The kittens are 3 weeks old today!
Bramble in my lap.
Have I mentioned that Mondo is a poser?
Mondo in my lap, getting chin-scritches and not sure what he thinks about it.
Mimosa takes a break.
Kudzu in my lap. He’s like “???”
Hollyhock sat in my lap as well, but those pictures didn’t come out. She wanted back in the crate pretty quickly. She wasn’t in the mood for new experiences, I guess.
Bramble takes a look.
And Clover in my lap.
None of the kittens have quite tried to leave the crate yet, but I suspect that’s next on their list. And probably this weekend I’ll set up pee pads and small litter boxes everywhere. It’s a little early yet – usually they start showing interest in the litter box around 4 weeks old, but some kittens are interested earlier. It never hurts to be prepared!
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I noticed recently that Alice was spending no time at all in her house – which was odd, because that’s been her favorite place to hang out for years. I checked out the bedding and sniffed around the inside of the house to make sure someone hadn’t sprayed, and detected nothing. Finally, I realized that the heated pad had come unplugged. I plugged it back in, and Alice immediately started hanging out in her house again. The girl likes to be warm.
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Posted on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr) yesterday.
Something about the way they’re gathered around Bramble, with Clover’s paw on Bramble’s face is just killing me. Bramble’s like “They got me! This is it!” and Clover’s all “NO! Someone ride for ol’ Doc, HURRY! He’ll fix you up, bro! You’ll be right as rain!” (Note: several people mentioned that it looks like a Renaissance painting, and it totally does!)
Would you LOOK at those sweet faces? On the left we have Piper (formerly Dynamo, of Rider’s Fleet, who we fostered in 2018), and on the right sweet Freddie Purrcury (formerly Onion Ring, from the Vittles litter back in 2020.) They are the very best of friends, and OH do they adore each other. I love seeing those two together!
This picture does a good job of illustrating that even though kittens can’t always be adopted with a sibling, they will form strong bonds in their forever homes. I guarantee you that as far as Freddie’s concerned, he and Piper were meant to be. I can’t imagine him without her (and vice versa!)
(Thanks, Katelyn!)
YouTube link
Mimosa enters the crate, cleans some babies, offers up the milk bar, and then says “Oh, to heck with this!” and leaves the crate. (The kittens aren’t suffering. They are hefty little chunks of cute.)
As required by law, I proclaimed “Ooooh, big stretch!” when Mondo showed off his skills.
YouTube link
I’m babysitting while Mimosa takes a break!
Mimosa’s just chillin’ (and waiting for me to scratch her ears.)
Good night innernets. (From the top: Clover, Bramble, Kudzu, Mondo and Hollyhock.)
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Previously
2021: Whist checks out the structural integrity of the crate.
2020: “That’s right, kid. You eat on your own. Go for it!”
2019: No entry.
2018: Oksana’s all “You no touch these babies, lady. You hear me?”
2017: So ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Nola.
2016: The Fakers, 3 weeks old.
2015: “I not think I gonna fit on that Jet(Blue) plane, lady. You crazy!”
2014: No entry.
2013: Warning: there are a LOT of wee pink kitty toes in this post.
2012: Newbery gets a back rub and thinks maybe he likes it.
2011: (So RUDE, snapping a picture of a poor pregnant lady from behind!)
2010: Sometimes another kitten will join in on the howling, and OH their hearts are just breaking at the injustice of not being able to get through the door, they are PERSONALLY insulted at this turn of events.
2009: Here we go, all seven present and accounted for!
2008: No entry.
2007: Their evil chicken talons don’t poke holes in the kiddie pool?
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
3 wks old is a super cute time! Also, yay for fixin up Alice and makin her comfy again! Also, also, Newberry (my fav all timeand who looks a lot like Mondo) is in the previous year’s postings.
Hi kids, bye kids – Robyn when you were narrating and got to the part with Kudzu going to the milk bar, it was so funny . As soon as you said “look at em go”, Mimosa must have heard and understood. She though “go?” that’s a great idea! I’m outta here and she promptly got up and left the crate! The milk bar opened and closed very quickly
The milk bar has a mind of its own! 😉
So glad to see that you have started the lap kitten sitting training already. Getting them used to new experiences!
I’m sure you’ve answered this in the past, but what is the best way to “train” a cat to not jump up on counters, tables, etc.? My sister has a cat that is almost a year old (neutered) and he’s learning some not so good behaviors. I suggested that they use a can of air to spray towards the cat (not directly in the cat’s face), but wasn’t sure if there were other methods that would work.
I’m meeting the cat in person for the first time this weekend and have to confess I’m a bit excited. 🙂
Every cat is different, but I had pretty good results with a hardware-store pump spray bottle filled with plain water. I was always careful when aiming to avoid direct spray into eyes. And I kept the spray on the lightest setting.
This didn’t discourage ALL counter exploration, but it did keep Mazzilli off the counter and table while I was eating (Mookie wasn’t much of a counter explorer). Beyond that, I didn’t care, but you and others may care much more, so keep that in mind. If you want absolutely NO counter contact, this may not work.
Consistency is absolutely key. If I kept my spray bottle nearby, eventually all I had to do was lift it to where Mazz could see it and he kept his distance from my plate—and fork (my table was attached to my counter).
Thank you!
Robyn, I laughed like a hyena at “NO! Someone ride for ol’ Doc, HURRY!” — that struck me so funny.
Also, ALICE. Hee. Good thing you rectified that situation for Miss Princess. (But she might still have to file a report with the Better Business Bureau. I mean… one does have certain expectations, after all.)
ALICE MO is my Spirit Animal
All the sudden they look like big kittens! Stop growing!!
I’m now imagining that western/Renaissance painting/whatever it is caption narration a la the radio version of Gunsmoke. “Somebody ride for Doc Adams right quick.” “Naw, you know he’ll tell the martial!” 😛
Bramble in your lap, plus the Bramble licking you video the other day… I’m starting to think Bramble might be the purriest lap kitten lovebug of this bunch in a few more weeks. I mean, I’m hoping they’re all as big of lovebug people kitties as their mother, but I will not be surprised if he’s the snuggliest of them all. <3