Springtime Babies: Cats and Kittens

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It's time to venture outside of housework a bit more and talk about most people's favorite topic: cats!

I have always been a cat person - don't get me wrong, I love dogs too...and raccoons...and pretty much every animal on the planet! Ever since childhood, I wanted my own cat.  There was just something about felines in general that drew me to them.  My first kitty, Koshka, who passed on some years ago, got the ball rolling in terms of cat ownership.  Now, I take in and take care of every feline that needs me.  And they love me for it!

Pictured in the email header is one of the cats that was on the farm when we arrived here.  

Meet Phantom!

Phantom got his name from the pattern on his face, which resembled Phantom of the Opera.  He is a sweet boy who had a rough time with some serious injuries.  Drove him an hour and some to an emergency facility in Pittsburgh and spent an entire evening with him to make sure he would live.  Phantom has recovered fully and is enjoying his outside life.  You'd never know he had life-threatening injuries.  Now, he shows up when I call him and recently approached me for some head rubs and general petting.  I think he's officially my outside boy now! 

There are other outdoor felines that I haven't gotten much of a chance to capture good photographs of as they're still skittish and elusive.  But there's one beautiful girl that's been the center of attention the last couple weeks:

Butterscotch

This lovely Calico lady is a demanding little princess who meows long and loud for food if you're late.  She has a great personality but can be moody at times.  Her little quirks have certainly come out since giving birth to a fresh brood of kittens.  Yes, kittens!! Nothing has made me happier than watching babies grow with their mommy!

And here they are!

Taking care of these babies has been a heartwarming venture.  The kittens are adventurous, rough-and-tumble, and their personalities are starting to show! Boots the Tuxedo gives off crazy-kitty vibes, loves to "attack" her siblings, and is a curious little girl who loves to explore and climb things.  Luna (left of Boots) is a quirky girl who randomly flips on her back and holds all her legs in the air - typical Tabby behavior.  Claire (next to momma) does a lot of the same silliness as Luna.  And then there's Taffy, the lovable orange Tabby and true mama's boy, a gentle soul who is interested in the world around him. 

Butterscotch has been a great mama to her kittens.  At first, she behaved like she was going to abandon them - however, thanks to my sister's quick thinking, the situation was resolved.  There was supposed be a 5th kitten, but the baby was stillborn.  Any attempts to revive her proved futile, sadly.  I named her April and buried her in the garden behind the house.  The area around the lilac bush was the perfect place for her to rest.


Sadness aside   
Hope you all enjoyed this detour on the blog! Seems like cats are the ultimate serotonin boost these days, whether they are in videos, memes, or even just photos.  And being able to help a mama cat babysit her kittens fills my heart.  I was surprised she lets me and my sister hold them - maybe it gives her a break while she chows down on her hundredth meal for the day.  Yes, Butterscotch is a hungry girl, and we have to refill her with nourishment multiple times a day as she's still nursing.

Once she is done weaning the kittens, I am getting her fixed, along with the other elusive outside cats.  The major problem these days is that shelters are overrun with unwanted cats (and dogs even), and vet bills just for shots and other means of care are astronomical.  I'd rather make sure cats aren't reproducing at a rapid rate and then suffering in a shelter with no one to love them.  


What to Expect  
I have a lot of fun updates planned for this blog, including our ventures into homesteading, continuing renovations, indoor/outdoor projects, and more cats! 

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Support the Farm
If you love what I'm posting and want to help support the growing farm (and the cats!), you can give me a shoutout by "donating" a coffee! You have the freedom to decide the amount and how often you want to contribute.  All proceeds will go towards future farm equipment, animal care, fixing up the small house out front as it's slowly falling apart, and finishing up renovations on the farmhouse.  

Click the button below to get started!  
  

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See you all in the next post!

~Gigi

 

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