So, I don’t remember when it happened – I think it was about two weeks ago – but one day I was sitting in the bathroom bottle feeding kittens, and Fred peeked in and asked how close I was to being done. I told him I was almost done, and asked why.
As soon as I asked, I knew. What else would put that LOOK on his face?
Meet Cletus van Damme.
The very next day, we delivered Cletus van Damme to the vet who works with Challenger’s House. He was neutered and ID chipped the following day, and is at the shelter waiting for his last round of shots. He’s about a year old, friendly as can be, and when he’s up to date on his shots, he’ll go to Petsmart. He was in such good shape and so friendly (and so HUNGRY) that I suspect he was dumped. We did a routine asking-of-the-neighbors, and none of them knew where he’d come from.
I suspect he won’t be at Petsmart long.
PS: The name is from the TV show The Shield. Cletus van Damme was one of the detective’s “undercover” name. The same actor (Walton Goggins)(who hails from Alabama, coincidentally) played a trans character on Sons of Anarchy named Venus van Damme.
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I got awesome news last night: they trapped the mama cat who birthed not only the Swimmers, but also Simon and Garfunkel AND a litter of kittens in between! She’ll go today to be spayed. No more babies for her!
In honor of the fact that all the kittens are NO LONGER being bottle fed (story on that at the bottom of this section), today’s pictures are all bottle-related.
Spitz, on the dining room table, being fed by Fred.
Silly Spitz.
Louganis.
Louganis again.
Phelps is not kidding about his bottle.
Phelps + baba = true love.
Torres.
Torres. I love the curled tail.
Pattypan, after her bottle.
Calabash has a self-serve philosophy.
And this is how they eat now! (Click on the picture to see the full-sized picture at Flickr, labeled with each of their names.)
I was going to slowly wean all the kittens off the bottle, but when they chewed the nipple completely off one of the bottles at the mid-morning feeding on Sunday and then did it again Sunday night, I figured I didn’t need it to happen a third time to get the message.
Seven of the eight happily eat canned food off a plate (when they’re a little older, we’ll switch to a couple of chip ‘n dip plates; for the moment, the sections are a little confusing to their marshmallow Fluff brains). The eighth – Zuke – prefers kibble. They’re eating heartily and doing well, so I think I can declare their bottle days in the past!
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Videos! In the first, I have a lap full of tusslin’ kittens.
And in the second, in keeping with today’s theme, Pattypan sure did love her bottle!
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Stinkerbelle can occasionally be lured down from atop the cabinets with fresh catnip.
She seems to be doing fine without Tommy, by the way. I had hoped that maybe she’d form a friendship with one of the other cats, but that hasn’t happened yet (though of course it’s relatively soon for that to happen, I guess.)
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Previously
2014: Exfoliation Monday, with Tricki.
2013: No entry.
2012: Petey hopes y’all realize that Caturday is for relaxin’.
2011: Volunteer Purslane, growing in one of the empty raised beds.
2010: I DID NOT toss Bolitar over the door, even though it sounds like it.
2009: The many faces of sweet little bunny Terry.
2008: Naturally, Zoe was all “Hey, this is cool! I like this!” and took up residence.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.