The Sixth Kitten

[ldg]

You're so sweet! We haven't been to pick up the pictures yet (ready Tues but first day we could do it is today), so no, no posters are up.

But I found a local fostering/adoption service when we were at the Vet to pick up Magic Tuesday night.

I left a message for them yesterday - they might have called back, I don't know as we've been tied up on the phone for work. (What we do involves being on the phone most of the time).

It was snowing/sleeting and wet and cold around here the last two nights. But thankfully the gang moved into the shelter we provided, and all seems well. She and magic are just too cute to be believed.

We bought a new digital camera Tuesday when our day fell completely apart because the car broke down. It is a beautiful sunny day, so I might have digital pictures before we pick up the developed pictures!

My dream is that this foster place calls back and has at least one home that can foster Munchkin until she's adopted (of course, my dream is that they have four homes, but one will do!). If not, it might end up being us if it gets cold again - even Gary was just about to break down and let all hell brake loose in here he was so worried about the poor thing. But what a trooper she is! This morning she was out there, sitting on the plastic covering the wood pile, in the sun (which had recently come up) having a "bath." I was worried she wasn't grooming - but whatever happened, there she was - cleaning, warm, and looking happy. Spying out the window after their "breakfast," I watched her chase a bug of some kind around and play with falling leaves.

What a sweetie.

 

[ldg]

Well that's it. When feeding them this morning, Magic ATTACKED Munchkin and Gary intervened as quickly as he could. Magic is the newcomer around here, and while all we've seen is a super-sweet kitty. This morning we don't know what happened, but the attack was vicious and fast. Magic bolted (although he's back already) and Gary coaxed Munchkin back, picked her up and put her in the crate. He came inside flaming mad, and said - I know it's going to be nuts around here, but...[he told me what happened]...and I'm taking her to the Vet now, and when I bring her back she's coming inside. She won't survive unharmed out there, and we'll just have to deal with it until we find her a home.

He took her to the vet. She had several bad gashes and one puncture wound where you could see the muscle.

She is going on antibiotics (and will be de-wormed again) and is going to stay at the Vet's for a few days.

...so when we pick her up, she's coming inside!

I worked this morning while Gary spent some time calling shelters around here looking for help to get these cats adopted. He left multiple messages. We still have not heard back from "Feral to Friendly Felines."

So we're going to be foster parents!! I've written so many times here now that I don't know how you people foster - and here we are. But she can't stay outside while we try to get her adopted. She's just too small. So who knows? We may end up with three!

 

[jeanie g.]

Laurie, Would you be upset if I told you that's what I was hoping for? It was so good of Gary to insist on Munchkin coming in. Of course, I know you objected to that..(...yeah, Riiiiiiiight!)
I'm just so sorry the poor baby got hurt. Magic probably doesn't feel very secure yet.

 

[ldg]

Jeanie, you're so sweet. Of course we were ALL hoping we'd bring Munchkin inside! Now the question is - do we really end up finding her a home, or does she become part of the family? :tounge2:


I'm sorry it took her getting hurt, too. But as you may recall, we live in about 210 sq. ft. of space, so it will not only be completely disruptive to the routine the four of us have managed to work out, there isn't very much space with which to work.

At least we've got all the holes into the dashboard already plugged up from when Laz and Shelly were babies... !

 

[debby]

Oh Laurie! I just now read this whole story...I saw the pics of Munchkin in the lounge and came here to read about her. This story about broke my heart....sweet little Munchkin! She really is a survivor!! You and Gary are such wonderful people for taking care of these ferals and looking for good homes for them!!! I kind of hope you decide to keep Munchkin...it just seems like she belongs with you. I hope she is feeling better after her attack. Keep us posted on how she is! I will check back here when I get a chance!!!!!

 

[ldg]

You're so sweet, Debby! We pick her up from the Vet tomorrow between 10:00 and 11:00 (so guess when we'll be there!).

She's so sweet and so cute - and hopefully we'll be able to get her adopted easily. She has long hair, and I am allergic to cats. I'd love to keep her (of course I'd like to bring them all in!) - but I already talked to Gary. If things seem to work out O.K. in here with three cats, if we can get Munchkin adopted, then we can bring Lazlo's sister Spooky in. She just jumped on my lap for the first time about 10 minutes ago! ...I went out to pet them (they've already been fed). Spooky's smaller than Laz (but they both have this really luxuriosly thick soft coat).

Actually they all have the same mom. But there are clearly three dads: there are two grey tabbies (Lazlo and Spooky - although she's mottled with orange like her mom), two tuxedos (Sheldon and Tuxedo), and two - I don't know what they are. Julius and Munchkin. They both have long hair. Juli looks like Munchkin - just he's HUGE (he was always a giant and is just massively bigger than all the others) and ginger instead of Munchie's grey.

We're going to work to get Juli adopted too. He's big and spastic, but a love-bug.

..and then there's Magic. He attacked Munchie, but he must've just been insecure as the newbie on the block. He's just a few months old at most, and he's already the most aggressive in terms of wanting pets and attention. He really needs a home. He'll survive the Winter - he's fluffy and he's fattening up good. Juli, Spooky and Magic are all living together in a warm shelter we made for them.

I don't know what to do about Tuxedo. He's mean. He attacks the other cats, he hisses and swipes at Gary - and doesn't back down - until Gary pulls his shoulders up and stretches up tall - then Tuxedo will run away a bit. We have to feed him separately, away from the other cats. He's just a nasty cat. Shelly must've gotten all the "nice" genes!

I've asked for advice on how to handle bringing Munchie into our little family because of our unusual living situation. ...Haven't gotten a response yet, so right now it looks like we're on our own! I'm sure we'll do fine. I just don't want Lazlo and Shelly to be too upset, nor Munchie to get hurt. Wish us luck!

Laurie

 

[debby]

Wishing you lots of luck!!!! And when you say they all have different dads...do you mean the different litters have different dads, or the same litter does? I am sure if I went back and reread this, I would know what you meant, but I have trouble remembering things and not enough time online to keep things completely straight.

The reason I ask about the different fathers with the same litter, is that I have heard that cats are different than humans as far as a human can only have one father (obviously) per pregnancy..but I have heard that a cat could have kittens in the same litter that were fathered by more than one male....is this true?

 

[ldg]

It's true. When in heat, a female can be impregnated by many different males. Each kitten has only one dad genetically, but the several kittens may have different dads.

Sheldon, Lazlo, Spooky, Julius, Tuxedo and Munchkin were all from the same litter. When the kittens first turned up in our yard, there were six. The next day there were five. Since we've been feeding "outdoor" cats, many have come - a few of them regularly, many sporadically. Munchie turned up with Magic just around the time that we expected to see another batch of kittens (as we'd seen the pregnant mom several times as one of our meal-visitors). But the Vet surprised us with the news of how old she was (adult teeth)! So Magic and Munchkin aren't siblings. We don't know for sure that Munchkin is from the same litter as "our" kittens, but it's the only thing that really makes sense! This isn't a place or an area were "dumped" kittens would make their way - it's too far off a road.

Anyway, she had a colon problem that contributed to her being so teeny. But with each "pair" of kittens, there is a big one and a little one! I wonder if that's usual? Lazlo's pretty big and stocky. His sister is also stocky, but MUCH smaller. Shelly is the big one of their pair (he was the runt) - and Tuxedo is wirey like Shel, but just smaller. And Julius is GIGANTIC - and what would clearly be his sister if she is from the same litter, is Munchkin.

I'll post the rest of the pics when I get a chance. Of course I think they're all dears!

 

[debby]

Thanks for explaining that to me! I can't wait to see more pics!