The Kids - Part One

Upon returning the Cherubs, I was asked about the potential possibility of taking on a mother cat and nine kittens. Yes I said NINE. The mother was having difficulty keeping milk up to the demanding group and two of them were not as chubby as the other seven. It is assumed when her owner dropped her off that another cats litter was combined with hers and since she accepted them all there had been no major issue made of it.

Being only new to fostering I was hoping for some straight forward four week old kittens - at the youngest - that I would keep until they were eight weeks or until they reached a goal weight. I was not overly excited about taking on a mother cat and her nine kittens that were barely two weeks old. The risks of death of one of the kittens were much higher. If I didn't take them on none would get the chance.

The shelter didn't have room or time for the mother and her nine. They didn't have the ability for around the clock regular feeds and most likely if I didn't take them on the entire group would have been put to sleep, or at least all nine kittens would have since they were much too young.

So I caved. I rang my mother and presented the idea of bringing home a mother and her nine kittens. Amazingly they said yes.

Overnight I questioned my sanity. The mother in the middle of the night had escaped her big crate through a very small gap and taken at least three of her kittens in behind a set of drawers assuming that was a safer place. I was terrified the others left in the cage had been exposed to the cool air for too long but none were dead. Mother cat however was very defensive of us getting the kittens back out from behind the drawers and I had to fetch my dad because her full on 'back off' hissing was making me triple question whether I'd done the right thing taking them with me.

I am eternally grateful to my mother who convinced me to stick it out and see.

I have never seen a litter born or ever got to see the early stages of a kittens life. I had never syringe fed kittens before. I had never had to deal with a mother cat who eyed her kittens like a hawk whenever I pulled them out to feed or weigh them. Slowly the mother began to accept that I was there to help and I was supplying her with food and milk which she hungrily scoffed down attempting to keep up to demanding kittens that were making her little more than skin and bone.

Introductions shall be due.
Meet Annie and her Kittens.

Mumma Annie taking a break from the kids

I was overwhelmingly glad that the animal shelter named the entire group before I got my hands on them. They had gone with a Prince and Princess theme. Why their nickname wasnt 'The Royals' is because I didn't think of it at the time when I had them and just called them 'The Kids'

The Litter ran in letters from B to J. Each was named after the letter they were assigned.
A was Annie - the mother
B was Beatrice - a grey tortoiseshell
C was Charlie - a buff - diluted ginger - fluffy little boy
D was Dianna - a ginger female
E was Eddie - a black tortoiseshell - was mistaken for a boy thus a male name that never ended up being changed.
F was Freddy - a ginger male, likely the biggest of the litter and soon earned his own nickname of 'The Tank'
G was George - a gorgeous fluffy silver tabby (swoon)
H was Harry - another buff colored short haired boy
I was Izzie - a near replica of her mother which I'll call Torbie considering she was tabby with slight ginger tabby patches mixed together.
J was Jenny - another black tortoiseshell female.

It roughly worked out that I had two of each. It was, as they began getting more adventurous, how I figured out who was missing. I had the two Gingers Diana and Freddy, the two Buff kittens Charlie and Harry, the two grey's Beatrice and George, the two black tortoiseshells Eddie and Jenny and lastly the two tabbies Annie and Izzie.

They began wobbling around so I pulled each out for an intake shot.

Annie just hanging out

Beatrice when her orange hadn't yet come through

Charlie one of the littler ones

Dianna the drama queen

Eddie the mistaken gender female

Freddy - The Tank

George the little fluffy grey tabby - Sisters favourite

Harry, Investigating the water bowl

Izzie, when she fit in one hand (one of the smaller ones)

Jenny the quiet one

 Since I had this group from the 12th of November 2011
On the 16th of December George, Freddy, Eddie and Jenny were returned
23rd December - Mother, Beatrice and Harry returned
28th December - Dianna, Charlie and Izzie returned

Due to the extensive time I had these little guys there may be quite a few posts about them.