[Big_Tag]

Well, kitten season is in full swing and I have 2 litters--one group of 6 and their mom (who, thankfully, are big enough for spay/neuter and will be done destroying my spare bedroom this weekend, thankyouverymuch!) and a new group of 4 that I took in because the shelter had about 10 litters in cages and I felt bad

Group4 is in my bedroom (which makes nights decidedly more sleepless) but a funny observation: there are 2 puffball, grey kittens (who seriously look like little Ewoks) and two standard-issue brown tabbies. A boy and girl of each. They are all very friendly, social kittens, but..
The two tabby twins are HELLIONS! Rough players, with each other and with people. The littler of the two is violently food aggressive right now, but as he's the littlest of the litter and he's been here all of two days I will cut him some slack; they usually come out of that quickly.
The two puffy greys, however, are the two sweetest little kids you could ask for! They roll on their bellies, never unsheath their claws, never play bite. Just purr and purr and look like Ewoks

I've just never seen such a marked difference in personalities within a litter, and so distinctly split by phenotype.

Anyway, no real point to this post other than to tell you it's great fun to foster and I'm sure your local shelter could use the help

[GoForAGallop]

Is it just a myth that one litter can have kittens sired by different fathers?

That would explain some of it, maybe!

[Big_Tag]

Is it just a myth that one litter can have kittens sired by different fathers?

That would explain some of it, maybe!

Good point, and not only that, I really don't know if they are even siblings. They came in together and they're the same size but who really knows?

It was a sad state of affairs there this weekend. I saw a whole family (mom, father, and 2 tiny, day-old kittens in a cage together..Himalayans, no less) and I saw a drop off of a 9+ year old cat who got "replaced" by a human baby. When the intake counselor advised the owner that bc of her age she would more than likely be euthanized bc of her low probability of adoption, his reply was, "that's fine." If I didn't have 4 of my own I'd have taken her in on the spot

[Laurierace]

Welcome to my world. In four days I have a stolen hub cap, a tetanus shot, antibiotics, a yeast infection, a visit from the sheriff, and a basement that stinks to high heaven and they still haven't purred once yet! I do have a visit from the health department next week to look forward to.

[rubygirl1968]

How can you tease us with talks of fuzzballs and ewoks with no pics?????? We need pictures!!!

I really miss fostering. But my cats are happier now that I'm not - Jellybean isn't spraying anymore at all - Thank you, Lord!!

My crf cat has good days and bad days and I don't think he would appreciate little furry hellions either, but I do miss it. Please post pictures so I can live vicariously through you!

It was a sad state of affairs there this weekend. I saw a whole family (mom, father, and 2 tiny, day-old kittens in a cage together..Himalayans, no less) and I saw a drop off of a 9+ year old cat who got "replaced" by a human baby. When the intake counselor advised the owner that bc of her age she would more than likely be euthanized bc of her low probability of adoption, his reply was, "that's fine."

I could never ever work at a shelter - I would bring too many home. It's just heartbreaking.

Stephanie

[Bicoastal]

How can you tease us with talks of fuzzballs and ewoks with no pics?????? We need pictures!!!

That's right. You know the rules! I wanna see wittle ewok kittehs!!

Bless you and all fosters. I did one kitten season but strongly disapproved of the way one -my fav, naturally- was handled when she became healthy and big enough for adoption so I stopped. I still wonder about her

See? I posted a pic. Your turn!

[rubygirl1968]

Bicoastal, she's adorable. Look at the little gray nose!!!

I still wonder about some of my foster guys too. We probably always will. I hope they landed in good homes.

[Big_Tag]

It took me a little while but here are some pictures:

Ewoks:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...sters/ewok.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ters/puff1.jpg

The Ewok "siblings":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...reskitties.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ers/sleepr.jpg

I took the wild litter from hell in for spay/neuter, and probably since they spend so much time beating the tar out of each other:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/brothers.jpg
..three of the six had to stay an extra week to get up to weight.
They're both actually very sweet, they just spend a lot of time being absolute wildcats. Now that their vacc's are started they can intermingle with my pets, which they're enjoying.

Here's their sister, who is also still here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ers/Bailey.jpg

The shelter was still in filled-to-capacity mode, and an absolutely terrified mom and her single kitten were still there from last week so I took those two into my open spare bedroom. She's a very pretty, blue eyed siamese-y type of some sort and her little son is going to be a flame-point with blue eyes. He is an absolute FATTY and he's already very social (totters out on tiny, barely functional legs to visit) but his mom, not so much. She is not mean at all but she is still very, very shy. I'm hesitant to really push the issue while she's still nursing her little son, but she's not what I'd call adoptable right now. She has a bum ear--it looks like a little Scottish Fold ear--and she is very pretty, so hopefully she will come around!

[Superminion]

Goodness, does it get much cuter?!

I'm sure you heard the collective, "Awwwwww", from all the way here in VT!

[incentive]

Great photos and super cute babies! {{{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}} to you for fostering

I volunteer at a no-kill cat rescue. We had 3 anonymous drop-offs last week. We are out of room until we get some adoptions. If we couldn't find folks to foster moms with babies, even more would end up being put down, and motherless babies who are too young to eat on their own have zero chance at the SPCA here. Fosters are the life blood of rescue. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Emryss]

Is it just a myth that one litter can have kittens sired by different fathers?

That would explain some of it, maybe!

It's not at all a myth. Cats are induced ovulators, meaning they will only ovulate when mated, and will mate with any Tom (or Dick or Harry) during estrus. Any number of toms may sire a litter.

[ponymom64]

It took me a little while but here are some pictures:

Ewoks:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...sters/ewok.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ters/puff1.jpg

The Ewok "siblings":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...reskitties.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ers/sleepr.jpg

I took the wild litter from hell in for spay/neuter, and probably since they spend so much time beating the tar out of each other:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/brothers.jpg
..three of the six had to stay an extra week to get up to weight.
They're both actually very sweet, they just spend a lot of time being absolute wildcats. Now that their vacc's are started they can intermingle with my pets, which they're enjoying.

Here's their sister, who is also still here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ers/Bailey.jpg

The shelter was still in filled-to-capacity mode, and an absolutely terrified mom and her single kitten were still there from last week so I took those two into my open spare bedroom. She's a very pretty, blue eyed siamese-y type of some sort and her little son is going to be a flame-point with blue eyes. He is an absolute FATTY and he's already very social (totters out on tiny, barely functional legs to visit) but his mom, not so much. She is not mean at all but she is still very, very shy. I'm hesitant to really push the issue while she's still nursing her little son, but she's not what I'd call adoptable right now. She has a bum ear--it looks like a little Scottish Fold ear--and she is very pretty, so hopefully she will come around!

I got to see one picture before my filters at work shut me down

But that little grey ewok is precious <3 <3

[Bicoastal]

It took me a little while but here are some pictures:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...sters/ewok.jpg

Oh My KYOOOTEness. I just keeled over: death by cuteness overdose.

[IdahoRider]

Yes, absolutely a litter of kittens or puppies can have multiple sires. And the point that the kittens in the group might not even be siblings is a good one.

The shelter I worked at had someone bring in a Momma cat and her two kittens. They had been abandoned at a rental house and the property manager had brought them in after setting a humane trap for them.

Kittens were in very good shape. Momma was lavish in her attention. They were all but weaned, doing what we called comfort nursing. I decided to foster them for the week or two that they would need to make weight and go up for adoption.

Momma continued to take good care of the babies and was very, very easy going. So, once the babies made weight and went up for adoption in the shelter, I decided to get Momma spayed and put in one of the shelter's adoption cages at a local pet/garden store (this was a program where each of the locally owned stores in this small chain had a cage in the store, housing an adult cat available for adoption from the shelter...very, very successful).

I bring Momma in to the shelter vet clinic and request a spay. I am sitting at my desk on the shelter side later that day and get a call from the clinic to come over ASAP. I hurry over, and there on the surgery table is Momma cat, all prepped for her spay.

Only Momma cat wasn't a "she". Momma cat was a "he". A very fluffy, long haired boy cat who took exceptional care of the kittens he had been randomly trapped with. All that hair had kept any of us from seeing the testicles and when you saw the kittens curled up next to his belly, "nursing", you didn't have any reason to suspect that all wasn't exactly as it looked.

We just changed the spay request to a neuter and he went to the store for adoption as planned. His back story made him a celebrity and he was quickly adopted. Nice, nice cat.
Sheilah

[Big_Tag]

Yes, absolutely a litter of kittens or puppies can have multiple sires. And the point that the kittens in the group might not even be siblings is a good one.

The shelter I worked at had someone bring in a Momma cat and her two kittens. They had been abandoned at a rental house and the property manager had brought them in after setting a humane trap for them.

Kittens were in very good shape. Momma was lavish in her attention. They were all but weaned, doing what we called comfort nursing. I decided to foster them for the week or two that they would need to make weight and go up for adoption.

Momma continued to take good care of the babies and was very, very easy going. So, once the babies made weight and went up for adoption in the shelter, I decided to get Momma spayed and put in one of the shelter's adoption cages at a local pet/garden store (this was a program where each of the locally owned stores in this small chain had a cage in the store, housing an adult cat available for adoption from the shelter...very, very successful).

I bring Momma in to the shelter vet clinic and request a spay. I am sitting at my desk on the shelter side later that day and get a call from the clinic to come over ASAP. I hurry over, and there on the surgery table is Momma cat, all prepped for her spay.

Only Momma cat wasn't a "she". Momma cat was a "he". A very fluffy, long haired boy cat who took exceptional care of the kittens he had been randomly trapped with. All that hair had kept any of us from seeing the testicles and when you saw the kittens curled up next to his belly, "nursing", you didn't have any reason to suspect that all wasn't exactly as it looked.

We just changed the spay request to a neuter and he went to the store for adoption as planned. His back story made him a celebrity and he was quickly adopted. Nice, nice cat.
Sheilah

What a cool story!!

My fosters invariably love their "uncle" (my big, male white and orange tabby), and he cleans them and lets them tackle him, etc, but I don't think he would tolerate faux-nursing!

[IdahoRider]

My fosters invariably love their "uncle" (my big, male white and orange tabby), and he cleans them and lets them tackle him, etc, but I don't think he would tolerate faux-nursing!

He was a very tolerant cat! I guess he just decided to make the best of his situation!
Sheilah

[GrantanaKC]

My kittens were from a litter of 6 found by my coworker. He and his wife fostered the lot of them and they are iphone/facebook junkies, so he was constantly posting pics of the kittens and videos and such, not to mention all the stuff he showed me at work that never made it to fb. Of the 6, 2 were tortoise shell (my 2), 2 were orange, and 2 were grey. They were all VERY different looking as well as acting. My 2 are short haired and very shiny, the other 4 are long haired. They did everything with their same colored sibling. I am going to try to link a video, prepare yourself, its pretty cute. I hope it will load. Mine are the 2 on the left.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150446396334045

Here is another couple cutie pics:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater

[ponymom64]

My kittens were from a litter of 6 found by my coworker. He and his wife fostered the lot of them and they are iphone/facebook junkies, so he was constantly posting pics of the kittens and videos and such, not to mention all the stuff he showed me at work that never made it to fb. Of the 6, 2 were tortoise shell (my 2), 2 were orange, and 2 were grey. They were all VERY different looking as well as acting. My 2 are short haired and very shiny, the other 4 are long haired. They did everything with their same colored sibling. I am going to try to link a video, prepare yourself, its pretty cute. I hope it will load. Mine are the 2 on the left.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150446396334045

Here is another couple cutie pics:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater

I think you need to adjust your privacy settings - baby kitty junkie that I am couldn't see the pictures I was hoping for some kitty cuteness to start the day.

[GrantanaKC]

I adjusted the settings on the pictures, but the video isnt mine, so I cant fix the first one (but I thought I would try to link it, guess it didn't work)...

[ponymom64]

I adjusted the settings on the pictures, but the video isnt mine, so I cant fix the first one (but I thought I would try to link it, guess it didn't work)...

Thanks! Was able to get my cuteness fix for today