Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day!
May you spend at least part of today with those you love. I'll be cuddling five little adorable kittens and trying to coax their momma out of hiding.
Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Naming the Cats
The Abbey Cats Adoption people have a tradition of naming cat families based on a theme, like the "Gone with the Wind Cats". Jan tells me that after nine years of being involved in the adoption process, having a theme makes it easier to remember the particular group. She liked the idea of me naming the momma cat Katrina so the theme for these kittens is The Weather Cats. In this case, we decided to name them after major weather events.
Here they are:
This little guy is a real sweetheart. His storm name is Cyclone so I call him Cyclone Cassidy in honour of Kyle and City Kitties in Philadelphia. This kitten came up beside me the first night when I was sitting in the closet with them and put his paw on my leg to get my attention, then started purring away when I pet him. How could anyone resist? All the kittens except one are black and brown tabbies but he is the darkest of all them, more black than brown. He has stripes on his tummy and a big peach patch on the bottom half of his stomach. When I come in the room to visit the kittens, he and his sister Tempest will both come quickly over to greet me, they are the most social of the kittens, although they are all quite approachable and like to be petted.
Tempest is the easiest kitten to recognize because she is all black in colour. She was originally the most adventurous and outspoken of the group, she stood in the cat carrier in front of her two sisters and meowed at me when I first saw her at the vet's office. I call her Tempestuous Kate, after my friend Kate McKinnon, who sometimes reminds me of Shakespeare's Kate in Taming of the Shrew except that she is never a shrew, merely a strong and forthright human being who is willing to speak up and speak out for a worthy cause that she believes in. Since Shakespeare also wrote The Tempest, it seemed appropriate to mix the two names.
Tsunami Sue is the next easiest cat to recognize because she has just a little bit of white on each one of her paws, as if she dipped her toes in a wave of white paint. Her right front paw has the most white.
If you can see her feet, you can tell her apart from her siblings. If not, she looks exactly like 3 of the others! Sometimes she acts a little skittish but other times, she is totally open and friendly, such as when I took this photo of her showing me her belly.
Tornado Tom is the other brother (according to the vet's assistant - not sure we can be 100% positive on their sexes as yet). He looks a lot like Cyclone, just a little bit lighter, a little less black in colour. I took this sweet photo of him yesterday after interrupting his nap. He was tucked up on the scratch board and sat patiently while I took the photo.
Last but not least is Storm. Or Stormy, as I call her. I was thinking of calling her Fanny Storm after the Fantastic Four but I'm not sure. She has a lot of light brown stripes, more so than the others, which helps to identify her if you see her from the side. She has a very gentle demeanour but also likes to rough and tumble quite a bit (as they all do).
It's hard to tell any of them apart looking down from above, they are much too similar from that angle!
Here's the only picture I have of Katrina so far:
Here they are:
 |
| Cyclone (Cassidy) |
 |
| Tempest(uous Kate) |
Tsunami Sue is the next easiest cat to recognize because she has just a little bit of white on each one of her paws, as if she dipped her toes in a wave of white paint. Her right front paw has the most white.
 |
| Tsunami (Sue) |
 |
| Tornado (Tom) |
 |
| Storm |
Here's the only picture I have of Katrina so far:
 |
| Momma Katrina |
She's still keeping to herself, tucked into a corner on top of a short bookshelf full of shoes, behind a purse, taking cover under the clothes hanging above. She has beautiful eyes and a sleek black coat, that's all I can see of her. She's all black, like Tempest. She had a touch of diarrhea yesterday, no doubt from all the stress of being moved from place to place and possibly from the deworming medication. She hasn't paid any attention to the kittens, which I find quite worrisome, although the kittens themselves don't seem to be upset about it. As far as I can tell, she hasn't had much if anything to eat or drink. I'm not sure how to get her out of that corner without upsetting her, I'd rather let her come out on her own time. Maybe she'll come out tomorrow when I'm at work.
Notwithstanding their hazardous sounding names, these kittens have been nothing but wonderful since they arrived. I did have to lay in extra supplies (like cat litter, some toys and a scratching post) but I didn't need to board up my windows or hide in the storm cellar. I have been moving a few things to higher ground though, as they explore and climb things you hadn't considered to be doable for such a tiny creature.
Normally when a storm is coming, you dread its arrival and can't wait for it to be over. Not so with these "weather cats". Their arrival was the easy part, letting them go will be harder. But at least when they go to their forever homes, they will be going to live with people who will love them even more than I already do in this short time and that can only be a good thing.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The First Night
The kittens and their mom and I all made it through the first night. They were all fine. Me? I had a very restless sleep, worried about what was or wasn't going on on the other side of the closet door.
I'd gone in to say goodnight around 10. Three of the five kittens woke up and came to say hello. Two of them stayed sleeping and at the time, I didn't think anything of it. Mom was still tucked into her secret corner - I always say hello to her, hoping she'll get used to my voice, and then leave her alone. I made sure everything was okay, closed the door on the little cat family and went to bed. About an hour later, after a not very deep sleep, I woke up worried that maybe the two that hadn't woken up earlier were ill. Lethargy is one of the symptoms you are to look for in a sick kitten, according to Jean, the foster care coordinator who had stopped by for a visit yesterday afternoon. I couldn't go back to sleep, I had to get up and check. Luckily, and of course, they were fine.
That was about 11 p.m. and what followed was a kitten free-for-all. All five kittens woke up as soon as I opened the closet door and came out into the bedroom for a rousing session of what I like to call "battle of the bedskirt". They take turns running in and out from under the bed, hiding behind the bedskirt and jumping out at one another. It is hilarious to watch. After about twenty minutes of carousing, I tucked them all back in the closet (not easy to do) and once they settled down again, we all went to sleep.
Around 2:30 a.m., there was a crash in the closet and I knew that the ceramic cereal bowl I had used to feed them had broken. I'm guessing someone stepped on it. Sure enough, when I opened the door, it was neatly broken in two. There were 5 sleepy kittens looking at me, so I wondered if it was the momma cat who might have done it but she was back in her hiding place. No worries, I cleaned everything up, sent the now awake kittens out into the bedroom to play while I swept the floor (just in case there were any little shards of ceramic that might injure a tiny little padded paw - definitely wouldn't want that), emptied the litter box, put fresh water in their water bowl and brought in a bit more food. (Late night note to self - buy metal bowls tomorrow. The ones I have are too deep for a little kitten's neck to reach down. The supplies I have are for adult cats.) The kittens played another equally energetic game of bedskirt battle while I did all this, didn't pay any attention to what I was up to.
Afterwards, back into the closet until morning when I woke them up around 7. They all seem to be totally healthy and happy, thank goodness. No side effects from being transported here and there yesterday. The momma cat is still hiding, which worries me, but I know she has used the litter box and I hope she has been eating and drinking. Hopefully she will feel safe enough to come out and make friends soon, I'd really like to be able to pet her and tell her everything is going to be okay.
I'd gone in to say goodnight around 10. Three of the five kittens woke up and came to say hello. Two of them stayed sleeping and at the time, I didn't think anything of it. Mom was still tucked into her secret corner - I always say hello to her, hoping she'll get used to my voice, and then leave her alone. I made sure everything was okay, closed the door on the little cat family and went to bed. About an hour later, after a not very deep sleep, I woke up worried that maybe the two that hadn't woken up earlier were ill. Lethargy is one of the symptoms you are to look for in a sick kitten, according to Jean, the foster care coordinator who had stopped by for a visit yesterday afternoon. I couldn't go back to sleep, I had to get up and check. Luckily, and of course, they were fine.
 |
| 4 out of 5 sleepy kittenz |
Around 2:30 a.m., there was a crash in the closet and I knew that the ceramic cereal bowl I had used to feed them had broken. I'm guessing someone stepped on it. Sure enough, when I opened the door, it was neatly broken in two. There were 5 sleepy kittens looking at me, so I wondered if it was the momma cat who might have done it but she was back in her hiding place. No worries, I cleaned everything up, sent the now awake kittens out into the bedroom to play while I swept the floor (just in case there were any little shards of ceramic that might injure a tiny little padded paw - definitely wouldn't want that), emptied the litter box, put fresh water in their water bowl and brought in a bit more food. (Late night note to self - buy metal bowls tomorrow. The ones I have are too deep for a little kitten's neck to reach down. The supplies I have are for adult cats.) The kittens played another equally energetic game of bedskirt battle while I did all this, didn't pay any attention to what I was up to.
Afterwards, back into the closet until morning when I woke them up around 7. They all seem to be totally healthy and happy, thank goodness. No side effects from being transported here and there yesterday. The momma cat is still hiding, which worries me, but I know she has used the litter box and I hope she has been eating and drinking. Hopefully she will feel safe enough to come out and make friends soon, I'd really like to be able to pet her and tell her everything is going to be okay.
Friday, February 11, 2011
KittenZ!!!
I haven't had a kitten in my home for about 18 years now, since I first brought Carly home. It's funny how you forget and then quickly remember how inquisitive they are, bold one minute and skittish and easily spooked the next, friendly and yet aggressive in a teeny, tiny adorable way. Oh my, these little darlings are sooo sweet!
I picked them up around noon and brought them back to my place. I have them tucked into my walk-in closet at the moment and they seem to be enjoying it. The kittens couldn't wait to get out of the cat carriers and explore every nook and cranny that they can reach. Next thing I know, the blanket on top of the wicker chest is on the floor, the water bowl has spilled and has litter in it, one cat has climbed up to the top of the shoe shelves and another is dangling off the bottom of a long shirt because its claw is stuck in the fabric. Yikes!
These kittenz are smart. They have already learned that the litter box is not just the bathroom, it's a toy - jump in, dig around, jump out. Wait, can I fit into this oh so narrow opening? Yes, I can. Oh, I forgot, I want to go over here instead but there's a water bowl in the way - why go around when I can climb through it? Oops, that spilled. But, hmm, while I'm here, I'm thirsty. Oh good, you brought more food, I'm starving! Hey, look, I can do a somersault. Can I eat your tail?
It's hilarious to watch them play. They have such short attention spans sometimes and other times, they are totally focused on what they're doing. I sit in the doorway and every few minutes, one or the other will try to climb over me and out into the bedroom, ready to explore new horizons.
As I type this, I am sitting at my desk on the other side of the closet wall. For a while after my last visit, there were all sorts of scrambling noises to be heard, nails on the walls, things banging around. But now, all is quiet. I assume they are sleeping. I'd like to peek at what they're doing but last time I did that, I woke up all but one of them, who then proceeded to rough and tumble over, around, beside and on top of the one left sleeping.
Poor little mom (and she is tiny) has remained in the cat carrier so far. I'll let her get used to being here and learn to trust me. No doubt she will come out in her own time, when she feels safe. It's cute how the kittens take turns going in and out to say hello to her. I am thinking of the mom cat as Katrina. She's a little bit like New Orleans - she's been through an ordeal and needs some time to heal and be safe.
The vet's assistant told me there are 3 girls and 2 boys. The black one and the one with a lighter right front paw are girls. The other 3 look so much alike, I may never know which is which. The black one is very adventurous and was very friendly and chatty when I first arrived and we were moving them into my cat carriers. I think I'll call her Katie after my friend Kate who led me to these kittens, who is also the friendly and adventurous sort. I'm thinking I might call the boys Kyle and Philly, as a tribute to those doing good cat works in Philadelphia (see yesterday's post), who also served as inspiration for me to take these kittens in. Maybe I should name one after Gabrielle Giffords, another inspirational survivor. I like Arizona as a name too.
Sorry some of these photos are out of focus. It's hard to photograph kittenz on the move, one minute they're there, the next minute, all that's left in the frame is a peek at their tail!
I picked them up around noon and brought them back to my place. I have them tucked into my walk-in closet at the moment and they seem to be enjoying it. The kittens couldn't wait to get out of the cat carriers and explore every nook and cranny that they can reach. Next thing I know, the blanket on top of the wicker chest is on the floor, the water bowl has spilled and has litter in it, one cat has climbed up to the top of the shoe shelves and another is dangling off the bottom of a long shirt because its claw is stuck in the fabric. Yikes!
These kittenz are smart. They have already learned that the litter box is not just the bathroom, it's a toy - jump in, dig around, jump out. Wait, can I fit into this oh so narrow opening? Yes, I can. Oh, I forgot, I want to go over here instead but there's a water bowl in the way - why go around when I can climb through it? Oops, that spilled. But, hmm, while I'm here, I'm thirsty. Oh good, you brought more food, I'm starving! Hey, look, I can do a somersault. Can I eat your tail?
It's hilarious to watch them play. They have such short attention spans sometimes and other times, they are totally focused on what they're doing. I sit in the doorway and every few minutes, one or the other will try to climb over me and out into the bedroom, ready to explore new horizons.
As I type this, I am sitting at my desk on the other side of the closet wall. For a while after my last visit, there were all sorts of scrambling noises to be heard, nails on the walls, things banging around. But now, all is quiet. I assume they are sleeping. I'd like to peek at what they're doing but last time I did that, I woke up all but one of them, who then proceeded to rough and tumble over, around, beside and on top of the one left sleeping.
The vet's assistant told me there are 3 girls and 2 boys. The black one and the one with a lighter right front paw are girls. The other 3 look so much alike, I may never know which is which. The black one is very adventurous and was very friendly and chatty when I first arrived and we were moving them into my cat carriers. I think I'll call her Katie after my friend Kate who led me to these kittens, who is also the friendly and adventurous sort. I'm thinking I might call the boys Kyle and Philly, as a tribute to those doing good cat works in Philadelphia (see yesterday's post), who also served as inspiration for me to take these kittens in. Maybe I should name one after Gabrielle Giffords, another inspirational survivor. I like Arizona as a name too.
Sorry some of these photos are out of focus. It's hard to photograph kittenz on the move, one minute they're there, the next minute, all that's left in the frame is a peek at their tail!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Kitties in Need
I have just volunteered to do either the craziest or the best thing I have ever done in my life. More likely it will end up being a combination of the two.
It all started when I was reading Kyle Cassidy's blog yesterday. He was telling the story of these cats who survived a fire in an apartment building in Philadelphia which took place a month ago (if you can believe it) and are still trapped inside the building. A month of bitterly cold weather, loneliness and most likely near starvation conditions. You can read about them here: Windermere fire cats. The residents aren't being allowed in to rescue their pets, nor will they allow cat rescue organizations or anyone else in to help. They have boarded up the first 2 floors, so the cats can't get out and no one can get in. Worst of all, they are now talking of demolishing the building with these live cats still inside.
I read that story just before bed last night and I was horrified. I was also moved to tears at the thought of how I would feel if it were my apartment building and my beloved cat(s) trapped inside. As an apartment dweller, it is definitely something I have worried about, especially since I live many floors above ground. It wouldn't be easy to get down several flights of stairs carrying one or two cat carriers, if you could even get two frightened cats inside the carriers with fire alarms ringing.
I had trouble getting to sleep and I had a nightmare (a very rare occurrence for me) which woke me up around 4:30 a.m., when I again started worrying about these poor cats and the people who love them. The good news today is that people are working to get in the building to rescue cats and hopefully retrieve people's belongings and delay the demolition.
Serendipity being what it is, when I logged on to my email around 8 a.m. this morning, the first message I opened was from Kate McKinnon, who lives in Tucson, Arizona. Somehow, she had read about a mother cat and her 5 kittens who were going to be euthanized tomorrow in the Toronto area and needed a foster home. I figured, why not? I can and did send money to City Kitties in Philadelphia (if you can too, please do - follow the link above) to help with the rescue of the Windermere cats, I can sympathize from afar and write emails to the authorities but these 6 cats I can help locally. I'm single, I have lots of room in my two bedroom apartment and cat raising experience. I recently lost my beloved cat Max and have been alone here ever since, debating about when to get another cat or two (because you really need two so they can keep each other company when I'm at work during the day).
Somehow it hadn't crossed my mind that I'd end up with six!?? I tell myself, it's just temporary. I'm much too young to be a cat lady! Nevertheless, I made the call right away and tonight I heard back from a very nice woman named Jan who gave me all the details. Tomorrow afternoon, these little darlings and their mom (whom you can barely see, tucked into the back corner - apparently she is small and quite terrified in her current location, next to a bunch of cages full of barking dogs, poor thing) will be coming to visit. At least until the kittens are old enough to be separated from their mother in a couple of weeks' time, when at least four of them will hopefully find forever homes. Two of them just might need to stay here with me. :)
I'm nervous and excited at the same time. If you don't like cats, you probably won't want to read this blog for the next little while, I have a feeling it will be very kitten focused for the next few days and weeks, don't you? And of course, I've got to get busy with that decluttering project in super quick fashion, there are just too many places for a little kitten to hide in my place right now!
Wish me luck!! And if you know anyone in the Toronto area who would like to adopt a cat or a kitten, please ask them to get in touch with the people at Abbey Cats. I'll let you know when these little ones are ready to go.
It all started when I was reading Kyle Cassidy's blog yesterday. He was telling the story of these cats who survived a fire in an apartment building in Philadelphia which took place a month ago (if you can believe it) and are still trapped inside the building. A month of bitterly cold weather, loneliness and most likely near starvation conditions. You can read about them here: Windermere fire cats. The residents aren't being allowed in to rescue their pets, nor will they allow cat rescue organizations or anyone else in to help. They have boarded up the first 2 floors, so the cats can't get out and no one can get in. Worst of all, they are now talking of demolishing the building with these live cats still inside.
I read that story just before bed last night and I was horrified. I was also moved to tears at the thought of how I would feel if it were my apartment building and my beloved cat(s) trapped inside. As an apartment dweller, it is definitely something I have worried about, especially since I live many floors above ground. It wouldn't be easy to get down several flights of stairs carrying one or two cat carriers, if you could even get two frightened cats inside the carriers with fire alarms ringing.
I had trouble getting to sleep and I had a nightmare (a very rare occurrence for me) which woke me up around 4:30 a.m., when I again started worrying about these poor cats and the people who love them. The good news today is that people are working to get in the building to rescue cats and hopefully retrieve people's belongings and delay the demolition.
Serendipity being what it is, when I logged on to my email around 8 a.m. this morning, the first message I opened was from Kate McKinnon, who lives in Tucson, Arizona. Somehow, she had read about a mother cat and her 5 kittens who were going to be euthanized tomorrow in the Toronto area and needed a foster home. I figured, why not? I can and did send money to City Kitties in Philadelphia (if you can too, please do - follow the link above) to help with the rescue of the Windermere cats, I can sympathize from afar and write emails to the authorities but these 6 cats I can help locally. I'm single, I have lots of room in my two bedroom apartment and cat raising experience. I recently lost my beloved cat Max and have been alone here ever since, debating about when to get another cat or two (because you really need two so they can keep each other company when I'm at work during the day).
Somehow it hadn't crossed my mind that I'd end up with six!?? I tell myself, it's just temporary. I'm much too young to be a cat lady! Nevertheless, I made the call right away and tonight I heard back from a very nice woman named Jan who gave me all the details. Tomorrow afternoon, these little darlings and their mom (whom you can barely see, tucked into the back corner - apparently she is small and quite terrified in her current location, next to a bunch of cages full of barking dogs, poor thing) will be coming to visit. At least until the kittens are old enough to be separated from their mother in a couple of weeks' time, when at least four of them will hopefully find forever homes. Two of them just might need to stay here with me. :)
Wish me luck!! And if you know anyone in the Toronto area who would like to adopt a cat or a kitten, please ask them to get in touch with the people at Abbey Cats. I'll let you know when these little ones are ready to go.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Some Mistakes Are Funny
Many thanks to Kate McKinnon for tweeting about this oh so amusing correction in an Australian newspaper:
Do you find yourself saying, "30 sows and pigs" out loud, just to check? I did. :)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wishing for Warmth
It was minus 27 Celsius with the windchill this morning as I crossed the parking lot at work today. I work within sight of the airport and as I was walking into the building, a plane was flying overhead. I was sorely tempted to just get back in the car, head over to the terminal and get on the first plane out of here to a warmer climate.
I wanted to be in Tucson this week, taking Kate and Andrew's second "Capturing the Moment" workshop (the first one was just over a week ago and sounded totally awesome) but I didn't make the decision to go until about mid-January, only to discover that a return flight was going to cost me $1300. Yikes! So, I didn't go and I have been regretting having missed the opportunity to take part in these fabulous sounding workshops (and to see my dear friends from our trip to France last fall, Doriot, Meryl and Dawn). Although Tucson has been quite chilly the past week or so, I'm not sure it would have answered my bone deep desire for sun and heat.
I am, however, greatly warmed by the owl cream and sugar that Kate sent me. Look how cute they are:
If you can believe it, I was munching my breakfast cereal yesterday at 7:20 in the morning when there was a knock on my door. I took a look through the peep hole and asked who it was, only to be told that it was the mailman, delivering a package. Say what?!?! Since I could see his uniform and the fact that he had two boxes in his hands, I figured it was safe to open the door. Without giving a thought to the fact that I was in my pyjamas. Ooops. I wonder if that happens to them a lot? :) I also wonder if I am on some list for special attention from Canada Post after the last two parcels I had received had been damaged? Hard to say but I was very glad to receive this particular package from my friend Kate, thank you so much!
I wanted to be in Tucson this week, taking Kate and Andrew's second "Capturing the Moment" workshop (the first one was just over a week ago and sounded totally awesome) but I didn't make the decision to go until about mid-January, only to discover that a return flight was going to cost me $1300. Yikes! So, I didn't go and I have been regretting having missed the opportunity to take part in these fabulous sounding workshops (and to see my dear friends from our trip to France last fall, Doriot, Meryl and Dawn). Although Tucson has been quite chilly the past week or so, I'm not sure it would have answered my bone deep desire for sun and heat.
I am, however, greatly warmed by the owl cream and sugar that Kate sent me. Look how cute they are:
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