New kittens

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Oct 12, 2005 7:10 pm

My grandkids found some orphaned kittens in the barn this summer. They fed them in their snug little nest up in the haymow until it was time for school to start, and then we got a refrigerator box at the appliance store in town, and we moved the 2 surviving babies into my workshop (aka 'the chicken house'). I've been looking after them out there ever since. They have now been let out of the box, and are free to wander around in my shop. The poor things were nearly starved when the kids found them. Momma kitty was a feral cat, I don't know if she was dumped or just found her way to the barn. DH fed her there, and she reciprocated by catching mice for him. I don't know what happened to her.
At any rate, the kitties are now growing and quite healthy, and they're so sweet. The yellow boy is CJ (for Curious Jorge...I call him Jorge) and the tabby girl is Gypsy. Yesterday when DGD was here with my grandog Roxie, she brought the kittens in the house for a face-to-face with the pup. Here are some pics of the encounter.
Linda P

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Oct 12, 2005 7:18 pm

patsue53 · Post by **patsue53** » Oct 12, 2005 7:26 pm

Linda, those pictures are priceless!! I especially love the last one.

The kittens are too cute! You know now that you've let them into the house that you have a couple of forever housecats!

Is Roxie the abandoned puppy from last summer? What a cutie!

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Oct 12, 2005 10:14 pm

Lol - those last two pictures are especially cute

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Oct 12, 2005 11:01 pm

Good to see Roxie respecting the cats. Introducing them while they are young is a smart thing to do. I know all cats aren't natural mousers. How much is genetic, and how much is taught by the momma cat?

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Oct 13, 2005 4:02 am

How cute!!! Thanks!!

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Oct 13, 2005 7:56 am

LOL! Great pictures Linda! Thanks for letting us meeting Gypsy and Jorge!

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Oct 13, 2005 8:08 am

I forgot to mention that my grandaughter Becca took the kitten pics. I was outside when she brought the kittens in or I would probably have been a little nervous about it. We call Becca the cat whisperer. She can usually catch and tame any cat, no matter how wild. (She wasn't able to tame the kittens momma, no matter how much she tried, and I can't think of any other cat that she has tried to tame and failed). It's really cool to watch her. She's done this since she was about 2 or 3 years old. She will just squat down somewhere in the vicinity of the cat, looking towards it but not at it, and not move a muscle. She is very patient. She tamed some wild kittens one year, when she was about 6 or 7. It took her weeks. Each day she will get a little closer, and she begins to talk to them softly, sometimes mewing at them and making a purring sound. She's 12 now, and she hasn't lost her touch with animals. This summer she helped to sort some cows, and really impressed our friend who was here. He was blown away by how she moves around among the animals and they aren't frightened by her. My sister has the same ability, expecially with dogs,to the extent that her mother in law wonders if she was actually raised by dogs.
Anyway, Roxie did really, really well with the kittens. She didn't chase them, even when they got down and hid under the chair. She lives with a cat at home. They run through the house chasing one another, and wrestle around the floor until the cat gets tired of it. You can see from the expression on her face that she really wanted to play, but she stayed back.
OED, I don't know about the mousing. Some cats seem to be born to catch mice, and others are born to rule their households. I have one who does both.

Linda P

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Oct 13, 2005 9:12 am

Too funny how the hair is raised on their backs in that last pic! Great shots by your dd

Dd has an 6 month old kitten who still dosen't get along with our cats or like the dogs. He's been raised alone, but we've tried them together to no avail.

I'm thinking perhaps it's be/c HE's a male is outnumbered by 2 F. Cats and 2 F. Dogs

Probably dh would get along with him better. But he's the sweetest thing with me when I'm over there at her place!

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Oct 14, 2005 6:24 am

Wonderful pics! Those kittens and Roxie are all adorable.

Lionitus · Post by **Lionitus** » Oct 14, 2005 9:22 am

Too cute. I'm this close to getting a new kitty or two myself. If it weren't for Zippy's cancer I'd do it today. Our house seems so empty and lonely since we've lost three furkids this year. I'm used to having six animals under foot. I like my house busy that way.

You lovely little fur-family. Looks like a happy household going on!

Lionitus