Friday, January 13, 2017

A Few Pictures From Our Orphan Kitten Fostering Days

Always adopt at least 2 kitten litter mates instead of one kitten -  Everyone will be much happier.  They'll always get along, they'll have company when you're away, and you'll still have plenty of time with them.  We did a good job getting them adopted out in pairs.  Most of the pictures of older/grown cats are those we adopted.  3 left..

For anyone who wants to play match the name to the picture, here are the names:  Alphonse, Monique, Betty, Big Bear, Buddy (Hacket), Charles (MASH), Moe, Larry, Curly Sue, Eddie, Edie, Grey Goose, Howie, Tank, Jewel, Jewely, Little Bear, Lodi, Minnie, Nemo, Pluto, Sammie, Shelly (Winters), Spats, Suzie,  Tony (Curtis).






































































20 comments :

  1. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww. All so pretty, Kid.

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    1. Adrienne, Thanks. As you can imagine feeding and play time was always a lot of fun.

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  2. So cute! They sure do get along with each other...I'm sad Blues hasn't a friend here but...we'll see!
    These really are SUCH adorable pictures! Those tiny long tails, the way they cuddle together...so sweet.
    thanks, Kid!

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    1. They sure were a lot of fun Z. Glad you like. Thought it would be a nice break from election coverage et al.

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  3. As Will Rogers said of people, "I've never met a cat I didn't like."

    Bless you, Kid, for doing so much for the little fellows. I've never had more than three at a time. Always came to me from widespread locations, so often they are NOT particularly fond of each, but we all get along anyway. I wouldn't know what to do without them.

    Only regret I've gotten so old I wouldn't dare adopt a kitten again, because I hate to think what could happen if it outlived me. Although I have a little blind, three-year-old who came to me literally starving to death two years ago. I couldn't turn him away, and no one wanted a bind cat, so he's here, and I'm very proud of the way he's developed. But I'm soon-to-be 76 and he's only three going on four. So all we can do is the best we can do.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks for sharing all these great pictures. I wish I could allow my cats that much freedom, but it couldn't work where I live. Too many neighborhood cats here and up squashed to death on the busy road that runs behind my house. And then there are the wild rioters in the woods who might attack them.

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    1. FT, Thanks. Strange cats can sometimes get along and sometimes not. When they don't they can get into territorial wars and you know what that means. We never had any trouble like that but most of them were very young and they do tend to get along better than older cats.

      We're getting to the age that if we run out of cats will go break a couple old ones out of jail that probably wouldn't get adopted otherwise.

      Hopefully, you have a friend or neighbor who would adopt if anything happened to you, or maybe take the cat(s) to a no kill shelter ?

      We had a good neighborhood for allowing them some out time. The small ones always stayed really close to the house and we always supervised.

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  4. SWEETIES ALL!

    I could never foster kittens. I'd have to keep 'em all!

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    1. AOW, It can be hard seeing them go because you tend to have them long enough that you name them and once you name them... But reality steps in and you realize you just can't keep them all. My wife did an excellent job vetting the new owners, verifying that they took them to a vet for a checkup and most people emailed us a picture of them in their new home.

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    2. AOW, PS - It is a lot of work too. The small ones need to be bottle fed a few times a day and you have to help them go potty too. The mom licks the kitten on their abdomen and that ques them to go, otherwise they don't and poison themselves. You can simulate that with a warm paper towel and rub them on the lower abdomen. In case you ever find any little ones, that'll probably be the first thing they need.

      It was a real assembly line process. We'd have a bunch of them in a box and we'd each pick one up and feed and potty them and put them in another box to keep em straight. The black lab that's in one of the pictures used to sit and watch. Sometimes one of them would try to climb out of the box, and he'd start whining to tell us "he's getting away!" heheh

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  5. I'm in kitty lover heaven right now. . Oh my goodness, I'm loving it all, but that video of the kitty jumping up just about broke my heart. Our Kinky, a tortie who passed last November, used to to the same thing every morning. I have so many wonderful cat memories and I'd like to have more, but like AOL said, I'd want to keep them all.

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    1. Cube, Glad you enjoyed! Lots of good times and laughs watching them play. Better than TV. Well how about two at a time Cube ! ;-)

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  6. I knew cube would love these... We moved here in 2010 and adopted 2 kittens. They were obvious strays in distress. we fed them and took them in temporarily. Our oldest son and his wife took them, but we retained visitation rights. Love the names above. Is that Spats updating your blog on the 5th picture down?

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    1. DaBlade, Updating? Spats is in the 14 and 15 pictures. The very small guy on the purple towel and the one below. Unfortunately, you can't see it in the pictures but he had very black and very white stripes on the back of his head and neck which reminded me of the shoes they call spats. Neat cat.

      Don't know what your area is like, but we have so many strays around here that haven't been fixed so spring and summer bring tons of new cats. Most of these guys came from people who found them in their yard, or their dog picked them up and brought them back to the house whatever and from there to a shelter we worked with.

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    2. PS - thanks for you comment on the names. It was fun naming them, sometimes by their looks and sometimes their personality or behavior. Tank was funny. He'd turn in a zero radius turn like a tank does, then go flying off, to do the same thing in some other direction. He's one of the light grey tigers with the black stripes.

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    3. I meant 'posting' not updating. I saw the kitty by the keyboard and assumed you had the same issues I have - animals posting occasional blogs under my name and my account. The unfunny ones aren't really from me, they're from my humorless GSD. And the real Spats is very cool!

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    4. Ah, Spats was a cool dude. Hope he's doing Ok at his new place.

      We do have that problem here at times. Cats just aren't good jokesters on the keyboard.

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  7. My eyes are watering and my throat scratchy.
    I have to leave now.

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  8. DaBlade: (Okay, I know, your name is really Jerry, but I will always think of you as DeBlade) You're right. I love me these kitties!!!!

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    1. Haha! I answer to either. One was born as a golf nickname and the other a nickname from my actual name, but call me 'Gerald' and sh*& gets real :)

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