I Still Don't Like Dogs

Okay - I still don't like dogs. And this puppy is doing all the things that I said I don't like about dogs. She licks my face, she leaves puppy puddles and other puppy excretions all over the house. It's true what they say about puppy training: it's more about training the humans than the puppy. And those promises from the girls:  "Oh, Mom, we will take her out for walks everyday!" Imagine my surprise when they didn't! I have threatened that the puppy is going back if they don't take some responsibility. But then - just look at that face...

She overturns the trash cans, chews up used Kleenex (eeeewuuuuue!!!), and gets into everything within her reach. But then she looks at you with those big brown eyes, and rolls over for a tummy rub.

How can anyone resist this?

Kitten Olympics

Welcome to the Cutest Olympic Event Ever:

    The Itty Bitty Kitty Olympic Games!

We begin this year's events with the Tandem Nordic Boot Pull. Beautiful coordination - nicely done!

And then, coming in from the cold, the Three Kitten Snuggle Pile. Hey, get that nose in, Frodo! Your team could be disqualified if the judges can see where one kitten ends and the next one begins.

Here we have the ever popular Three Kitten Line up - just look at those ears all  perked up and in formation. Better watch those hindquarters there, girls. The judges will be watching for tails neatly tucked in.

Oh dear! The Five Kitten Cheerleading Squad is having some trouble with the pyramid position. This squad has been lacking in cooperation today. We hope they will be back next year in finer form.

Now for the event we have all been waiting for: the 1.5 meter pant leg climb! Just look at that concentration! Determination! Digging those little claws in!

And that's it for this year's Kitten Olympics. Thank you for tuning in.

Kittens, Kittens, and More Kittens - Oh My!

Who knew how quickly kittens grew up?


Before we knew it, they turned from
<<<<= this size








          To this size!!!                    =>>>>>











First Mittens had a litter of five kittens.

We didn't notice that Heidi was also pregnant. One morning, Megan came to tell me that Heidi had a kitten in her bed. "Quick Mom, come see. I thought that Megan was just playing, and that there would be a toy kitten. But there was a real kitten (and some messy sheets). It was a black female. Megan named her Princess.

A couple of months later, Heidi had another litter, with four kittens. In the picture above is Princess and the four new kittens.

 Then a couple of more months later, Mittens had another litter of six kittens. Sixteen kittens in one year. Heidi was a very good Mommy Cat. She was always playing with the kittens, and would nurse Mitten's kittens along with her own. In the picture above, there are kittens from all four litters nursing on Heidi - including Rusty, the big orange cat on the left. He was one of Mittens' first kittens, and was almost as big as Heidi here.

Mittens was a more lazy Mommy Cat, and would get annoyed with kittens, especially when they would play with her tail. She had a weird habit that I have never seen with any other cat: she would steal the damp dish cloth, set it beside her kittens, and then leave. I wondered if she was overwhelmed with all that mothering. 

But then after we gave away all of those kittens, Mittens could be seen running around with the dish cloth in her mouth, trying to find her kittens. It was was rather pitiful.

After the "Year of the Kittens, we took Mittens and Heidi to the vet to get fixed.