I haven’t done a good job of updating lately. At the end of July, I found myself in a fostering situation for a mama cat and her four weaned kittens. For those of you counting at home, you know that means 16 cats in the house, three outside, a dog, and a husband. It turns out five more cats is just too many (Yes, I knew that).

The fostered cats are in crates and do not have general run of the house. The mama cat, Gracie, has no interest in interacting with us humans. I’ve secured a spot for her in a barn cat sanctuary, but she’s on the waiting list. Gracie has met her requirements for admission — she is spayed, ear-tipped, and current on shots. An emergency stepped into her slot, so she’s waiting for a mama cat with nursing kittens to get them weaned before she’ll be able to move in. Since a 2-day-old orphaned kitten was just added yesterday, I’m guessing Gracie will be waiting in a crate in my entry hall for another six weeks. She’s handling it well.

Her four kittens were trapped when she was. They were weaned and are now about 13 weeks old. They have come a long way since I trapped them at the beginning of August. For the first couple of days, I had to handle them with gloves. They adapted quickly, and I can handle them quite easily. They each have their own personalities, and are quite delightful.

Kate

Josephine

Ghost

Tartoo

I’ll be taking the kittens to the Adoption Extravaganza in Belton on Saturday the 14th in hopes of finding them forever homes. They will take a special adopter experienced in working with formerly feral kittens. I’m not sure how many people like that will be at the event looking a kitten, but we’ll see.

Gracie should have been a Trap, Neuter, Return, but the woman whose yard she was in didn’t want her back. I don’t think Gracie is “tough” enough to be an unrestricted barn cat, but I believe the Barn Cat Sanctuary will work well for her. After three weeks of hiding in her carrier in the crate, I’ve noticed Gracie is spending more time outside the carrier up by the crate door. I think she’s lonesome and getting some interation with the inside cats.