New additions Leo and Jax

[amethyst]

Although I know I didn't technically need more cats, I decided to take in a couple of little boys that were looking for a home before winter hits. This past year has been bad to say the least, I lost so many pets in 2023, 2 dogs and 5 cats, which included the beyond painful loss of my little girl Rascal. I lost a couple more pets (another cat and chinchilla) earlier this year, so I really needed some new life to help bring joy back into the house. So I'm going with, I needed them for my mental health.

I've wanted an orange cat for awhile, but for the most part I just get whatever the kitty redistribution system sends into my life (I live in the country and people dumping cats is a sadly common reality here), but an orange hasn't appeared yet. So anyways, when I heard about someone looking to rehome a couple of 3 month old orange outdoor kittens (last of the litter), I decided to take both. Meet Leo (dilute orange) and Jax (light orange).

 

[Margot Lane]

What a fantastic story! Congratulations & welcome! They look so happy to have a forever home! I can’t wait to hear more about their antics! Orange!

 

[vampiric_conure]

Awwww! So very cute!! They're going to grow into handsome bois! SO ORANGE!

 

[Jmgbethel]

Awwww, hi boys!!!

 

[DeesCats]

Leo and Jax look so cute, congrats on the CDS working its magic again.

I'm so sorry for all your losses over the last couple years.

 

[amethyst]

I'll add a bit more info, they are still a little skittish right now, but warming up quickly. I don't think they were treated badly or anything, just not handled a lot, and from their reaction to one of my dogs, I don't think they have seen dogs before, or at least not big ones. I do have 11 other cats, which is why I say really didn't need more, but... nothing beats the chaotic energy that young kittens bring into a home.

It's good timing to get these two now rather then earlier in the year since have two catios, a smaller window one has metal screens but the larger chain link one small kittens can literally walk right through. Since it's cooling down here though (forecasting snow and only a high of -1C for next monday ) I didn't end up having to close the catios early for the year. Also their age works out perfectly, the vets here wont neuter them until they are atleast 6 months, but the discount spay/neuter month is normally in January or Febuary, and they will be 6 months in January.

So far both are very talkative, Leo is the more brave and friendly one, so the name Leo seems to fit him. Jax is friendly but more timid meeting new humans and animals and follows his brother's lead after he has taken time to watched for a bit, but he is coming out of his shell pretty quickly too. The other cat either don't care or wanting to be friends. One of my younger cats Onyx ( he just turned 2 in June) really really wants to be friends with them, and seems to be making headway already.



In case people are wondering, with the exception of a kitten, the pets that passed in in the past couple years were all elderly, that's one problem with having several pets around the same age, they grow old at the same time.

 

[amethyst]

I think it's safe to say that Lily (the black and white cat) has accepted the kittens.

 

[rubysmama]

amethyst : I'm just seeing your thread now. Congrats on the new kittens. They are totally adorable.

Also condolences on your losses over the past year. I lost my Ruby girl in May, and adopted Pretty in August to help heal my heart, and she did bring joy back to my life. I hope your new kittens are doing the same for you.

 

[amethyst]

Just a little update on the little cuties. They have really brought some happiness into the house, and they give me something that need me and is positive to focus on. My other cats (and other pets) do need me too but not like kittens do. They are fitting in nicely, Lily has still decided that they are her kittens, which is adorable. As well as they love Onyx, he is like a big brother to them.

Lily and Jax and Onyx with Jax and Leo



They also "helped" on Halloween with pumpkin carving


I'm really glad I got them, and got both instead of just one, they are so loving and start purring as soon as you pick them up. They get along great with the younger cats, I often see them playing together, but there is still occasionally some hissing and swatting from the older ones. It's just normal/minor figuring out where they fit in the clowder, nothing serious. They still haven't really met my elderly cat CJ yet, she saw them, hissed and ran away. She lives in the bedroom mostly though, and the kittens haven't been allowed in there yet. Only certain cats are allowed in the bedroom, so if they don't end up respecting her they wont be coming in the room.

 

[neely]

Thanks for the heartwarming update. I'm really glad you brought them into your home and they have been lovingly accepted by Lily and Onyx.

 

[amethyst]

Although my sweet Jax has passed Gone way too soon I would like to keep this thread open for updates on Leo if people still want to hear and see updates. I can make a new thread if that works better for people though.

Since his brother passed Leo has become much more clingy to me, he does not like if I go in a room without him and close the door. He also now sleeps cuddled up with me every night under the covers or laying cuddled against me. Luckily he has really bonded with some of the other cats too, so he does have playmates, just not ones his age and he does look disappointed if all the other cats are sleeping and he wants to play. I still don't know if I should get another kitten right now or not though. On one hand there are so many needing homes around here I could pretty much get any color and gender I wanted, and I had planned to have two additions not just one. There is even an ad for a cute little 9 week old orange and white male I keep looking at online (I have not asked about him though so he may already be adopted but the ad is still up). On the other hand though, and what is stopping me, is Leo seems to be doing ok with just the young adult cats to play with, so it don't feel like I have the excuse that Leo needs a friend. So I'm not sure if I should just wait.

Anyways, on the the more cute updates, Leo "helped" with the Christmas decorating. I went with no lights on a fake tree, the base is weighed down with heavy brackets (a few pounds) and the tree is chained to the window sill. I also just used twist tie bows and cheap plasic baubles I could bend the branches to hold.


Leo and Onyx (about 2 and a half years old) especially really get along great

and with Brownie (5 year old)


He also does fine being on his own too.

 

[Margot Lane]

Please keep the thread open! Your kitties are adorable. Thank you for taking in so many. I am probably the only person on here without a cat (no vet for miles) so live for these stories. Sorry to hear there are so many ferals where you are— are there not enough TNR people to deal w the kitty dumping?

 

[amethyst]

Please keep the thread open! Your kitties are adorable. Thank you for taking in so many. I am probably the only person on here without a cat (no vet for miles) so live for these stories. Sorry to hear there are so many ferals where you are— are there not enough TNR people to deal w the kitty dumping?

It's not just ferals, I mean there are plenty of those around too, but it's also people not bothering to get their cats spayed/neutered, so litters of kittens being given away is very common, I think I saw 5 new ads for kittens on one site alone within the last week. It's expensive to get them fixed here, we don't have any spay/neuter program really (even the "discount" spay/neuter month at my local vet is still a few hundred for a spay, a couple hundred for a neuter) and cats are "free" so people don't seem to see the point of spending the money, or of even keeping them inside. They occasionally do neuter clinics in the city, but they fill up fast, people really need to just factor in the cost of spay/neuter when deciding if they can afford to get a cat. Shelters around here are also at/past capacity as well so they have a wait list, meaning some people will just opt to just throw their unwanted cats/kittens in the garbage, in ditches on the side of the road, on properties like mine out in the country, or simply out the window while driving down the road. Just a couple days ago there was a cat and kitten left at the rest stop just outside of town. I'm not sure there is any TNR program around here, I personally live pretty remotely (about half an hour from the nearest small town), but when I say "around here" I mean within about a 2 hour drive of me. Most (10/12) of my current cats are either from being dumped on my property (one I literally found in my garbage) or my husband found while working.

 

[amethyst]

Well I asked about the kitten I've been looking at online, and the answer I got was "when would you like to pick him up?" So it looks like Leo will be getting a new little brother tomorrow. Slightly younger, at only 9 weeks vs Leo at just under 5 months, but I don't think that should be too much of an issue, kittens grow quickly. I know it's soon after losing Jax, but I'd like to think Jax would want his brother to have a new playmate to grow up with, right?

 

[amethyst]

Since I'm sure people are wait to see, so here is Leo's new little brother, Cinnamon, he is a total sweetheart


So far Leo seems to like him, but is also trying to eat him... lick, lick, bite... Kittens are weird.
He is a big boy too, he is only 9 weeks old and already 3 lb! From what I saw he was bigger then his other brother, so just a big one in the litter. The size difference I worried about from the difference in age between Leo and him isn't really that much of an issue at all.

 

[DeesCats]

Congratulations on getting Cinnamon, he is a little cutie.

 

[amethyst]

A couple more photos that show his fluffiness a bit. I'm thinking medium haired?