What's two more?

Not much time to post -- I'm doing last-minute preparations for leaving for New Hampshire in the morning (I'll be teaching at Celebration of Needlework this week.) I will be back in town Sunday night, and am really looking forward to meeting everyone.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share pictures of two new girls in our lives -- we took in two more "orphans" on Friday to bottle feed and take care of for the shelter. When they're eight weeks old, we'll have to give them up. In the meantime, they are very sweet, and Lucky, Dusty and Ned really like their new little sisters.

This is Soba.

And this is Chi.

Meow!

Almost six weeks old...

The boys are definitely getting bigger -- scampering, pouncing, stalking, and eating solid food (except for Lucky -- I can't get him to give up that bottle.) Ruby, who is about 15 months old, has taken to mothering all three boys, giving them baths (holding them down to do so), watching over them, and now napping with them. It's very sweet to see her maternal instincts.

I have found it's easiest to photograph the kittens when they're sleeping, because otherwise I just get photographs of blurry orange fur. Plus, what is it about sleeping kids/animals that just makes you love them so much? (Probably the fact they're not spilling Kool-Aid on the sofa or pooping in your shoe.)

Dusty is the most laid-back of the three cats. He's going to be a big guy, and has lots of grey hairs in with his orange (so he's kind of silver and gold.)

We've all taken to these three boys and are having so much fun borrowing them for a while. Graham and Harrison's friends like the kittens, too. In a few weeks, it will be strange to come home and not find them there. They are getting the best care and attention -- what spoiled, lucky cats. And now that we've learned how to help a little litter of kittens, we can help Southern Pines Animal Shelter with other kittens who need love and a place to crash for a few weeks.

The boys are getting big

The kittens we're fostering are getting more-and-more independent, and of course we love them more every day. I wanted to post a few new pictures, so you could see how big they are getting. They all have distinct personalities already. Dusty is gentle, quiet, laid-back and a real lap cat. Ned has a LOT to say and is really adventurous and rascally. Lucky is such a little baby -- loves to be pampered and assured.

To answer a few common questions:

Yes, we love them. No, we're not keeping any of them. I'm sure I'll cry like a baby when I have to give them back, but doing so will allow me to take in kittens as the shelter needs me to.

The boys will be ready for surgery in about three and a half weeks. They have to be two pounds and two months old to be neutered. They will not go back to the shelter. We will take them to surgery at the Spay & Neuter Clinic which is affiliated with and serves our animal shelter, pick them up, give them a day or two to recuperate, then adopt them out via PetSmart.

Yes, they already can use the litter box. It's amazing! I've never worked with cats this young before. But you basically just put them in the litter box, and they dig right in. It's amazing. Why wasn't pottie-training my kids that easy?

In the last several weeks, our shelter has taken in eight litters/mothers, plus these three abandoned kittens. We have about FIFTY kittens who will need homes in the next six to eight weeks. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but make sure you spay and neuter your pets, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.