Three......Uh.......Four Kittens

Our backyard is Kitty Haven. I first discovered this in April of '05, when I discovered two kittens in the big plastic collapsible shed on the side of our house. Their mama had decided this was a good place to raise her babies. I started bringing them cans of tuna and cat food. This is a picture of one of them with a bit of tuna stuck on his little chin.

My husband caught one of these babies and gave it to a young girl who works at his office. She also volunteers at a cat shelter, but she kept this one for herself. She already had a grown cat, and the little one became inseparable with her big cat. I forget what she named the kitten, but it is full grown now, happy and fat.

Ok, I thought, that's it. Good deed done. We were unable to catch the other kitten, and over time I stopped seeing it in the backyard. I also stopped seeing mama kitty. In the best of all possible worlds, perhaps they moved on. I don't think about the alternative to the best of all possible worlds.

The next episode happened in January. A kitten that must have been born a week or two before Wilma hit us started appearing in our backyard. This one was more pitiful. I never saw the mother, and this one attempted to eat the peanuts I put out for the blue jays. If you know anything about cats - they don't eat peanuts in the shell unless they are starving.

Ever the sucker, I started putting out food and water for this baby. Before long, we were able to catch it using a carry cage we have for our pet cats. (Have I mentioned this is the House of Cats?) We brought him in and kept him separated from the three we already have. We took him to the vets, where he was pronounced a healthy "he" and given his first shots. He was allowed out with our other three and they all got along fine. We named him "Peanut" at first, but then opted for "Junior Kitty" or "Junior Bean". So I'm not imaginative. He doesn't care. He bonded with Squeebles. Squeebles was the only cat that was appalled when he first met Junior Bean. He hissed and spat. The others just ignored the newcomer. Within 24 hours, Junior Bean and Squeebles were the best of friends. Squeebles became "Uncle Squee" and mentored Junior Bean, teaching him how to sit with his tongue sticking out (looking particularly retarded) and other important cat lessons. They sleep all rolled up together, wrestle and chase each other around, and they clean each others ears and head.

This is a picture of Uncle Squee on the left and Junior Bean on the right.

OK - so NOW it's May 06. When we had our fence fixed that was knocked down by Wilma, I put blocks down all around the bottoms of the fence to keep out cats. And I didn't see any for a looooong time. Until this week.

They're back with a vengeance. I believe one of the kittens from last year has grown up and had babies. I've seen the mother and father. Mama Kitty is a calico and Dad is a white with orange pieces. Sound familiar? Check out Junior Bean. Same family. Probably his brother, or the brother of the original two kittens from April of '05. Trailer Trash Cats. Appalachian Cats Anon.

I saw two kittens a few days ago. One that looks just like Junior Bean, only smaller and one that is half white and half dark brown, kind of calico-like. Considering the parents, this is a no-brainer. So I put out some cat food. I don't want them to kill the birds that come to our yard, and I don't want them to starve.

I put out food this morning, and first the calico mama came and ate. Then I heard her call her kittens with a kind of continuous meowmeowmeow. She disappeared under the fence (did I mention that the blocks under the fences don't work?). Pretty soon, a little head popped up under the fence and pushed into our yard. Followed by a second. Then a third. Wow! I didn't know there were three babies!! They all commenced to eat. About 5 minutes into breakfast, a fourth one popped through the fence. Sheesh!! Four little kittens. I tried to get a picture of all of them, but only succeeded in getting two. By the time I got my camera, two had eaten and run. I'll try again tomorrow morning.....but in the meantime, here is the new batch 'o kittens.











In honor of the little foursome.....remember this nursery rhyme? The only difference is - where it says "three", I changed it to "four".

Four little kittens,
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
We sadly fear,
Our mittens we have lost.

What! Lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens,
Then you shall have no pie.
Meow, meow,
Then you shall have no pie.

The four little kittens,
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.

What, found your mittens,
Then you're good kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Purrr, purrr,
Then you shall have some pie.

Four little kittens,
Put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie.
Oh, mother dear,
We sadly fear,
Our mittens we have soiled.

What! Soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens,

And they began to sigh.
Meow, meow,
And they began to sigh.

The four little kittens,
They washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry.
Oh, mother dear,
Do you not hear,
Our mittens we have washed?

What! Washed your mittens?
They you're good kittens!
But I smell a mouse close by.
Meow, meow,
We smell a mouse close by.