slow and steady

Angela continues to make progress. She accepts being picked up, and turns the motor on immediately! She has has some great interaction with the Workers too. She still needs some time, but I think she will be a nice cat very soon. She is still a little timid of fast moves, and noises, but I think that too shall pass. Here she is interacting with Dwight and Michael, who are having a big ole smackdown!

and then there were...5?

Yes, we got a new addition. Angela arrived at itty bitty central on Wednesday. She came hissing and spitting, and not one little bit happy about her circumstances. I didn't get her story, just the call to see if I could take another.

She is a very dark tortie, and she doesn't interact much with the Workers. She found a hiding place, and stayed there most of the time.





The good thing is, she is highly motivated by food. I picked her up the first evening, and held her for a minute, then as I released her, she made her way to the food bowl. When the workers came near, she growled at them, and they left her alone. That's probably the reason they took a long time to warm up to her.




She has been here almost 4 whole days, and I am happy to report, she is warming up. She still hides, but no hissing when I pick her up, and she actually purrs now when I hold her and scratch her ears. she won't stay too long, but I think it's huge progress. She has started to play with the Workers, if they come in her "space", but they are way more active than she is.












Jim has really blossomed in the last week or so. He loves to get attention, and seeks me out to give him a head rub. He has come a long way from the little scaredy cat he was.



I think everyone will be to weight by Monday, so they may go back to the spay/neuter clinic on Tuesday morning. I will miss these little guys, for sure. I heard a rumor that the shelter was full, so they may want me to keep them another week. We shall see.


Pam peers down from the kitty condo


Dwight cleans his toes...


Sneak attack by Michael.


Dwight fights back with a chomp to the ear.


Someone turned the vacuum on downstairs.

lazy days of summer

All is well here at itty bitty central. The Workers are full blast growing, they get to run the hallway twice a day, and are the best behaved group I have had in a long time. They can run the hall, which includes the bedroom and bath, as well as my office, and they STILL go back to their room to use the litter box! Amazing. Just like with kids, they can be too busy playing to make it back to the "toilet" before they have to go. That has not happened with this crew. So well behaved!

Pam has gotten totally past her not wanting to be picked up phase. She loves attention now. Jim still has issues, but he is much better, and still purrs when he gets skritchy scratches. They love to play with Buck, and try to climb Bentley when he comes in to clean up any scraps they might leave in their food bowl. Usually, there isn't anything but a crumb or two. They are big eaters!

Alas, I seem to have fallen in love with the whole bunch of them. So have the rest of the crew. I hope someone I know will adopt them, so I can see them grow up!


Dwight strikes a pose.


Pam, about to attack.


Shhhh. No one can see me. (Mikey hides)


Pam is fearless.


Bentley thought he was the Alpha. Pam has other ideas.


Can't we all get along?


Perfect timing, as Pam leaps over Dwight.


Jim plays with Bishop's tail.


Mikey has a dirty nose. They have finally learned not to suck their food, and actually bite it.


Dwight tries to get Buck's tail.

up and down

The Workers are all over the map these day. They gain weight, they lose weight. They eat well, then not so much. Their stools are normal, then loose again. The Metro worked pretty well for a little while, then we went back to some loose stool. I saw Dwight shoot out a pure liquid stool the other day. I gave him some fluids, and kept an eye on him. Yesterday his stool was more formed, and he is eating well. All of their weights have been up and down. Yesterday, everyone was up except Jim, but they are all eating well again, so we will see how it goes today. I have heard a couple of sneezes, and seen a tiny bit of eye discharge, but I think they are getting through that now, and hopefully without needing antibiotics.

They have all decided they like to run the hallway. Because these guys are so good with the litterbox, I feel a lot better about letting them play with a bit less supervision. What I mean by that is I leave my bedroom door open while they run the hall, so they can go from bathroom to bedroom at full speed. of course, it's hard to "keep them down on the farm" now that they have discovered there is more space to explore! They cry and cry to come out when they hear someone come upstairs.
By far their newest fun game is checking out their reflection in the mirror. Mikey discovered it behind the bedroom door, so I sat it down sideways in the hall and watched the antics.


Mikey finds the mirror behind the bedroom door.


Jim shows that mirror cat who's boss.


Then he has a word with Buck...from the back side.


Dwight proceeds with caution


Pam checks her makeup.


Then she checks out the crock.

Jim is much less skittish these days, and Pam has decided she loves attention. They both come running now when I enter the room, and although Jim is still not happy about being held, he loves attention. Pam is almost as eager to climb up on my lap as Dwight and Mikey, and Jim will come up too, but not quite as readily. He will definitely get past it. They have plenty of time left here,since the average weight is 1 lb, 6 oz.

happy kitties

Everything is copacetic at Itty Bitty Central. The Workers are on their 4th day of Metro, and the stools are way more normal now, and everyone is gaining weight. They have really come into their own, and cry to get attention when they hear someone come in. They eat 3 cans (big cans) of cat food a day now, and are not quite as messy as they have been. Hopefully, we are on a smooth path for adoption.

Jim is much better about being picked up, although he still doesn't like it so much, he does like attention, and seeks it out. Same thing with Pam. The other two boys, Dwight and Mikey love to be picked up and held. Mikey would rather be held than play with his siblings. He and Dwight seem to gravitate together, and Pam and Jim play together more.

All in all, I have really fallen in love with this litter, and I really hope someone I know adopts Dwight and Mikey, so I can visit them often!


Dwight finds one lone piece of kitty litter behind the trash can. Looks like a cigar. Yes, it's clean!


Dwight practices the weigh-in.


Dwight peeks from behind the carrier, showing off his charm.


Jim gets Dwight on the smackdown.


Jim is all tired from his match with Dwight.


Mikey takes a bite out of the camera strap.


Mikey swipes.


Pam takes a breather.


Pam and Jim get their play on.