The DeClutter Project Report - Week 7

The need to declutter my living space took on a more urgent aspect last week when I suddenly found myself the foster parent of five sweet little furballs and their momma.  Then it became not so much decluttering as kitten-proofing!

First I had to clear out the floor of the walk-in closet in my bedroom in order to provide them with a small, contained space in which to hang out for the first little while.  Having never entertained a litter of kittens before, I didn't realize that the excitement of hanging out in the closet would only last a few hours before it was time to explore the bigger world of the adjoining bedroom.  Which of course meant moving certain things in that room as well.

As a result, my guest bedroom/office is now filled with a lot more stuff, most of which was hastily piled on the bed.  All of this past weekend's decluttering was done in more of an "instant cleanup, just get stuff cleared out and off" sort of fashion as compared to a long term, permanent storage and/or disposal way.  Then again, circumstances required it to be that way.  No doubt, I can focus more time on doing it properly this coming long weekend.  In between play sessions with the furballs.  And naps.

I also spent some time cleaning up part of the dining room, for the time when the kittens might move out into the rest of the apartment.  The photos below show the before and after of one corner of my dining room.  Clear surfaces for jumping upon.  Although I look at the second photo and think, yikes, better move that glass vase full of big chewable fake flowers!! 

The reality is, the kittenz seem quite content in the bedroom and the way things are going, they won't be here for more than another week or so. :(  That's right, the adoption process has begun!  A lovely young couple came by last night and picked out two kittens for their family, Storm and Tornado.  They are now "on hold" until next week, as we'd like to give all the kittens a bit more time together as a family before they go to their forever homes.

There are two more appointments scheduled for tomorrow night.  One person has a 12 week old kitten that needs a playmate, and the other person will take the remaining two if they like who's left (and really, how could they not???).  It will be so hard to let these little angels go when the time comes but if the rest of the people are like the two last night, who were almost as cute as the kittens themselves, I know it will all be for the best.

Mom Katrina is doing better in a barely noticeable to anyone but me sort of way.  She is still in her hiding spot but has eaten a little bit, didn't have diarrhea last time she used the litter box (which she finally did after, I swear, at least 24 hours without, even though it meant she had to leave the hiding spot long enough to do her business, which she did at 2 a.m. this morning, just after the rest of us bedded down again after the 1:30 a.m. playtime.  I knew it was her because I had five fuzzies on the bed with me!).  She also changed positions once, so that her head was placed at the edge of the bookshelf, peeking out, rather than tucked in against the wall.  All in all, this spells progress to me, one baby step at a time.