If I may beg your huge group of readers, Skeletors rescue daddy is looking for a landlord in Jacksonville, Fl., willing to rent to him and the adorable, well behaved, non violent Skeletor.
Readers? Anyone in the Jacksonville area know of a place where sweet Skeletor will be allowed?
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I was wondering if you have used Twilight character names for any of your fosters? Bella sounds Irish to me!
I haven’t used Twilight characters, but I did a quick check of the names list I got from the shelter, and Bella, Edward and Jacob have all been used in the past, rendering them ineligible for use by me!
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I remember Beulah! I always loved that tiny little girl. I can’t remember who ended up with her but have you been able to get any updated pictures of her?
I did get some updated pictures of her back in 2009 – see those here – but none since then.
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Do you have to brush George and Gracie? I know they live outside, and they seem relatively free of big nasty snarls!
George and Gracie need lots of brushing in the Spring when they’re shedding their winter coat. Fred goes out with the brush and brushes and brushes them, and the amount of fur that comes off them is absolutely amazing (I’ll have to get a picture next time he brushes them). They require occasional brushing in the Summer, too, and then hardly any in the Fall and Winter. I always say that their fur is made of Teflon, because they’ll get absolutely filthy, then you see them an hour later and they’re completely clean again!
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Have the permanent residents shown any curiosity about what is happenning in the “nursery”?
Not really – they sniff at the barrier in front of the door sometimes, but they’re used to not being able to go in there sometimes, so they aren’t all that curious.
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Newt goes roaming where?
Newt and Maxi are our two free roamers, who are allowed in the house and also allowed outside (the real outside, not the back yard outside) to roam wherever they want. I know they spend lots of time at the house two doors down, and I believe they go down the street further to where there’s a horse barn. I was just telling Suzanne yesterday that I’d love to put GPS collars on them both to see just exactly where they roam!
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I imagine that their eyes open with a little “plink!” sound.
and
And their ears will pop up with a sort of ‘sprojoing!’ sound
I love the idea of this more than I can possibly express.
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I think you may have addressed this question before, but if so I’ve forgotten the answer. Here’s a random (and kind of gross) question: what do kittens do before they learn to use the litter box?
Warning: grossness alert. If you have a weak stomach (or are eating), skip down to the next section. I’m not kidding!
Oh, it’s grosser than you suspected, I bet. Before kittens are about 2 1/2 weeks old, they cannot urinate or defecate on their own. Therefore, they need to be stimulated to do so by their mother. How does she do this? With her tongue. What happens to the, uh, results of the stimulation? She. Swallows. It.
You weren’t eating, were you? 🙂
When I said Maggie gave me this look after she’d been licking some kitten behind the other day, it was for good reason.
When I’ve had to bottle feed kittens who were without a mother, I had to stimulate them to pee and poop using a piece of paper towel (you can also use a cotton ball or a soft rag) to do the same job, but at least I could throw the whole mess in the trash.
There’s not enough money in the entire world to entice me to do that job the way poor Maggie has to. And after having to do that with all six kittens, numerous times a day, don’t you just know Maggie is THANKING HER LUCKY STARS that she’ll never have another litter?
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Movies!
Firstly, several people have asked what the “soothing-mama” noise that I’ve referred to sounds like. So I got it on video! You’ll hear her make it a bunch of times in this video (no kittens were harmed in the making of this video. I had to move them out of the cave so I could change out the bedding).
And then, kittens hanging out in a purple bed. I call this one “I sit on you head.” Watch it,and you’ll see why.
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Here are those wee babies at one day old:
And here are the little fatties at 10 (actually, might have been 11) days old, same bed:
Princess Poutyface would like to register a complaint, plz.
Fergus Simon McMao has a spotted belly. Awwww.
Macushla rests his head on his brudder’s back.
He looks SO much like a little lion cub, doesn’t he?
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Miz Poo, Jake, Alice and Rufus, hanging out in the kitchen. (And no, Rufus is not becoming a permanent resident. We’re just waiting for room to open up at Petsmart.)
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Previously
2010: Isn’t it amazing how quickly they go from little round roly-poly babies to long and lanky kittens?
2009: I can only stand so much sad meowing from kittens, so I caved pretty quickly.
2008: McLovin would like you to know that he’s the man.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
Could the three residents possibly have been discussing how best to get heartbreakingly handsome Rufus permanent status? I sense a conspiracy!
I love how clumsy they are at this age! All legs and tails and wobbliness. Maggie must be so proud of her little dudes.
Robyn, how do you see that pile of kittens and not keel over dead from the cute?
Maggie’s soothing sound reminds me of Chewbacca in Star Wars. LOL
Looking at the kittens and Maggie, I can’t help but wonder what the Papa McMao looks like. I mean, the babays have more white than Maggie, does it mean it comes from their daddy?
So MUCH cute – it is almost hard to take! And well, the whole “what happens when they poop” thing – even though I know how it works it still grossed me out a bit reading it. But hey, that is how nature plans it. Nature is just gross. And I couldn’t hear the soothing sound video (at work, will have to watch when I get home) but the I sit on your head video just cracked me up. Kittens that age are so cute and still wobbly, and those tails are just so tiny – cuteness all around!
Maggie does sound like Marge Simpson! I love it.
Can’t believe how big those babies have gotten in 11 days. 😮
I’m thinking about the phrase “famous last words” about Rufus and permanent resident status…I know, I’m not the one dealing with the floods of protest urine or anything, nor the sweeping cat hair, etc, etc…he is so pretty and he fits in so well!
Knew about the grossness that mama cats have to deal with, we’ve had to hand raise baby bunnies (Holland lops) whose mama died at 10 days, you have to take care of their waste removal the same, with a paper towel or rag…gross, but the babies are sooo cute and become that much tamer when handled so lovingly. Of course even more so with kittens! Maggie’s expressions are priceless, too. What a wonderful mama.
I’d never heard a cat make a sound like that… Fascinating!
I loved those kitties who opened the fridge door – especially how one was the lookout as the other explored! How clever!
Awwww Mama Maggie making that adorable mama noise for her babies!! That’s so sweet!!!
Ok, I’m slowly o-d-ing on utter adorable cuteness at these amazing pics!!! 🙂 Yay to the Permanent Residents. Oh and gorgeous Rufus! 🙂 Take care x
What a cute cats you have!!! All posts are cute!
I love that soothing momma noise! So sweet. 🙂
And Maggie’s babies ARE little fatties, aren’t they? Just doing a great job. I’ll take one of each, please.
Maggie’s comfort noise sounds incredibly similar to my Sweetpea’s “come play with me” trill (which has a rising inflection). Interesting stuff.
Oh, and before I forget…. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
I also love the photo of three of the permanent residents with their heads together, gossiping about Rufus. They don’t get along at all, do they? 😉
Mama noise to just too much!! And the “I Sit On You Head” video… gaaaahhhh… instant replay of the Casa kittens! Love it!
Nature’s pretty amazing! Thanks for answering the poop question. 🙂
Maggie’s “soothing mama” sound reminds me a bit of the trilling chirps in the “two talking cats” video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974
Greatest post yet! I love the soothing momma sounds, I love the I Sit On You Head” video, and I love the classic pear-shaped physiques on these little chubkins!
Ooh, the soothing sound is a chirp! Awww. Hi Maggie! And hi, teeny kittens! *pets for everybody* Uh, better make that *pets for everybody, including the permanent residents and Rufus!* How can I resist?
I actually knew about the… uh, ickier side of cleaning detail momcats have to deal with, yicch. Poor Maggie. Don’t worry, pretty girl, this’s a one-time deal.
I agree with Gina W – I thought Maggie sounded like a Wookie, too! Wow, she’s from a universe far, far away…but then, we kinds of always knew that, didn’t we?
Look, if you don’t want Rufus send him on out to me. He’s such a cutie. Everyone is gorgeous.
PS: Are you all ok at Crooked Acres? I heard on the news that you’ve had tornadoes over the weekend?
Please be ok.