All of the cats at the home for wayward cats have silly, affectionate nicknames. Kitty is Kittyboo, Gypsy is Princess, Mina is Monsterbutt & Joni is Little Baby. Jasper and Durango have recently earned their nicknames, and are now known as Señor Fluffypants and Big Foot respectively. ;)
Both boys are positively blooming now that they're back out of quarantine and with the brood full time. And it is entirely due to the influence of their foster sisters, little Mina and Joni. My two mini cats are both incredibly social and outgoing little bundles of love and the boys are now picking up their social cues from them.
Showing posts with label the Brood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Brood. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Weekly update 5.18.12
Whew! Busy times! Its been a week of ups and downs in the home for wayward cats. Since there's something to update for just about everyone, but not enough to qualify for individual posts, I'm combining them into one big post for this week.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
And three becomes four.....
So I know that as a foster mom, the goal is to provide my fosters with a loving, safe space until they find their forever homes. It's not supposed to be an excuse to acquire more cats. :P But I have to admit, I have fallen hook, line and sinker for little Joni. Most importantly, it's obvious while watching them all together that the brood feels the same way.
Mina adores her and the two are rarely apart. Gypsy has taken on the role of surrogate parent and can often be found grooming her or gently playing with her - something she has only ever done with her own babies. Even Kitty, the resident grump has taken a shine to her sweet little face. She is incredibly sweet natured and is adorably patient when I clean her snotty little face (poor baby still has a cold), or tend to her daily grooming needs. All in all, she is the perfect addition to my feline family and it would be heartbreaking for all if she were to leave.
And so, Joni has earned herself a place on the Cast and Crew page, in our home and above all else, in all of our hearts. Welcome to your new life babygirl.
Mina adores her and the two are rarely apart. Gypsy has taken on the role of surrogate parent and can often be found grooming her or gently playing with her - something she has only ever done with her own babies. Even Kitty, the resident grump has taken a shine to her sweet little face. She is incredibly sweet natured and is adorably patient when I clean her snotty little face (poor baby still has a cold), or tend to her daily grooming needs. All in all, she is the perfect addition to my feline family and it would be heartbreaking for all if she were to leave.
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| How could I say no to that sweet little face? |
Friday, April 27, 2012
Kitten season - Durango's arrival & a surprise visit from Joni
Kitten season has gotten an early start this year, thanks to the somewhat mild winter we experienced here in Montreal. Coincidentally, it's also the time of year that C4P loses many of it's available fosters since many of them are university students, and the school year is ending.
I believe this is the text book definition of 'stuck between a rock and a hard place'.
So when the call went out for a foster for a timid little semi-feral kitten, who was trying to make his way in the world, seemingly without the benefit of a mom or siblings, I responded. Luckily, the concerned citizen who had contacted C4P about him was able to trap him within a relatively short time, and he arrived at the home for wayward cats this evening after being vetted. Although the founder of C4P and I were both set on calling him Clover, the vet asked if he could be named Durango. And given how invaluable her help has been for C4P, it was a no-brainer to agree to her request.
As is to be expected, he is quite overwhelmed by his experiences over the last 24 hours, and is thus far reluctant to leave his kennel when I'm in the room. He did come out when I was not in the room however, as is evidenced by his use of the litterbox and empty food bowl. I also managed to convince him to eat a bit more later in the evening while I was in the room, although I had to place the dish in his kennel before he was comfortable enough to do so. Still, it's a step in the right direction - the fastest and surest way to their hearts is through their tummies.
He is currently sequestered, at least until he's gotten a chance to catch his bearings. The last thing I want to do is overstress either him or the brood. And when you consider that the brood is already a little confused by the unexpected (and very temporary) presence of little Joni Mitchell, well, it's a bit much for poor Durango to absorb at once.
Little Joni is a rather unexpected foster for me, and will only be staying with us until her vaccination immunity has reached its peak - approx 2 weeks. Her previous fosters are moving to Vancouver tomorrow, and everything was all arranged to move her to another foster this evening. But it was discovered last minute that Joni was a teeny bit overdue for her 2nd set of vaccinations. Under normal circumstances, this would not be a problem, but her new foster home previously had a case of FeLV, so of course it's extra vital that any new additions to that household are properly vaccinated, especially young kittens who are more susceptible than older cats.
Joni has settled in beautifully and is already fast friends with Mina. They spent most of the night playfighting, then curled up in my recliner, groomed each other and passed out in a cuddle-puddle of love and fur.
It's almost too bad that her stay here will be so temporary. She has fit in so well and so quickly, and she's such an adorable little girl. But considering that both Jasper and Durango require extra time and attention while we work through their trust issues, it's sadly just not feasible for me to foster her long term.
I believe this is the text book definition of 'stuck between a rock and a hard place'.
So when the call went out for a foster for a timid little semi-feral kitten, who was trying to make his way in the world, seemingly without the benefit of a mom or siblings, I responded. Luckily, the concerned citizen who had contacted C4P about him was able to trap him within a relatively short time, and he arrived at the home for wayward cats this evening after being vetted. Although the founder of C4P and I were both set on calling him Clover, the vet asked if he could be named Durango. And given how invaluable her help has been for C4P, it was a no-brainer to agree to her request.
He is an absolutely adorable, 4 month old golden tabby. Actual pic coming soon!
As is to be expected, he is quite overwhelmed by his experiences over the last 24 hours, and is thus far reluctant to leave his kennel when I'm in the room. He did come out when I was not in the room however, as is evidenced by his use of the litterbox and empty food bowl. I also managed to convince him to eat a bit more later in the evening while I was in the room, although I had to place the dish in his kennel before he was comfortable enough to do so. Still, it's a step in the right direction - the fastest and surest way to their hearts is through their tummies.
He is currently sequestered, at least until he's gotten a chance to catch his bearings. The last thing I want to do is overstress either him or the brood. And when you consider that the brood is already a little confused by the unexpected (and very temporary) presence of little Joni Mitchell, well, it's a bit much for poor Durango to absorb at once.
Little Joni is a rather unexpected foster for me, and will only be staying with us until her vaccination immunity has reached its peak - approx 2 weeks. Her previous fosters are moving to Vancouver tomorrow, and everything was all arranged to move her to another foster this evening. But it was discovered last minute that Joni was a teeny bit overdue for her 2nd set of vaccinations. Under normal circumstances, this would not be a problem, but her new foster home previously had a case of FeLV, so of course it's extra vital that any new additions to that household are properly vaccinated, especially young kittens who are more susceptible than older cats.
Joni has settled in beautifully and is already fast friends with Mina. They spent most of the night playfighting, then curled up in my recliner, groomed each other and passed out in a cuddle-puddle of love and fur.
Please ignore my ugly recliner. It's ugly as sin but incredibly comfortable, and all of the cats love it.
It's almost too bad that her stay here will be so temporary. She has fit in so well and so quickly, and she's such an adorable little girl. But considering that both Jasper and Durango require extra time and attention while we work through their trust issues, it's sadly just not feasible for me to foster her long term.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Meeting the brood
Jasper has finally shown an interest in coming out of seclusion, and exploring the rest of the house. I wait until everyone is fed, and until the brood are a little sleepy, then open the door and let him go in and out at will. He's getting braver and braver with each excursion, and they're treating him very gently. They watch him closely, but allow him to wander about and quietly explore with no interference.
Sometimes, they turn the tables, and everyone will come into his room to explore, while he hangs out in his usual spot under the bed and watches. Everyone is well behaved during these times (even Mina!) and while they explore every other inch of the room, they respect his space under the bed and give it a wide berth.
There was a small incident yesterday where I hadn't realized he had come out and moved from one room to another, scaring the piss out of him in the process. He went barrelling down the hall to go back to his safe space. Kitty came running into the kitchen where I was, trying to determine what had happened, encountered Gypsy who had also run over from a different direction, and immediately assumed she was the cause. Thankfully I was right there to prevent it escalating into an actual fight, but tempers ran hot for several hours after that.
While it was a stressful experience for all involved, and it took some extraordinary efforts on my part to get everybody to unwind after the fact, it does give me hope oddly. It means that while Kitty may not precisely like Jasper, he has at least accepted him as part of the brood and is protective of him. This, of course, will bring it's own brand of issues that need to be untangled, but given his history of aggression with other males, this is a much more manageable outcome.
Jasper, otoh, thinks Kitty is the coolest thing since sliced bread and follows him around like a little puppy. He got a few warning hisses from Kitty for being too close when he first started doing this, but now maintains a respectful distance. He also adores Mina, and on the few occasions that she will hold still long enough, I have watched him tentatively begin to groom her. Gypsy alternates between being wary of him and being indifferent. But given that she is naturally aloof with other cats, this is to be expected.
Sometimes, they turn the tables, and everyone will come into his room to explore, while he hangs out in his usual spot under the bed and watches. Everyone is well behaved during these times (even Mina!) and while they explore every other inch of the room, they respect his space under the bed and give it a wide berth.
There was a small incident yesterday where I hadn't realized he had come out and moved from one room to another, scaring the piss out of him in the process. He went barrelling down the hall to go back to his safe space. Kitty came running into the kitchen where I was, trying to determine what had happened, encountered Gypsy who had also run over from a different direction, and immediately assumed she was the cause. Thankfully I was right there to prevent it escalating into an actual fight, but tempers ran hot for several hours after that.
While it was a stressful experience for all involved, and it took some extraordinary efforts on my part to get everybody to unwind after the fact, it does give me hope oddly. It means that while Kitty may not precisely like Jasper, he has at least accepted him as part of the brood and is protective of him. This, of course, will bring it's own brand of issues that need to be untangled, but given his history of aggression with other males, this is a much more manageable outcome.
Jasper, otoh, thinks Kitty is the coolest thing since sliced bread and follows him around like a little puppy. He got a few warning hisses from Kitty for being too close when he first started doing this, but now maintains a respectful distance. He also adores Mina, and on the few occasions that she will hold still long enough, I have watched him tentatively begin to groom her. Gypsy alternates between being wary of him and being indifferent. But given that she is naturally aloof with other cats, this is to be expected.
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