boys will be boys

First of all, let me send out a big thank you to Laureen for meeting up with me at the Home Depot to drop off some supplies for Blossom; your support is greatly appreciated and the food is always welcome. Blossom's appetite has become ravenous as she nurses 4 hungry babies. It was wonderful to finally meet and speak with you. And I'd also like to say thanks to all the staff and girls at the front service desk who have continued to show their support by helping co-ordinate food drops offs (I understand there is more waiting for me on my next visit) and who always ask how Blossom is doing.

So, how is Blossom doing? She is doing quite well indeed.... taking more time for herself, away from the babies. She comes to me in the morning and demands me to get out of bed to spend some time petting her and then feeding her (aka: "I don't want the dry food, I want the CANNED food!"). Blossom has even been playing a little bit with a toy mouse, which has been great to see.

As for the babies..... what characters!!! They have reached a wonderful age in which they are now starting to play and wrestle with each other... and me! When Blossom is off busy eating her canned food I crawl into the closet and call to the babies. "Babies! how are the babies??". They all wake up when they hear my voice, start mewing and then..... they make their way towards me! It melts my heart to see them on their wobbly little legs trying to make their way towards me for a petting. SO. CUTE. I took some pics to show you just how cute!







Didn't I promise you it was about the cutest thing you'll ever see? The wrestling is also pretty adorable to witness... here are some wrestling pics:

Ow!! watch the eyes!!

growing like weeds!

I was awoken yesterday by the sound of Blossom doing her "chirping" meow that is usually reserved for her babies... but for some reason she was making this sound in my room. I sat up, all blurry-eyed and squinted to see in the dark; what was she up to this time? Finally able to focus I noticed a lump of a kitten on my bedroom floor in front of closet. "Blossom! We talked about this!!" I said, as I got up.... just in time to watch her disappear into my bedroom closet with the baby in her mouth.

I'm not entirely sure why she thinks the closet is a good place because there's not a whole lot of room in there; indeed, there is a dresser taking up the majority of the closet, making it impossible for her to lay down with the babies if she were to get them all in there.

Anyway, I once again picked up the baby and walked it to the front hall closet and put it back with his brothers and reminded Blossom that this was the deal from the last time we played the "let's move the kittens all around the house" game. She has left them there for now, though I'm sure if I forget to close the closet door again, this may not remain the case.

The babies are growing at a *shocking* rate, with the two orange ones really packing on the weight the most. They all have their eyes open, except for one grey tabby who still has one eye closed so it looks like he's winking all the time. They like to test their wobbly legs by moving around quite a bit, but as yet, do not wander far. I know I'm going to miss these days once they start tearing up my home. A couple of them have even played with me as I tickled their bellies and they rolled onto their backs, grabbing my fingers and trying to bite them (see the pic of the grey tabby on his back below, from when we were playing). It. Is. ADORABLE!!

Blossom may very well eat me out of house and home as she continues to demand canned food and will only eat the dry food if she really has to; I shudder to think of how much canned food we'll go through when the babies are eating solid food.

Enjoy the pics..... and as always, feel free to click on the thumbnails for a larger more detailed pic.

Peekaboo!

Well, as you can see the babies are growing at a fantastic rate... so much so that one is starting ever-so-slowly open his eyes! A week after being born they still spend all their time sleeping and eating. Getting around is slow and they are very wobbly on their feet when they try and move.

Mama Blossom spends quite a bit of time away from them, taking a break as they nap. She is getting very demanding with me about eating canned cat food! I have been trying to ration how much canned food I've been feeding her, treating as more of a "supplement" to her staple dried food diet, but she is eating less of the dried food and wants more of the canned. I think she's burning a lot of calories while nursing and wants some wet, meaty food. *shrug* Far be it for me to tell a mama cat what she needs!

Nalida from the Depot called and left a very sweet message about donating some food (always welcome! Blossom is eating me out of house and home!) and has spoken for two of the kittens; I believe she wants one of each colour, but I need to verify. If anyone else is SERIOUSLY interested, please let me know. Please do not offer to take one of you are not ready to take care of a cat and have not spoken to your family about it; everyone will be involved in raising the baby! :-)

And lastly, please don't forget that beautiful Blossom needs a home too! She is the most wonderful girl ever and I really want to find a family that will adore her; so please, pass this blog around and see if anyone would be interested in taking Blossom.

Blossom is awesome!

Blossom wins.

Yesterday morning when I got up to feed Blossom I found that the babies were no longer in the bathroom, as I had left them the night before. "Where are they Blossom?" I tried asking. She was coy and pretended not to know. I glanced at the front hall closet and noticed the sliding door was accidentally left open a bit. Upon opening the door I saw a pile of sleeping kittens underneath a bunch of junk. *sigh*

I grabbed two in each hand and put them back on the blanket in the bathroom and had one of my talks with Blossom about keeping them in the bathroom. This talk seemed familiar. I went into my living room and sat down at my computer. 2 mins later I hear the mewing of a rather upset kitten; I walked out to the front hall to see a baby on the tile floor in front of the closet and mama Blossom perplexed that the closet door was shut. "No Blossom!". I picked the baby back up and put it in the bathroom and headed back to my computer. 2 mins later Blossom walked into the living room with a kitten in her mouth and dropped it at my feet. "Are you kidding me, Blossom? You can't be leaving babies in the living room". I picked it up and put back in the bathroom. 5 mins later she brought another one into the living room.

I gave in. What could I do?? I cleared out the closet, put the damn blanket in and piled the babies on top; now Blossom is a happy clam, and really..... isn't that what it's all about?

I'd like to give a quick shout out to Yvonne at the Depot for donating some canned food to Blossom; seems her highness is not as fond of dry food right now and is strongly preferring canned (which is more expensive). Yvonne was kind enough to help me out by supplying some food, and it is much appreciated. Thank you! Blossom loves it!

here a baby, there a baby, everywhere a baby!

Today Blossom and I had a slight disagreement.

I was speaking on the phone with a co-worker this morning when I suddenly heard the mew of a scared kitten coming from what seemed to be my bedroom. Blossom was standing in front of me looking around, acting surprised, as if she had no idea where that sound was coming from. I told my co-worker that I had to go because I could hear a kitten crying in my bedroom, but I couldn't tell where from. Blossom looked with me, as if she didn't know where the baby was, even though it had been her who had moved it into my bedroom. I finally narrowed down the sound and moved a pillow that was on the floor only to find a crying baby under my bedside table. "No, Blossom! This is MY room! No babies are allowed!". I picked up the baby and marched back to the bathroom where the babies are set up; this area allows Blossom to have her food & water dishes nearby, as well as the litter. And it gives her a room to herself, as the washroom is quite big (it's built to be wheelchair accessible.

Blossom tried two more times to carry babies out of the bathroom and to my bedroom, only to now find the door shut. The second time I carried the baby back to the bathroom again and the third time she carried it back herself (see picture below). Finally she gave in and just kept them in the bathroom (though I offered that we could put them in my den! But nooooo... she's a picky girl, this one!)

Anyway, it looks a whole lot like all the kittens are boys, but I want to give it another week or two just to be sure. They are *very* feisty and scrap a lot over who gets which nipple. They are a fierce bunch.

Below are some pics for you to enjoy.... once again, click on the picture for larger versions. Enjoy!

The babies are here!!!

After sleeping snuggled up to me last night I noticed that Blossom was restless this morning. She was walking all over my condo and looking for a place to "nest". She cuddled with me a bit on the couch for the morning news, but kept getting up and moving around. And she meowed! this cat never meows! I knew we were getting close...

So I got down on the floor with her and started rubbing her belly and giving her a massage, just as I have been for the last week. This time she rolled right over onto her back and gave me her full belly to rub. I gave it a vigorous rub and then noticed... the contractions were starting.

And so began the negotiations! Blossom wanted to have the babies in my bedroom; I said no. She wanted to have them in the front hall closet; I said no again, and suggested the lovely box I had created for her. She said no. Meanwhile, her water had broken and she was starting to make a mess. Finally I took her into the bathroom and closed the door. I sat on the floor with her and began rubbing her belly again. The contractions got stronger and longer.... she braced hard against my leg and arm and then purring stopped. There was a long pause... she stood up suddenly and HOWLED. Poor thing let out a terrible scream that no doubt my whole building heard, and before I knew it, there was a baby on the floor in front of me.

Eventually I picked up the baby and put it on a blanket to keep warm and she settled in to lick it and clean it up. Baby number 2 came 10 minutes later with much less fanfare. An hour later I went in to check on her and begin rubbing her belly again to help her along.... and she promptly had baby number 3. An hour after that, same thing.... I massaged her aching belly and the contractions came swiftly...and poof! Baby number four. She and I had a pretty good system worked out.

So that seems to be the final count. 4 babies.... two grey/black tabbies and two orange tabbies. I will give it a few days before I sort out the genders, and will let you all know then. They were born alternately.... grey tabby... then orange... then grey.. then orange.

Mom and babies are doing very well and will all be ready for new homes Jan 25th.

Here are the first pics I have..... feel free, as always, to click on them for larger versions!

they're coming!!!!

Blossom is in labour! Stay tuned and I will post some pics as soon as I can..... ;-)

UPDATE: we have three babies so far! I think there are at least two more coming.. stay tuned!