ball!These guys still need to be bathed every day (well ok, every other day - wet ones are a miracle product) even though they can groom themselves all over now (finally learned all their kitty yoga moves) they just don't seem to be able to sustain it for long enough to actually get themselves
clean. So here are some shots from their last big bath. They don't much like being soaked, but they do enjoy the cuddles afterwards!
Retrospective - Addy's Story
Addy was our 5th foster kittten - the one that broke me. After weeks having him at my side, I just couldn't let the little guy go and he is currently wreaking havoc all over the room next to me playing silly buggers with Candy (his adopted sister).
This picture was taken in the first few days of having addy with us. Just to give some perspective, the width of the "cat throne" he is on is 45cm. Not a large kitty!We were actually still fostering our first brood (Lois, Clarke, Diana and Lara) when Addy joined the crew. We had taken the others back to the Animal Welfare League to be weighed and checked and this little man came in - fairly late in the afternoon. He had been found wandering the Gold Coast streets by himself, separated from mum and litter by events untold. The foster co-ordinator had no place for him to stay over the weekend and figured she would have to take him home with her, but didn't really have the room. We happily took him home to join the others, knowing the brilliant enclosure Dale built could house 5 kittens easily, and then some!
Addy was (and still is) a very loving and curious little guy, but also very reserved. He didn't vocalise or purr and he still doesn't to this day. You might get a very strained meow if he is hankering for some cat milk but that's about the extent of his vocalisation. Unless you step on his tail - then you know his voice box works! (only by accident - promise!). He loves to play and while he was smaller than any of our other cats, would play with all of the foster litter, and even our adult cat Poppy. Addy and I shared a very strong bond, and when I had to take back the litter of 4, and the gorgeous little Lois I really wanted to keep, he was there being particularly cute. Of course, we couldn't leave him all alone in the enclosure with no play mates, so he joined the household - firstly in his own room and then out amongst the 2 adults. Poppy found a great companion in Addy and they loved to tear around the house and wreak havoc.
The day approached when Addy was about to reach his goal weight (kittens need to be 1kg before desexing) and I couldn't let him go. Despite grumblings from the sidelines, I put my foot down on this one. Addy would me "my" cat - my mate. Almost a year later, and he is very much my little mate. Still the same as he was as a little tiny stray and even more loving. He likes nothing better than to cuddle up next to my head in between Dale and I (of course, this often means his bum is in Dale's face - I call that payback for when the others did it to me!) and he does purr - but only when he is completely and entirely content. Usually when we are cuddled up and sleeping. Dale calls him a "weasel" because of his curious nature and the fact he always seems to be digging in something - his other nickname is "baron von poopycat" given his strangely poor attitude to litter use. I see him through entirely rose coloured glasses and think he is wonderful anyway.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
An update on Dora and Cheeky
Arbie is snowed under with work at present so isn't able to do a post about Addy's back-story. Dora and Cheeky are doing well and steadily putting on weight. They both got a good brushing and combing tonight which they enjoyed to varying degrees. Dora is definitely looking like she will be a long-haired kitty when she grows up, but this unfortunately means that she tends to get very messy and there were bits of caked-in filth of indeterminate origin in her fur that took quite a bit of effort to remove - she didn't like this at all but she seems happier now that it's done. Might have some new photos tomorrow, subject to the availability of arbie to download them from her camera.
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