Kitten Update

[Forthcoming: photos of the kittens.]

Here I am again. There aren't any really good reasons for not posting since December, but now that it's the last day of February, I wanted to check in and make sure everyone is having a good 2010. Ours is going along pretty well, even though Floyd is still searching for work in the area. The upside is, he has a lot of projects going around here. :)

JEWELY is 9 years old now, and coming around little by little with the other cats. There are certain ones she will always hiss, spit, and swipe her paw at. But others, such as Coso, don't elicit a negative response. In fact, Jewely and Coso will sit a few inches apart in front of the window or some place, look each other in the eyes, then go back to watching out the window. No hissing. No growling. No aggressive anything. This no doubt has to do with positions in the Salyer Cat Hierarchy which we haven't entirely deciphered.

The Bigz--Blaze, Fireball, Rainbow, and Sunshine--turn a year old the first week in March.

BLAZE is ever affectionate and cuddly. When I'm standing, she'll walk over and rest her two, front (soft)paws on my leg. I reach down to lift her up, and it feels as though she jumps into my arms. Soon we're having a lovely snuggle- and purr-fest! Regardless of which cat(s) may be resting on my lap, Blaze has a supernatural way of injecting herself into the spacelessness that isn't there. She is quite petite even though she's all but full-grown. We expect her to be the smallest of all our cats when all three litters have reached their full growth. Little Blaze's emotions run on high at all times. Whether she's playing, cuddling, or tussling with the other cats, she's a Drama Queen. She's also an escape artist, along with Rainbow and Sunshine. We try to foil their attempts, and usually we win...but not always.

FIREBALL still turns into a shapeless, flop-ball when I pick him up. Putty in my hands. He's entirely too large to be doing this anymore, so I support his back so he won't wrench his spine. He comes to me several times a day, almost like a toddler, just to check-in, make sure I'm still here, when renewed, he wanders off for adventures elsewhere. He loves to lounge on my lap, sleep with his head on the pillow next to mine, or lie along my side with his face resting against mine.

RAINBOW, while not as nearly affectionate or dare I say, needy? as Blaze, she becomes a lap cat from time to time. She was the first to dash out the open back door then run wildly around the property, and up the trees. No manner of talking to her about the downside of being an outdoors cat convinces her that she should stay safe indoors.

SUNSHINE has always been a delightfully calm cat. He tends to sleep alone in a corner, only joining early morning snuggles on the bed when it suits him. He's not the least bit skittish and welcomes our petting, he just doesn't seem to have that much of a need. In spite of his ever mellow mood, he waits by the back door to see if he might make a run for it so he can dash like a banshee all over the yard.

The Littlez--Bodie, Coso, and Opal--should probably be re-named The Bigz2 and are ten months old.

BODIE is enormous and not just because he is as fluffy as can be. When I look at photos of different cat breeds, I notice he looks very much like a Ragamuffin or Maine Coon Cat. He's more independent than most of the cats, much like Sunshine. He has a nose for food no matter where it may be or who's eating it. He becomes quite friendly when I have food I just might share. Otherwise, he can be fairly aloof.

COSO is a perfectionist. She grooms herself more than any of the other cats, but not overly so. She likes things just so. In recent months, she has decided I'm the Cat's Pajamas. She loves to cuddle next to me as long as there's enough space for her to sit beside me and not on my lap. She's absolutely beautiful with her velvety, black fur, and pure white highlights.

OPAL is a lovey-dove like Blaze. Unfortunately (for me), she has not grasped the concept of soft paws like Fireball and Blaze have. I can barely have Opal near me without a resultant scratch. She loves to cuddle early in the morning and insinuates herself into any tiny space left by the others, then she reaches up for my face with her claws extended. I've learned to hold her paws while I pet her fur. She never misses the opportunity to greet Floyd when he emerges from the shower, rolling on her back at his feet.

The Minis--Dusty, Jasper, SnowQueen, and Taboose--are not so mini anymore and are five months old. Their neuter/ spay surgeries are looming. We take the boys on Tuesday and the girls on Wednesday. The vet didn't have room to take all four the same day, like he did for the first two litters.

DUSTY looks so much like Smoky, it's kinda spooky. Her reticence with us and personality are very Smoky-like, too. All of the Minis are a bit skittish (especially when down on the floor). However, when they're up on the bed, the back or arm of the couch, etc., we can approach them and pet them. They seem to enjoy this and purr their little hearts out.

I suspect they may have been closer to five weeks old when Floyd brought them in, and that would explain the lingering feral behavior. Both Buster and Smoky were about five weeks old when we got them, and they preferred not to be held ("confined," in their minds), and only petted occasionally, just like The Minis.

My research has shown that five weeks is the limit for rescuing a feral kitten and making it socialable enough to be a human companion. The younger the kitten, the easier the task. The closer a kitten gets to five weeks before it is handled by humans, the harder the task. Buster, Smoky, and the Minis are all what I'd call borderline, especially when compared to the behavior of the Bigz (3.5 weeks) and the Littlez (2 weeks).

JASPER is probably the all around friendliest of all the Minis. He's such a little fluff-ball with the sweetest face. Floyd has determined Jasper is Bodie's Apprentice because Jazz follows Bodie everywhere and gets all his tips on how to get into this and that trouble.

SNOWQUEEN is friendlier than her sister. She socializes more with us, but also prefers not to be held. She's very sweet and playful, especially with her litter mates.

TABOOSE is a bit of an anomaly. Much like Sunshine and Bodie, he doesn't mind being by himself, but he shows up as the mood hits to hang around with the other cats and get a few scratches behind his ears and under his chin. If we pick him up, he doesn't object in the least or struggle to get down, but the instant we stop petting him, he leaves.

Now, that we've established each cat's likes and dislikes, it's easy to treat each one as they prefer, eliminating most negative behavior.

Till next time,