Earlier this week, Kar asked: Can we do a round up/update on the recent returnees and kitty boot camp folks? Really concerned about the returned cats because I worry if they’ll be re adopted or if they’ve been traumatized.
I thought that Throw Back Thursday would be a good time to do a roundup post about all of our previous fosters who are available for adoption. (I’m also posting all 5 of them on Instagram/Facebook later today to get them in front of more eyes.) None of them have been traumatized – Darry is understandably nervous, since he’d lived in the same home since he was a kitten, and now he’s 3 years old and thrust into a whole new world. Wellington and Charlotte have settled in at Challenger’s House, but of course would love to be adopted into a home again.
Here they are in order of when we fostered them, beginning with Wellington in 2012.
This beautiful house panther is Wellington – the picture on the lower right is him now; the other three pictures are from when he was our foster back in 2012. He came to us along with his mother Brandywine and his 4 brothers (Caspian, Sungold, Mr. Stripey, and Dingwall Scotty), who had been dumped at a local business – they were named after varieties of tomato and we called the litter The ‘Maters.
Wellington was adopted in 2012, but was returned to Challenger’s House in May 2018 when his allergies became too much for the family to handle financially. He is an incredibly sweet boy – LOVES attention, is a total flirt and does well with many other kitties around him. He is on medication now and a special food and his allergies are well under control. He’s 7 years old.
Darry came to us in September 2016 along with his brothers Ponyboy, Sodapop and Two-Bit (named after characters from the S.E. Hinton novel The Outsiders; we called them The Greasers.) They were trapped as part of a local TNR project, and went to Challenger’s House trapper/ foster mom Winnie for a couple of weeks before they came here. The picture of Darry on the lower right is what he looks like now; the other three pictures are from when he was our foster in 2016.
This sweet lovable squishy-soft boy is slowly settling in to his new surroundings at Challenger’s House after being returned for reasons that have nothing to do with Darry, who is healthy and (understandably) a little nervous about what’s going on right now. As a 3 year old, who knew his one living arrangement since a kitten, the adjustment is a process. He’s doing fine with the other kitties, so should adjust to nice felines already in your home, or he would surely do well as an only kitty to be totally spoiled, as well!
In 2016, a small gray kitten was spotted in a badly overgrown vacant lot. She was trapped and then came to us to join the other 4 kittens we were already fostering, all named after cities in North and South Carolina, and called The Carolina Kittens; she became Charlotte.
Charlotte was adopted out in 2016, but unfortunately was returned to Challenger’s House last year when the adopters were no longer able to care for her. She is now 3 years old, and though she has allergies, they’re now under control with a pill she (easily) takes routinely and proper food. Her coat is stunning, and she’s in wonderful shape. She is a SWEETHEART who loves to flirt and make sure she keeps your attention. She does well with other nice kitties and she’s a happy, playful lovebug.
If Wellington, Darry or Charlotte seem like they’d be the perfect addition to your home, you can contact Challenger’s House to see about adopting one (or all three?) of them. Email challengershouse (at) mchsi.com or call 256-420-5995
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Kristi came to us in February 2018 along with her daughter Katia. They were part of a large colony of outside cats who were being fed by a family. The number of cats kept growing, and the people who were feeding them asked for help. Forgotten Felines trapped all the cats in the colony, and since Kristi and Katia were both clearly pregnant, they came to me to foster. Since the Winter Olympics were taking place, I named Kristi after figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. (We called them and their kittens The Olympians.)
Although Kristi was huge when I got her and we expected her to give birth at any moment, she actually held on for an astounding 27 days before she gave birth to her 6 kittens. Her kittens were all adopted out, and eventually Kristi and Katia went to Michelle’s house so that Michelle and Brittany could convince them that humans aren’t so bad (Kitty Boot Camp, we called it), and they’ve been there ever since. When I asked Brittany earlier this week how Kristi is doing, I got a great description of her personality:
Kristi is amazing and if you REALLY want to adopt a cat – adopt her. She’s everyone’s passive mom. She is SO sweet and loves attention, happy to be cuddled by other cats but also perches herself up on the windowsill sometimes. Some cats go up there with her sometimes but other times they don’t. She gets more spooked if you reach to pet her while she’s down low but when she’s up high she gets excited about being petted. She doesn’t like to be held but she’s all about attention and laps. I legitimately LOVE Kristi and if I could bring 3 cats to my apartment she would be the 3rd. She is just wonderful.
Katia came to us in February 2018 along with Kristi. They were part of a large colony of outside cats who were being fed by a family. The number of cats kept growing, and the people who were feeding them asked for help. Forgotten Felines trapped all the cats in the colony, and since Katia and Kristi were both clearly pregnant, they came to me to foster. The Winter Olympics were taking place, so I named Katia after figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva.
Although Kristi was huge when I got her and we expected her to give birth at any moment, Katia (who was much smaller) surprised us by giving birth to 4 kittens just 6 days after we got them. Her kittens were all adopted out, and eventually Kristi and Katia went to Michelle’s house so that Michelle and Brittany could convince them that humans aren’t so bad (Kitty Boot Camp, we called it), and they’ve been there ever since. When I asked Brittany earlier this week how Katia is doing, she said:
Katia is no longer crated. Gives a look of disdain if you pet her but that’s just her face – she likes it. Sometimes she seeks Kristi out to cuddle but she’s really just happy cuddling anyone. She’s definitely meeker but getting better. She’s like indecisive people – sometimes can’t decide if she wants attention so she will hiss if another cat nearby hisses or she’ll lean in if another cat is leaning in.
If either Kristi or Katia (or both) seem like they’d be a great addition to your home, you can contact Forgotten Felines of Huntsville at info (at) ffhsv.org to get the ball rolling. NOTE: Although we initially considered Kristi and Katia a bonded pair, it turns out that as long as Katia has another cat to cuddle up to, she’s fine. It would be nice if the two were adopted together, but it’s no longer a requirement.
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“What doin’, weird lady?” (Josephine)
Look how blue Beauregard’s eyes still are! (I don’t expect them to stay blue, but it wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong about this sort of thing.)
Beauregard and Josephine have a tussle.
Fleur’s keeping a watch on me.
Josephine and Beauregard kind of fade into that gray rug, don’t they?
Josephine wonders where dinner is.
Blocking off access to the milk bar.
Margeaux’s spay went just fine yesterday. We were home by shortly after 10. I let Margeaux out of her carrier in the foster room and offered her some food. She opted to leave the foster room and go hang out under my bed for a while. As the day wore on, her appetite returned, and though she didn’t let the kittens nurse, I wouldn’t be surprised if she relents eventually. It’s not uncommon to find kittens nursing the day their mothers have been spayed (spaying doesn’t stop milk production). I would be perfectly happy to see Margeaux get serious about weaning the kittens, though – she’s gotten pretty skinny despite her voracious appetite (normal at this point in mothering) and I’d like to see her put some much-needed weight back on. It’s up to her, though – whatever Margeaux wants to do, Margeaux gets to do. She’s in charge!
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The magnificent Khal in one of his favorite spots.
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Previously
2018: LEAPing Eliot.
2017: ::thlurrrp:: goes Hubble.
2016: “HALLO INNERNETS I SEE YOU,” says Juniper.
2015: “OhmyGAWD innernets, tell that weird lady to GIVE THAT PHONE TO ME. I gots a call to make!”
2014: And speaking of Corbie, check out these blinkity-blink Eyes of Lurve.
2013: Don’t you just want to squoosh ’em?
2012: So we leave the closet door open all the time (of COURSE), and now there’s always at least one kitten in the hamper.
2011: Bobby Brady update.
2010: No entry.
2009: With Lafayette getting his new eyelips, we now have more kittens with eyelips than without!
2008: Yoga kitteh is surprised that you’d interrupt her during such a crucial exercise.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.