The Kittens

As I sit on my couch right now kittens dash across my feet stopping only to bite my toes and chase each others tails. Though I had very little to do with it, I feel like a proud mama watching them run and climb. Just six weeks ago I picked them up from the shelter at only 3 days old. They had fit in the palm of my hand with their eyes and ears closed. They didn't walk for the first two weeks. As time moved on, they slowly opened their eyes, their ears popped up and they took their first wobbly steps. There are four of these sweet babies whom I love.

I have their mama too, who has fascinated me with her nurturing nature. A mother's instinct is an incredible thing. In the first few weeks she often 'hid' all her babies and I quickly learned she wanted to keep them in a small confined place. They lived in the corner of my bedroom closet for the first while. If I had company over and we wanted to cuddle her babies, she was fine with it if we stayed near home base. As soon as we took them out of the room, she promptly followed, picked up her baby by the scruff of the neck and whisked them away. She cleaned and fed them constantly and though she loved to cuddle with me in bed, she always kept her visits short and returned to her babies.

Now the kittens are eating solid food and using the litter box on their own. I love it that they are now able to run around my house and play, their little personalities coming through loud and clear. They are very independent and the mama spends much more time with me, which has been helpful in getting them weaned. I have them for about 10 more days and they will be ready for adoption. I will be very sad to see them go but I feel confident other people will fall in love and welcome them into their families.

Here are some pictures and a video. When I named them, I had a 50% chance of guessing their sex correctly. Good thing I'm not a gambler. No one needs to know which one of my sweet princesses grew a set of balls.

Daphne - 3 days old

Delilah - 3 days old

Delilah - She is an observer. She likes to sit quietly and watch the others play. She is gentle and curious.

Digits - He has 7 toes on each front paw. He's the alpha male. The first to do everything and he's a rascal. Also the first to hit the big 1 lb!

Digits and Mama, having a nap.

Dixon - Terrible to say, but he's my least favourite. He's a whiny suck. He doesn't like being held and the scratches all over my hands prove this. He started out all black, but is evolving into something new. He has a white tip on his tail and one white foot. I think his fur may continue to change.

Daphne - She is my favourite by a landslide. She loves to cuddle and she has a gentle nature. Every morning I walk in their room to say good morning and she's the first to run to me.

This is when they were taking their first steps. It's so funny to see this now, as I watch them zoom past me and climb stairs. I tried to get a video of that for comparison but the little buggers are just too fast!

Favourite of the Day: Feeling like I'm getting caught up. On sleep, on laundry, on life in general. It feels good.