I still haven’t had a chance to process a new batch of critter pictures from the living room camera, so here is a kitty picture for you to enjoy! :-)
When I went into the sun room this morning, Beep Beep actually came out from her nesting box to say hello. This made for an opportunity to get a picture of her kittens without them being half hidden by mama.
Such adorable snoozies!!!
Butterscotch, on the other hand, came out from under the plastic couch against the wall.
Her nesting box was empty.
She had moved her kittens to a corner by the window. Long ago, I’d put an old seat pad on the dresser I use for tools for the cats to sit on, but they kept knocking it off. Eventually, it got knocked into that corner, where I couldn’t reach it without moving furniture. There is a homemade plant stand there as a shelf, and the pad was on top of its base.
That’s what the kittens were on.
Unfortunately, there is also broken glass from something the cats had knocked off a shelf back there that I can’t clean up until we’re able to empty the room for a total cleaning.
I ended up shifting some things around, got to the corner, managed to get the plant stand out, scooped the kittens into a little sling I made out of my shirt to carry them all at once, and moved them back to the box nest.
Butterscotch was not impressed.
Tough beans, mama. Your babies are going to be socialized this time!
As I was putting things back, and moving the homemade plant stand into the corner, I got what felt like a sliver. Checking it, however, I pulled out a little shard of glass. !!! It was a small wound, though, so I continued on.
Next thing I realized, I was leaving drops of blood all over the place. :-/
I am going to have to find some way to clean up that glass before a cat gets hurt. :-( They don’t normally go under there, but if Butterscotch is going to be trying to move her kittens, this could be a problem.
This isn’t the first time she tried to move them in the last day.
Yesterday, it was getting very warm in the sun room, but the old kitchen stays nice and cool. I was going to open the window in the storm door between the two rooms for some air circulation, but it wouldn’t budge. So I just left the doors into the old kitchen open and got the ceiling fan going in the sun room. I shut things down at the end of the day, but when my daughter went in later to do the cat litter, Butterscotch was at the door to the old kitchen and even sort of growled at her.
Then she heard the mewling coming from the wrong direction.
One kitten had been moved into the old kitchen, into an area by the old wood cook stove that is hard to get at. She found the kitten and had to move a bunch of things to get at it, then put it back into the box nest with its siblings.
After that, she did a head count of both litters, to make sure no others were missing!
I just love that little skunk stripe on the tuxedo’s nose!
Later, I was able to handle and cuddle each one of them.
I got quite a laugh at the timing of this photo, while Beep Beep was stretching her paw out.
I was able to cuddle the tabby (tortie?) in front for a bit. As I was putting it back, I was just in time to catch the orange tabby he was on top of, as it suddenly rolled off the blanket!
This morning, I had what has increasingly become a rare sighting of Doom Guy. I was able to pet him briefly, but he was much more interested in the food. Bob is around more, but very antsy of late, and not willing to stay still enough for much pets. I also saw Rosencrantz getting some food. She almost ran away when she saw me, but I didn’t try to come any closer, so she went back to the food. I hope her kittens are doing well.
It seems really strange to be outside and not have cats all over the place, all the time! Once the babies are big enough, that’ll change, of course, big time! :-D
Butterscotch’s babies have been easier to get pictures of; they are old enough that Butterscotch will come out more often.
This is the first picture I’ve been able to get of Beep Beep’s babies, without having to try and get around Mom.
I admit, I did quite a double take when I uploaded the photo and saw that one kitten’s nose.
No. It is not blood or a wound. It is just skin and fur colouration.
*phew*
This next picture was actually taken the evening we had the trees taken down.
I saw Rosencrantz looking very agitated, so I had to check on them.
Note that there is only three in the picture.
I took this next photo, the next morning, while putting the cat kibble out.
Alas. They are gone. :-(
I admit to being part of the problem; while I tried to keep my distance, she was not happy with anyone coming near the dog house. All the noise and activity while the trees were being cleared – especially when they moved the equipment into the south yard – was just too much for her.
I think they are now under the storage house. I’m hoping she found something to serve as a cat cave, because it’s mostly open under there.
It may be weeks before we see this litter again. :-(
Ah, well. Such is life.
Speaking of which…
Our other outside cats have all but disappeared, too! I saw Bob last night, but have seen Doom Guy only in passing (as I write this, I can see him way up on a tree branch). I haven’t seen Big Jim or Rolando Moon in days. In fact, we’ve been seeing the visiting toms more than our own resident cats of late.
I get that, now that the weather is better, the young males in particular will be wanting to explore. It’s just that a lot of the cats we were feeding last winter did the same, and most have not returned.
So while we now have 12 new kittens, we have less adult cats outside. Next year, we can expect much the same to happen again; some will stay, some will disappear.
I’ll just have to keep taking lots of pictures. :-)
My critter of the day photo is late today; I have a whole bunch of photos from the living room camera to go through, but had my computer off until just a little while ago. Just as a precautionary measure. The arborist was in to clear the trees today! I am so thrilled! I’ll be posting photos from that later on. I have lots to go through!
Until then, enjoy the wonderfully maternal Beep Beep and her little wormy babies.
This morning, I was able to get images of all three litters of kittens!
In the sun room, it was easier to get video than still shots.
All of Butterscotch’s babies have their eyes open now.
You can even hear Butterscotch purring as I took the video! The shake at the end there was her finally pushing her way under my hand to get to her kittens. :-)
Beep Beep seemed really happy to see me. I gave them both treats, right next to them, so they wouldn’t have to leave their babies to eat them. Butterscotch came out anyways, but she is not as into the treats as much as Beep Beep, who started looking for more! :-)
I was so happy to hear Beep Beep purring away as I pet her – and even got to touch one her kittens!
While putting food out for the cats outside, I checked on Rosencrantz as well. She ran off when I came close to the old dog house, so when I put the kibble out, I put some right outside the opening.
It’s not as easy to get pictures of these ones. :-D
By the time I came back from putting the bird seed out, she was happily eating the cat food by her kittens, instead of the food by the house, so I think she appreciated the gesture. :-)
On a hunch, I decided to check on the mamas in the sun room just a moment ago.
The new box nest did the trick.
We have four more kittens.
I didn’t have my phone at first, so I missed getting a picture of all of them while Beep Beep came out to eat the treats I brought for them. When I came back, I could only see these two. I wasn’t going to disturb her any more than this, just to get pictures.
She was quite content for me to lift up the blanket and check on her.
What a difference from last year. Both of them kept moving their babies after we figured out where they were, until the kittens were too big and mobile to do it anymore. Now, they are good with me reaching right in and petting them (and, in the case of Butterscotch right now, her babies, too).
That makes 12 kittens in total, unless there is another litter somewhere we don’t know about.
Part of my morning rounds now includes checking on kittens and mamas. I am happy to say that Rosencrantz is showing no signs of wanting to move her kittens anywhere. When I check on her, I stand to the side of the dog house, stick my phone camera into an opening, and try and see through the screen. This morning, Rosencrantz ran out, but she did not go far. I snapped a quick picture, then stepped aside, calling to her a bit. She was comfortable enough to go back in to her kittens.
I still have some hope of being able to bring Rosencrantz and her babies into the “maternity ward.”
While visiting with Butterscotch and Beep Beep earlier, they both went into the old kitchen while I topped up their food and water and grabbed the bird and deer feed. Butterscotch even let me pick her up and cuddle her for a bit, before she went back to her kittens, but I’d managed to get a quick picture while she was out.
I am now kind of concerned. And confused. (slight graphic warning)
The girls and I made a trip into the city today, and when we got back, I made sure to visit the mamas and kittens in the sun room.
Two of the kittens have their eyes open! The orange and white tabby does not, and I couldn’t see the face of the tuxedo to tell one way or the other.
They are so adorable!!!
In other news, we are finally ready to get the trees done. All of them, not just a half-job. I made the call this morning, and they will come out within the next two weeks.
So two live trees that are putting the house as risk and one dead tree that is a risk of falling onto the power lines will come down completely. Then the power lines will be cleared of branches the whole way. They will be bringing a chipper to do the small stuff, and we will be keeping the wood (there was the option of them taking the wood away, if we wanted).
We’re thinking about what the next big job (money wise, at least) should be a priority. It will mostly likely be to rent a heavy duty chipper for a week, and clear out the piles of branches all over the place. Getting a quote to get the driveway done with fresh gravel is also on the list, but as much as it could use it now, this will likely be a next year thing.
The Re-Farmer 