Everett has gone off to Petsmart, hopefully to be adopted so fast it makes our heads spin. He howled and howled and howllllllled all the way there, and then when I put him in the cage with Lucy, he hissed at her, hissed at me, and hissed at the employee walking by on the other side of the glass.
Drama queen.
Lucy was okay; when I walked in, she meowed and ran over to the door of her cage and slithered through when I opened it to put Everett inside. She purred when I picked her up and nuzzled her behind the ear, and she was okay with going back into the cage.
Sally, on the other hand, was sitting in front of her litter box (basically, as far from the door of her cage as she could get), and wouldn’t come to me no matter how much I sweet-talked her. I finally had to take the litter box out to reach her, and then I petted her and scratched her under the chin and she purred for me, but wouldn’t come over to me, so I didn’t push it.
I worry about her – I really thought that being in a cage by herself would bring her out of her shell, but it doesn’t appear to be doing that. I hope that she calms down and relaxes a little – I hate the thought of her being there, unadopted. You can’t really blame people for not wanting to adopt a cat who won’t show the slightest bit of affection. I did put a note on her description saying that she’s scared in new situations and once she warms up she’s a total sweetheart. Hopefully someone will come along who’s willing to give her a chance.
I’d love to make her a permanent resident – I’d love to make all three of them permanent residents, really – but I’m not kidding when I say that we’re over capacity on the permanent residents. It’s tough to see them go, and I hate to see them sitting there, but I have to have faith that the right people will come along and fall in love with them.
Everett, flirting with da bird.
And getting a bit too close to Miz Poo, who was aghast.
She reached out to smack him, but he was too fast for her, and was keeping his eye on da bird.
Then he went and sat in the box.
A lot.
All day Sunday, he carried this green sparkle ball around, keening as though he’d killed something and deserved praise.
Such a cutie pie.
I have to say, I think he went off to Petsmart just in time. Yesterday morning when I came downstairs, I found him sitting in the back yard at the bottom of the steps, looking around. At eight months old, he’d finally figured out the cat door.
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No babies for Emmy yet. Every time I leave the house for longer than a few minutes, I rush up to the foster room to see if she’s birthed those babies yet. She yawns at me and says “What babies?”
She is absolutely packed full of kittens, that one. You can’t tell so clearly when she’s laying in her basket or hanging out in her kennel, but yesterday she flopped down on the floor, and I could see the writhing mass of kittens moving and kicking in her belly. I spotted what was, without a doubt, a kitten foot moving across her side. It is so cool and so weird to watch (and to feel).
I can’t wait to meet those babies. ANY DAY NOW, EMMY.
“Just hanging out on my shelf. No babies here!”
(We were doing the slow-blink love-eyes at each other.)
“I am not pregnant. I am just full-figured.”
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Stinkerbelle, atop her pantry. Going by the look on her face, I suspect she was looking at Tommy.
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Previously
2011: Bath time for Corbie.
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: “What doin’, Skittyboo? What it do?”
2007: The first round of Hellcats were unfortunately faster and meaner than we expected.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
“Babies? You want MY babies? Get your own, Lady!”
When I was pregnant with my son, he was so big and so active that people were highly entertained watching him squirm underneath my shirt. I truly thought he was twins… or aliens. Can’t imagine what it’s like to have a litter in there. Just let them go, Emmy!
You have no idea how much I want to drive down to Alabama and collect those beautiful Peppers babes. If I thought the multiple black cat illusion would work on my husband, I’d be all over it. Actually, I’m sure the only reason he’d become suspicious is that he gets up so ungodly early every morning that the cats have dubbed him “Breakfast Dude” (and he can count higher than three when filling the bowls… drat!). He travels frequently for his job, though. I’ve often had ideas of just bringing another cat home while he’s gone. “Oh that cat? They’ve been here forever! Just haven’t liked you well enough to come out before.” 😉
Do you put your website address on their cages at Petsmart? I can’t imagine anyone in the market for a cat that would NOT choose a Peppers baby after being able to watch their entire lives unfold online. It might be a good way to encourage someone to get to know Sally. And if, heaven forbid, the Peppers linger at Petsmart… maybe you’d like to take a road trip north while my husband is out of town? The ride home would be quieter…
Kelly? Have you tried just asking your hubby about getting another kitty? Maybe after leaving printouts of Everett’s jumping photos casually lying around the place for awhile… or on the refrigerator door?
🙂
I’ve used that approach too. 😉 There are currently 3 cats in the house… 2 permanent and 1 foster (along with 3 kids and a chocolate lab). I had to work pretty hard to get him to agree to bring Norman home last month. I would keep adding cats until we were at Fred and Robyn numbers. My husband would like to keep us less-populated (although he has admitted that if I ever just brought another one home there was nothing he could do to make me take it back…) He isn’t anti-cat… just doesn’t see the need for more than we have. And since he’s military, we have the added issue of moving more frequently than others do with a larger than average herd. For harmony’s sake, I don’t push it right now.
However… he is opening his mind to the idea of fostering more in the future (which may be better all the way around for the kitties who need us!)
Wow! It does sound like you have a full house! Frequent moves sounds like quite a challenge. My hat’s off to you!
Fostering more sounds like a great solution. You get to have more kitties, your hubby can realize they’re only temporary residents and when you have to move, you can plan to not have fosters at that time… if you have notice that is.
Does the military give you notice of when and where you are going to move?
Depends… sometimes you get 6-8 months notice, sometimes it can be as little as 6-8 weeks. Usually military members move in “cycles”, meaning we know in what calendar year we are supposed to move to our next base. But crazy things can happen. In our first 10 years of marriage, I lived in 7 different houses. We always lived in base housing back then, so we didn’t have to worry about leases or finding a house that would let us keep animals (the military lets you have 2 on base).
We’ve gotten lucky as he moved up the chain of command… longer tours of duty. We were at our last station for 6 years, so we bought a house and added another animal. The kids and I actually stayed for 7 years because we had difficulty selling the house in this market. Luckily, my husband has family in our new area so he stayed in a guest room here while we sold the house there (and we were only a 5 hour drive away, which let him drive home to us most weekends). We lost two senior animals during the year we were selling (15 year old dog to cancer and 18 year old cat to renal failure), so we actually only made the most recent move with one cat (easy… depending on the cat, which this one is). Because he is now a commander, we’ve been told this station could be 6-8 years so we bought another house and added to the furry-footed crew again. Of course, there’s always the possibility that they could tell us tomorrow that we have to move again so we take it one year at a time and hope for the best.
He has given the green light to fostering (obviously since we already have one in the house). This one is a unique situation… we know his original family. They took jobs out of the country for a year and needed a place for their cat to stay. It’s an experiment that’s worked with our population and my husband can see that I’m completely in love with him but willing to give him up (something I’m not willing to do with the others, even the newbie Norman). I’m hoping for a mama cat and kittens this summer when our foster goes home to his family.
Fostering is the way to go for you, then!! I wish I could foster, but I know I wouldn’t be able to give them up. Seriously.
So, I love on my two oldsters and live vicariously through fostering blogs. I am constantly in awe of great fosterers such as Robyn, Sue, Laurie and Ted & Martha!!
You could put your money where your mouth is and enter the pool!! 🙂
Sorry, that comment was in response to Samantha. Don’t know how it got up here!
Also, my link to Laurie’s blog was bad. It’s here or http://www.theittybittykittycommittee.com
I think we need a baby bumping belly video!
I second that motion!
Oh yes please, Robyn!! It it’s at all feasible, show us the weird movements!! Pretty please with crunchy treats on top?
I’m doing my best to get some belly video, but she’s not cooperating. She’s being DIFFICULT. I’ll keep trying, promise. 🙂
Don’t you just want to kiss on Emmy’s belly??? However, I am sure she would smack the snot outta ya! LOL….
She would definitely mess me up – probably hook one of her claws in my eyeballs, hee.
Im sad the Peppers are going too – I would have loved the Peppers to be permenant becuase I love those lovely black kitties!
Hope they get their humans soon – I’m sure Sally will get her groove on soon!
HOORAY for slow blink love eyes!!
Sorry, I hit ENTER too soon. I just wanted to add that Emmy looks so relaxed in these photos and that is GREAT!! It’s also great she is letting you touch her tummy. HOORAY!!
As for Sally, might it work to put her in the cage with Everett and make Lucy the singleton? 50 Kittens just adopted out a pair of kittens, Molina and Cruz. Molina was shy and retiring and Cruz was outgoing and very playful. It seemed to be a pairing that worked well – Cruz got Molina to play more and be less shy and Molina got Cruz to cuddle more… Just a thought.
I hope all the Peppers Panthers get adopted soonest! I also hope Emmy has the easiest delivery possible and pops out the cutest and healthiest kittens on the planet… and that she does it on Thursday night between 9:00 pm and midnight so I get to name one of them!!!!
Actually, when all three of them were in one cage before they came back here for a break, both Lucy and Sally were super scared. When they’re like that, they tend to feed off of each others’ fear, and it’s best to separate them. The report I got today from the Tuesday morning cleaner, and tonight from Lisa (who’s doing adoptions at Petsmart tonight) is that Sally’s letting them pet her and purring like crazy. So she’s coming out of her shell, thank god. Lucy was rolling around in the cage she and Everett are sharing like she didn’t have a care in the world. 🙂
Shows what I know! 🙂 Good to hear Sally’s relaxing. I hope hope HOPE they all get adopted soonest!1
why do cats hate car rides? and then dogs love them yeah? heehee
Dogs like being with their humans and find the new smells to be interesting. Cats hate being away from their territories and find the new smells to be threatening. Cats also know there’s a good chance that being in the care means they’re going to the stabby place. Dogs don’t seem to be as bothered by that thought!
Darn! *car
I can’t tell you how much I would love to take Everett home. He has so much personality and charisma.
That last photo of Emmy, well she looks a bit like an Emmy 😀
Best wishes for Everett, Sally and Lucy.. May their furever homes not wait much longer to find them.
Oh how I ache to take all 3 Peppers! But current cat and 400 sq ft house (and living on the other side of the country) won’t allow it. SIGH. COME ON PERMANENT LOVING HOME!!!!
I bet you she will pull a Maggie on you. She doens’t look THAT big yet.
You could always enter the pool!!
🙂
Someone has, as one of her guesses, that Emmy won’t have her babies ’til the 16th of March. I am pretty sure I can’t possibly wait that long, it would drive me nuts!
Well, I was considering placing a bet on the 25th (my Fuzz’s birthday) if Thursday doesn’t pan out (Thursday is my Sweetpea’s birthday)…
Are you familiar with the adorable Murkin and his various foster kitten friends on his very own YouTube channel? It’s here:
http://www.youtube.com/dcjanelle
“Murkin goes to WAR with the ktitens” is my current favorite.
NO, I had never seen Murkin. How CUTE is that!!!! Gotta love a dog who’ll put up with kittens so nicely. 🙂
Thanks, Shannon! I have a new Youtube addiction!! 🙂
I think Stinkerbelle has a little of the loony going on there!
HA – I think you’re right!
How ’bout I drive from to Alabamer from Ottawa Canada and adopt Corbie and then you can keep Sally?
Um. I’m sure Fred could never give up Corbie. He’s totally in love with the Corbs. Myself, I could take or leave him, but what can I say? Can’t argue with a man in love! 😀
How ’bout you take a little jog west on the way back and re-enter Ontario through Detroit? I’ll meet up with you and grab Sally (or Lucy, or Everett, or whoever else might hitch a ride with you). 😉
Hmmm, that was supposed to be for Kate. Guess I’m having trouble with buttons tonight.