HHHHHOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tigress writes:

I'm hhhhhhooooooooommmmmmeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I know it's not the best picture, but I wouldn't stay still!  I'm soooooooo happy to be home again!!!!!!!!!!  I dropped off the face of the earth last year and stayed away for months!!!  I haven't told anyone what happened to me yet, but I'm doing just fine.  I've put on a little weight, but that may be from it being so cold this winter.  I found lots of nice, juicy mousies whenever I wanted, although I had to hunt for them.  I love hunting, though, so that's never a problem for me.

Daddy and Mommy are trying to trap my buddy Niss this weekend to get him fixed, so there is that trap on the deck again.  I hate the trap, but it's one more reason I know I'm home, so I marked it with my scent by rubbing my cheek against it while I ate.  Daddy was watching the backyard, hoping to see Niss out there so they could call him over to get him used to the trap, and he saw me making my way through the back gate!  He couldn't tell from that distance who it was, so he told Mommy it was Niss, but she could tell when she looked out because I was in the middle of the yard by then.

I sat in the yard meowing for a while, then dove under the deck and came out with a fat, juicy mouse.  I ran off with it through the back gate, but then came back just a short while later.  I circled the yard, meowing, and both my purrents meowed back and talked with me through the windows.  I went under the deck to rest for a bit, and then slowly circled closer to the food that they'd put on the deck.  I was hungry, but I still wasn't completely sure if I was safe, or if I was dreaming and would wake up and not be here but somewhere that wasn't safe instead.  Also, it'll take me a while to get used to the other cats again because I automatically am distrustful of others until I can smell them and they can smell me, even if I can already tell they're my family.  That's how I was the last time I disappeared, too.

I ate while I talked with Mommy, and a couple of the others stuck their heads out the door to say hi.  One tried to climb up on the trap to say hi to me, but I ran off and Mommy put her back inside the house.  I came back within a few minutes, though.  Whenever Mommy would try to shut the door after talking with me, I would walk over to the middle of it and yell at her to open it again.  I didn't want her to go away!  She would open the door back up and talk with me again.  I didn't want her to reach out to pet me yet, though.

She eventually had to go take a nap, but she told me she would be back after a while.  When she came back to the door, I was ready!  I got more food, and reached out to ask her with my paw if she would pet me while I ate.  She did!  This is real!  I am home!  I got ear scritches, neck scritches, back scritches, and side scritches!  I haven't stopped making happy paws all over the deck and purring!  I even wanted her to rub my left ear like she used to when I was a kitten, and she remembered!  I gave her love bites every so often to make sure she was real and hadn't dissolved.  She and I even played a petting game like we used to, where she reaches for the top of my head, then I duck her hand and bump it with the side of my face, then play-bite (just a love-bite) and pull her hand closer to pet me.  She remembered that, too!

She has to go back all the way inside now and close the door for a while, so I'm going to stay right here and reacclimate myself, even if I do have to be by that trap.  I see Sherbet has learned how to play with Autumn, and things have moved around quite a bit in the house, but it's still mine and it's still home!  I'll probably investigate inside, but it'll probably take me a few more days to set foot in there and properly greet everyone and everything.

Goodbye & Hello

Trailer Kitties write:

Our trailer's gone! The people in the green house left, took all their stuff, and took the trailer! There's just a bare patch of brown grass where it was. We can still go into the basement to hide and be dry, but it's not as convenient as the trailer was.

The lady and the man said they'd miss us all, but they were moving to a bigger house in a different place. We'll really miss them, and our daily two bowls of food.

Love, forever,

Grey Kitty, Tux, Dot, Outdoor Fluffy Buddy, the siamese from the next street over, Spongebob (neighbor's pet cat/welcoming committee), and all the rest.

Shadow writes:

The people in the green house haven't been around in a while. They don't come home anymore. Spongebob's dad, George, said they left a note with him that they really wanted to have me come live with them, but they would have to trap me to do that. They asked him to help them trap me. He hasn't called them back about it.

The lady who types my diary for me is the lady from the green house. I'll let her tell what's going to happen next.

Karen here:
We're going to let Shadow stay with Sponge & George, because she's happy there and she and Sponge are best buds. George will feed her and take care of her the best he can, and hopefully she'll learn to trust him more. Scott's going to go over and talk with him one of these next weeks and explain what techniques we were using to get her to trust us more, and so hopefully those will work for him as well.

It breaks my heart to give her up, just as it breaks my heart to give up the rest of the Trailer Kitties, but it's best for them to stay where they are. We'll never forget you!!!

Love,

Mommy/the lady who lived in the green house.

Spooky writes:

I'm at my new forever home! No, I didn't go somewhere else. I got to stay right here with my foster family, who are now my REAL family! Mommy and Daddy had a serious talk tonight, and they told me that my new last name is the same as theirs now. Yay!

Happy snuggles,

Spooky T.

Former Foster Friday

Little Bit and all her kittens have finally found good homes! We are pleased to report that, although Squishy is still having poopy problems, he has found a home with people who are willing and able to care for him and pay his vet bills so that he gets consistent medication (which stops the problem). Little Guy has changed his name to Tiger, and is living with a neighbor of our friend Erin. His new daddy also had taken Squishy, but couldn't provide the needed care after he started squishing again, although he was also the one who found the new home for Mr. Squishers. Tiger will do just fine being an only cat, and Squishy will adjust all right to being an only cat once he figures out no one else is there. Tiger loves to watch tv, and sits with Erin's son when she comes over to clean the apartment.

Cloud has grown to be a big guy! He still has his bobcat-like face, but has almost grown into his paws. He loves snuggling and playing with his mommy, and running around the upstairs when he gets the kitten crazies. He is starting to get used to downstairs as well, and treats the carpeted steps more normally.

Kai is doing great in his home, and had his neuter surgery just fine. Boo and Michelle are still charming their family, and are scheduled for their spays soon.

Little Bit is living with her sister Smokey, her new mommy Erin, and human brother Jarek. It took about a week for Smokey to figure out that Little Bit wasn't going to challenge her right to be alpha cat, but after Erin went on vacation for a day and left them by themselves in the apartment they sorted things out and have been pals again ever since. Little Bit is going to have her spay soon, when we can schedule it. It may not be until the beginning of the year. We're going to help Erin out with that. Little Bit still loves to talk, and comes rubbing up and purring to Erin whenever she sits down for a second. Most of the time when I talk with Erin on the phone, Little Bit's trying to get in the conversation as well!

So, kitten season's over, and a good one it was this year! Have great lives at your new homes, everyone! We'll have periodic updates on Smokey, Little Bit, and maybe Tiger.

Cousteau got adopted!

Note from Foster Mommy: He goes to his new home a week from today!

Cousteau writes:

I met my new mommy today! Foster Daddy and Foster Mommy took me in the truck to meet her. I didn't like the truck ride, mostly because I had to stay on Foster Mommy's lap. :( I wanted to explore! I talked most of the way there and most of the way back, trying to climb over Foster Mommy's arms, but there was no way she was going to let me off her lap. I climbed onto her shoulder and watched out the window for a while.

When we got to my new home, my new mommy and her roommate were there. They held me and kissed me, then the roommate had to go to work. My new mommy carried me into the kitchen. I was scared, so I snuggled into her. Then she set me down on the counter, but I wasn't sure where I was. The wood floor where she set me down next was better. At least I recognized the surface. I went off to see what was around, and walked into something else that I didn't know. They called it a rug. I was afraid of it, so my new mommy got down on the floor with me and talked to me, telling me the rug wouldn't eat me. I touched it, but didn't walk on it.

Next, my new mommy carried me downstairs and showed me my new room. There's a small scratching post, a litter box, and toys. Oh, and a mat for my food and water, but my bowls weren't set out yet. There was another rug there, but it's called a carpet. It felt funny, but I wasn't afraid of it. I was carried into a bedroom and set on the bed. I tried to figure out how to get down, but it wasn't like the bed at my foster parents' house. My new mommy set me down, and I explored the closet while she talked with my foster parents. I played hide and seek with all of them around the closet doors, then my new mommy got into the closet with me and played shoelaces with me! She really loves me!

Finally, she brought me into the garage where the big kitty tree is set up. This thing is HUGE! There's a lot of space for me to climb and play, and more when I grow into it. I was tired and relaxed, so I washed myself and played tails with my new mommy's finger. Then I took a mini-nap! My new pictures are of me on this kitty tree.

I get to go back there to live next Friday. I will be 7 weeks old then, and weaned. I can't wait, and my new mommy can't wait either! I'm so excited!

Oh, and I got a new name! I'm now Kai.

Kitty dropped off at Mommy's church

Mommy got this picture and the following e-mail from her church today:

"Two weeks ago placed a cat in a box and abandoned her at the North door. They left a note saying that she is about 2 years old. She appears healthy and seemingly well cared for. Dennis has been acting as her “foster” parent, however he doesn’t feel that he is the appropriate long-term “parent” for her. Dennis would like to see Miss Kitty (a temporary term of affection that Dennis and the church office staff hung on the poor thing!) go to a good home rather than to a shelter. If you think you would like adopt Miss Kitty or if you know someone who is need of a good companion, please contact (church office)."

Mommy is glad that the person who left "Miss Kitty" decided to abandon her at the church, rather than dump her someplace. She knows Dennis well, and he's very kind to animals. But we would love it if this kitty got a new forever home. If you know of someone who would like to adopt her, please let us know by leaving a comment to that effect. Thanks!

I'm in my new home

Smokey writes (via telephone):

My new mom and dad came and got me, and trapped me in the cat carrier. In the car, my new mom opened the carrier a little and petted me to try to calm me down, because I was holding my whole body rigid.

Once I got to my new home, they opened the carrier right by my new litter box. I explored all over the house, except the little human's room, then hid under the bed. I'll explore later, but right now I know I'm safe under here.

My new mom called Foster Mommy and told her all of this so she could update everyone.

I got adopted!

Smokey writes:

I got adopted! Skylar's Mommy Erin, who lived with Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy for a while, is adopting me! She and her boyfriend and her 1-year-old little bean boy are going to have me for a few days to see how I do being over at their house. They like me and they want me to be their kitty! I will go to live with them temporarily in a few days, and then live with them permanently after that! Hopefully, everything will go well during my trial period so I can have them as my forever home!