Edited to add: Between 8:30 and about 10:30 this morning, Caroline had FIVE very healthy looking (wiggly, nursing) kittens. They’re all brown or gray tabbies (no idea of the sexes yet). I think she’s done (though this wouldn’t be the first time one more appeared!), and all are doing well. The whole story in tomorrow’s post, but I’m sure I’ll be posting more pictures over at Instagram/Facebook.
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Yesterday, because we like to live life on the edge, and because Charles has been driving us CRAYZEE with the incessant howling to get OUT of the foster room, we blocked off the stairway to the downstairs, closed the door to Fred’s office, and let Charles and Caroline out to roam the upstairs.
“OH DEAR LORD,” someone’s probably screaming at their computer right. “WHAT IF CAROLINE CLIMBS INTO A SPOT WHERE YOU CAN’T REACH HER AND GIVES BIRTH? WHAT THEN?!”
To which I answer: there is not spot in the entire upstairs that I cannot reach. If she crawls under a bed and begins to give birth, I’ll slide in after her and gently carry her back to the foster room.
(I should probably add that they’ll only have access to the upstairs during the day; they’ll be in the foster room at night.)
Like I mentioned, Charles has gotten more and more vocal in the past week or so. In the home where they were living before their owner surrendered them to the shelter, I assume they had access to all (or most of, at least) the rest of the house and weren’t confined to one room, so it makes sense that he’s been objecting to this terrible treatment.
Charles and Caroline think that this whole roaming-around-the-upstairs thing is PRETTY COOL.
Checking out the hallway.
Making himself at home.
Watching the garbage truck go by.
“Why it do that?”
“MINE.”
::thlurrrp::
I wondered whether, given the chance to get away from each other, they’d hang out in separate parts of the upstairs, but it turns out that they did pretty much what they’ve been doing for the past 3 1/2 weeks: wander off from each other for a few minutes, and then go looking for each other. I took a nap on Fred’s bed, and both of them napped with me, Caroline on my left and Charles on my right. I kept my left hand on Caroline’s belly, and it was EXTREMELY cool to feel those (very active!) kittens moving around.
Her appetite MAY have dropped off a little (though it could also be the excitement of having all that room to explore yesterday). As mentioned, the kittens are moving around like crazy in there. When will we have kittens? No idea. Since she’s a cat and cats are contrary creatures, she probably won’t have them tomorrow (Valentine’s Day) because that’s when we ALL want her to have them.
PS: To answer the often-asked question: even if she does have her kittens on Valentine’s Day, we’re sticking with the Little House on the Prairie naming theme.
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Khal + track toy = true love.
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Previously
2018: Who’d have guessed the bathroom would turn out to be so popular?
2017: “What? Is comfy!”
2016: No entry.
2015: “Seriously, lady. You’re a cat hoarder, right? You have like 138 cats out there?”
2014: Throwback Thursday: 2009.
2013: Some of them slept. Some of them gave me the stink eye.
2012: As soon as they hear me wake up and roll over in the morning, though, they’re all crawling on me, purring, and asking for love.
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: It’s absolutely stunning what separating a couple of skittish kittens will do to their personality.
2008: And then Joe Bob wasn’t even interested in going outside.
2007: We call him Popeye when he does this.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
Absolutely everything fascinates cats, which is one of the traits that makes them so funny (and lovable!!!). Just look a Charles’ face as the garbage truck goes by!
We are being hammered by a blizzard up here today, and my roommate and BFF’s kitten Olive is absolutely amazed by the snow and wind right now; it’s seriously cute watching her try and “catch” snow flakes.
(Is that a little shaved spot on boyfriend Sir Khal’s right front leg?! Or is it just the angle?)
I think if Caroline did the yeowling she’d accidentally start an avalanche in her pants!
Are you putting up new banner pics? Love them!
Sam’s Mom + Khal = true love. He looks so much like my dearly departed Sam, except Sam was white!
OMG Charles and Caroline are so cute! They are going to have such cute kittens! That would be so neat to be able to feel kittens moving around! And to keep rambling, yesterday at work I had the real TV on and our shop cat was on my desk watching it so intently, it was hilarious! This time last year she was hugely pregnant and still pretty feral and now I can’t keep her off my desk!!!!!! My what a year does! BTW, she is fixed now, I have one more to TNR! (Our business is way out in the country, so we need a few kitties )
Well, I think it is fortunate that Charles wanted “out” of the foster room. Now he has a place to go if Caroline decides she does NOT want him around when she is giving birth or after when she is mothering the kittens. She could get very protective and want him gone. Or, he could be a little TOO interested in the kittens…they do sort of look like wet mice when they are first born. I hope not, but I have been worrying that he may react negatively to the kittens and maybe Caroline will not warn him away. So, having another place for him to go–or for you to put him–is good.
Heads up to those here — goto FB as Caroline is now having her kittens 🙂
Thanks for the heads up! Yay kittens!!!
when will she have kittens….hahahahaha
If it’s not too late, please add Etta Plum, the school teacher played in 18 episodes by Michael Landon’s daughter, to the list of possible names!
And a Mr. Edwards! You could call him Eddy or Isaiah for short.
Where did she decide to have her babies? Mom and babies look adorable!
Sweet and gorgeous mama and wee ones! Happy day!!
P.S. Also, so many wonderful pictures of Charles in this post!! I luff him and his sweet face so very much.