So, on July 24, I saw a cat on the fence. On the other side of the barrier. Tortoiseshell. Long drop to the ground on the other side. I walked out front and called her to me. She came. I brought her food. She ate. Not like she was super hungry, though. And she had a pretty big belly. Obviously pregnant and far enough along that spaying at this point wasn't an option (at least for us). I let her go out back to check out the yard. Nooby and Ike were very curious about her and she was having none of it.
Going with our recent affection for the Marvel Universe, we decided to name her Natasha. After Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow.
Clicking on a picture will take you to a bigger photo in my family album; clicking on that picture will open a larger photo. You can also see the information for the photos such as when they were taken.
Nat in the catnip - she really liked it before she had babies; hormones?
The top of this fence is where she was. There's a thirty foot drop on the other side.
Keeping her safe from the other cats (and as it turns out, keeping them safe from her), Brian built this lattice door that fits into the bathroom door opening.
Yeah, she's small enough that her head fits through the holes in the lattice.
Her first vet visit was on Friday, July 23. The vet counted six skulls. Said she had about two weeks to birthing.
Front view
Checking out the house
Nipples are getting ready
Look at that belly
Stretched out in the office
And on Tuesday, August 10th, she had her first kitten around 6:15 am. That stuff under her is some of what left her body during childbirth.I learned some stuff during the birthing. At one point, she was eating something pretty big that came out of her and I was pretty upset, because I was sure it was a kitten. But it wasn't. I found that out when I saw her doing it again. It was the afterbirth. It took her under four hours to have all six kittens.
The babies. Steve, Wanda, Bucky, Carol, Goose and Wendy.
Mom and babies
She trusts me with her kids. She's realized I'm not going to eat them.
The proud mama. Nah, she just wanted more food.
This is Carol. Her eyes had finally opened.
Kittens are getting bigger. It's amazing how fast they grow.
The dog. Let me tell you about the dog. A couple of times before this picture, he got a little too close to the door and she went after him. I mean, she attacked. Now, he has a proper fear of her and keeps his distance. She likes to lay in the middle of the hallway. The bedroom is to her right, the office to her left. And he can't get by. Shortly before I took this photo, we heard barking. He wanted her to move. She wouldn't. I had to let him in the office through the other door.
The photo above of me holding the kitten, Carol? This is Carol yesterday. Ten days later.
Mom with the babies this morning. They're all doing nicely.I've put videos up on my YouTube Channel. Go check them out and watch the kittens grow. (This morning's has them trying to get out of the box.)
Tomorrow they'll be three weeks old. Before too long, they'll be all over the house.
Oh, and we've decided to keep them. All of them.
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