Hello, I'm Quail- first post here.
I will provide unnecessary, lengthy background first.
I have a momma cat named Ghost. We found her and her sibling, Ghoul, in a "free kitten" box on the side of the road late fall 2021. They were about 5 weeks old, we brought them to my brother's work to be shop cats once they were grown. They grew up in the break room and eventually moved to boarding once they were a few months old.
Ghost and Ghoul stopped getting along about the time they hit maturity. Ghost is very social and gets along with other cats with ease, Ghoul decided it was in her best interest to start harassing Ghost. Boss kept forgetting to get the cats fixed, Ghost wanted to get away from her angsty sister, so she began escaping to behind the business when the door was open, where a few feral toms were more than happy to keep her company.
On her last night out I decided to just keep her when we got her back inside so she didn't have to deal with her sister anymore. She rapidly settled into the house cat life, putting her former career as a mouser behind her. About a week in it became apparent she did more than keep warm with the gentlemen behind the shop the last evening she was out. When she was the size of a melon we brought her to the vet to get a headcount on the little Ghosts possessing her. Vet counted 4 little spines. Our mom declared that she wanted a kitten for her apartment, brother's co-workers want one, as well as a friend of one of the co-workers. So all but one future kitten has a home lined up.
Last Tuesday the day came. We set up a nice cozy nest with plenty of new throws. Momma had been on Royal Canin Mother & baby cat food since we first noticed she was pregnant, we got a space heater to keep it nice and cozy, had kitten replacer on hand if necessary- we were pretty well prepared! This paid off as the process went smoothly, minus the fact that Ghost yowled if we weren't in her line of sight and later crawled out of the nest while actively giving birth to the first born so she could lay against my brother and I. She continued to give birth to all 4 kittens on the bathroom floor with us comforting her the whole time. It was really a special ordeal that she demanded we partake in.
Ghost ended up having four lovely little kittens as expected, each a different color. The first, a scrawny black lad; the second, a black and white little lady; the third, a loudmouth blue and white boy; and the fourth, a very strong orange lad.
Momma Ghost just loves her kittens, she's always purring when she's with them and is so attentive. Initially we were worried with her being a first time mom and all, but she really is proving to be a phenomenal caretaker. As soon as one mews she is rushes to their aid, she keeps them fed and clean. She seems very proud. To my surprise she is acting herself despite her new role, she still wants cuddles and to play just as usual. She likes to carry her toys back to the kittens, and would prefer cuddle time includes the kittens as well as she'll move off my lap and return to her kitten pile, looking over her shoulder and purring loudly as if to say, "come pet the kittens too!" I don't think she realizes the kittens aren't as interested in pets as they are nursing right now.
So finally here is my question: what are your experiences with keeping a kitten? We are getting Ghost spayed once the kittens are weaned so we don't have to worry about her going into heat or whatnot. Ghost is our only cat, she's obviously very social and loves people, cats, and dogs alike. She adores her kittens, so I think I would like to keep one once they're weaned. Do you think this is a good idea? I'm leaning towards the baby girl, who I've named Orcus since my brother noted she looks like an orca. Even at less than a week old, the little ones seem to have varying personalities- which I'm sure will change tremendously with time!
If you've had a litter and kept a cat back, do the mom and child typically remain friends? Do they seem close? Or would it ultimately be better to not?
Thanks!
I will provide unnecessary, lengthy background first.
I have a momma cat named Ghost. We found her and her sibling, Ghoul, in a "free kitten" box on the side of the road late fall 2021. They were about 5 weeks old, we brought them to my brother's work to be shop cats once they were grown. They grew up in the break room and eventually moved to boarding once they were a few months old.
Ghost and Ghoul stopped getting along about the time they hit maturity. Ghost is very social and gets along with other cats with ease, Ghoul decided it was in her best interest to start harassing Ghost. Boss kept forgetting to get the cats fixed, Ghost wanted to get away from her angsty sister, so she began escaping to behind the business when the door was open, where a few feral toms were more than happy to keep her company.
On her last night out I decided to just keep her when we got her back inside so she didn't have to deal with her sister anymore. She rapidly settled into the house cat life, putting her former career as a mouser behind her. About a week in it became apparent she did more than keep warm with the gentlemen behind the shop the last evening she was out. When she was the size of a melon we brought her to the vet to get a headcount on the little Ghosts possessing her. Vet counted 4 little spines. Our mom declared that she wanted a kitten for her apartment, brother's co-workers want one, as well as a friend of one of the co-workers. So all but one future kitten has a home lined up.
Last Tuesday the day came. We set up a nice cozy nest with plenty of new throws. Momma had been on Royal Canin Mother & baby cat food since we first noticed she was pregnant, we got a space heater to keep it nice and cozy, had kitten replacer on hand if necessary- we were pretty well prepared! This paid off as the process went smoothly, minus the fact that Ghost yowled if we weren't in her line of sight and later crawled out of the nest while actively giving birth to the first born so she could lay against my brother and I. She continued to give birth to all 4 kittens on the bathroom floor with us comforting her the whole time. It was really a special ordeal that she demanded we partake in.
Ghost ended up having four lovely little kittens as expected, each a different color. The first, a scrawny black lad; the second, a black and white little lady; the third, a loudmouth blue and white boy; and the fourth, a very strong orange lad.
Momma Ghost just loves her kittens, she's always purring when she's with them and is so attentive. Initially we were worried with her being a first time mom and all, but she really is proving to be a phenomenal caretaker. As soon as one mews she is rushes to their aid, she keeps them fed and clean. She seems very proud. To my surprise she is acting herself despite her new role, she still wants cuddles and to play just as usual. She likes to carry her toys back to the kittens, and would prefer cuddle time includes the kittens as well as she'll move off my lap and return to her kitten pile, looking over her shoulder and purring loudly as if to say, "come pet the kittens too!" I don't think she realizes the kittens aren't as interested in pets as they are nursing right now.
So finally here is my question: what are your experiences with keeping a kitten? We are getting Ghost spayed once the kittens are weaned so we don't have to worry about her going into heat or whatnot. Ghost is our only cat, she's obviously very social and loves people, cats, and dogs alike. She adores her kittens, so I think I would like to keep one once they're weaned. Do you think this is a good idea? I'm leaning towards the baby girl, who I've named Orcus since my brother noted she looks like an orca. Even at less than a week old, the little ones seem to have varying personalities- which I'm sure will change tremendously with time!
If you've had a litter and kept a cat back, do the mom and child typically remain friends? Do they seem close? Or would it ultimately be better to not?
Thanks!
such cute kittens….that little orange face is precious 
thanks for the advice! We have an appointment set for their first vaccines.
