It’s been a while since I posted here and there are several things I want to write about but these little guys and girls are really special to me and I’ve been spending a lot of time with them so I’ve decided to tell you about the kitties who have decided to live with us.

Last November a beautiful tortoise shell cat started sitting and napping in the sun on our back deck. I didn’t know if it was a male or female at the time so I didn’t name her.  She wouldn’t allow us to get anywhere near her so I thought that soon she’d make her way on to a new home. You can see photos of her from that time over on my photo blog in the post
Dearest Companions
Not so long after those photos were taken she stopped coming around and I really missed seeing her each afternoon.

Then this past June she returned and with her were three beautiful good sized kittens. She was very protective of them at first but she would come to the deck, sit in the sun and peek in the kitchen door as if to say, “I’m back and I’d like some food.”

Seeing that she had the little ones and they all needed to eat I gave in (which was not a tough decision for me to make) and started feeding them and keeping fresh water for them each day. Slowly the cat that we now call Missy, became more friendly and allowed me to pick her up.

Before long the kittens started venturing up onto the deck with their mom and they were each so very different both in color and personality. One, the only male, is definitely part Siamese, the smallest is black and white with green eyes and the third and largest is a light cream color with the slightest of colors like her mom’s only on her ears and tail.

Now I am able to pick up the little one who looks most like a Siamese. He’s so sweet and curious and the most outgoing of the three. I am thrilled that my husband and I have decided to keep him. Today I was able to get him into a carrier and took him to our veterinarian who checked him for feline leukemia and HIV which was negative and gave him his kitten vaccines. He told me that since he is already beginning to get his adult “canine” teeth he is about 4 and a half months old and very healthy.

I’m working on taming the other two. The mostly white one has begun to allow me to pet her back when she’s eating so that’s a good start toward gaining her trust as well. The shy black and white one has finally ventured up on the deck to eat while I stand nearby. It takes much patience to tame feral kittens and I always seem to have more patience with animals than with humans so it’s a great joy for me to spend this time with them. Hopefully I’ll be able to get them to the vet soon and get their vaccines as well. Then in about two months we can have them all spade and neutered and find homes for them.

And in case you’re wondering about Missy, we had an appointment to take her in for vaccines and to have her spayed. The day came for her to go and she was nowhere to be found. She was gone for nearly four weeks. She’s back now and I do believe is going to have more kittens so until they are born she can’t be vaccinated. I am already planning on finding homes for them as soon as possible. I do not believe in allowing stray cats to continue having feral kittens. There is no need for them to live often painful and short lives when we can do something about it.

Our two indoor cats, Alex and Jennifer aren’t exactly thrilled about these new additions yet, but I hope once they meet they will  eventually become friends.