Let it snow, let it snow!

Well, we've got a huge snow storm heading towards NYC, so today's theme is snow + kittehs. There's nothing better than watching a wittle tiny kittay pway in the snow, eeeeeeeek!

Click here to watch a great kitteh video

Oh, kitteh, where for art thou kitteh?

I'll be back in action with new babies on January 4th!

Well, I had to take a break from babies during finals because I have always been under the impression that having kittehs running around is a distraction. However, I must say that my productivity/motivation remained the exact same (low), despite the fact that I was kittenless.

Therefore, in conclusion, my research clearly indicates that kittehs help me study and I shall never deny myself their love ever again.

I'll be gone until the new year, so until then, geeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Missing you

Love you

"... what we have enjoyed, we can never lose ... all that we love deeply becomes a part of us."

Rosa

7/4/89 - 12/8/06

HOME ALONE

GREAT article in Huffington Post today - "Cat Cams: What do cats do when home alone?"

So what do cats do when their owners are away? There was one way to find out – cat cams!

Fifty house cats were given collar cameras that took a photo every 15 minutes. The results put a digital dent in some human theories about catnapping.

Top 8 activities captured:
-22 percent of the cats' time was spent looking out of windows

-12 percent was used to interact with other family pets

-8 percent was spent climbing on chairs or kitty condos

-6 percent of their hours were spent sleeping
-6 percent showed the cats looking at a television, computer, DVDs or other media

-6 percent was spent hiding under tables (This is my FAV - haha!)

-5 percent was playing with toys

-4 percent was spent eating or looking at food

I'm telling you, there is nothing better than a kittay katttt.

KITTENS SOON - I pwomise!

YEA!!!!

LITTLE FOOT HAS BEEN ADOPTED!!!

Geeeeeeeeee

Still waiting...

Translation: You no use tongue? Do I have a bad flavor?

*picture courtesy of icanhascheezburger*

No new babies yet, grrrrrrrr.

In the meantime, here is the cutest kittay video EVER (thanks for sharing, Jen & Kim!)

click here if you wuv kittens!

Stay tuned - if I don't hear back from the ASPCA by tonight, I'm launching a full-blown email/phone stalker attack, muahahaha - give me KITTAYSSSSS.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, I'm very sad. I miss Little Foot a lot and saying goodbye was extremely difficult. The apartment is so empty without her little pitter patter.

I know that I'm not allowed to pick favorites, but she's just the best! This is the worst part of fostering - the goodbye. Everyone tells me that she's going to find a great home soon, and I know that, but it doesn't help - I still miss her terribly.

But, I must move-on and there's no better way than getting new kittays, eeeeeek!

Stay tuned - more to come on Sunday!

Last day with Little foot

geeeeee

just pwayin'

got milk?

oh, hewo

wunnin' awound

nappy time

Well, tomorrow is going to be very hard because I have to bring LF back to the ASPCA. I'm almost certain that she's 2lbs, or very close! It's been quite the adventure with her and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to foster LF. She is without a doubt, the most special kittay I've had.

When she came to me, she was so needy and tiny, and now she's independent and HUGE! Although, I must say that she is still quite the snuggler, which is uncommon for kittays her age. It's been so fun to watch her grow and I know that she is going to find a terrific forever home and have a long and happy life.

She's fast asleep on my lap right now and it makes me so happy to see her healthy and ready to move-on.

I'll be taking a short kittay break and hopefully getting new kittens next Sunday - stay tuned!

Mighty Mouse

Little foot on her hot water bottle thrown

I was away at a wedding this weekend, so my wonderful friend, Jen, agreed to take Little foot. Jen has two cats, Bean & Oliver, so I was interested to see how Little foot handled being around bigger kittays.

Well, she did great! Her and Oliver grew to became great friends and I'm sure she is missing him today while she's at home alone. Jen calls Little foot "Mighty Mouse" bc of her big ears, which I just love, so that'll be her second nickname after Smushy face.

In other good news, Little foot is continuing to gain weight at a steady pace - Jen and I weighed her last night and she's now at 1lbs 10oz! She now has a round wittle tummy that mommy loves to kiss, and she constantly plays and runs around, which is such a great relief! I am so glad to see her acting like a normal kitten now - I was quite worried there for a few days.

Little foot meeting her bff, Oliver

Little foot is well on her way! This will be our last week with her - I'll most likely take her back on Sunday, sniff, sniff. I hope by then that she'll be two pounds and ready to find her forever home!

Adoption updates!

Absolute satisfaction

Lt. Dan - ADOPTED!
Cheetah face - ADOPTED!
Googly eyes - ADOPTED!
Heff - ADOPTED!

Junk in the Trunk

Little foot is finally gaining weight - YEA!

As a mother you sometimes have to take matters into your own hands, and that's exactly what I did. I decided Little foot needed some bottle feeding to encourage her to eat more, and my plan has worked! Her little belly is finally swelling and she's become more active, ie., she now plays and explores the apartment instead of sleeping all day. But don't worry, folks, she's still as needy as ever and wants Mommy's attention, which means I have the best of both worlds!

I haven't called to check-up on her siblings, I'm going to wait until after this weekend to see if they've been adopted. Those three wittle babies were so adorable that i'm not worried one bit! We'll have Little foot for another week or so, and then we'll get some new babies after Thanksgiving, eeeeeeeek!

I found this video online - this is why kittaaaays are the absolute best! click here

Is it Caturday yet?

Well, Little foot is just soaking up all the one-on-one attention! I'm sorry that I even questioned whether or not she'd miss her siblings - she has adjusted just fine without them!

She's eating more and definitely becoming more independent (well, I think). However, she is still so tiny! I'm totally loving her small stature though, it's just so much fun to have a wittle baby to snug with. And there is nothing better than waking up to a kittay in your face saying good morning. Oh, she's the most perfect kitteh EVER.

More pics coming later!

Empty Nest Syndrome

Well, last night brought all sorts of emotions. The walk to the ASPCA was so cold and I worried about the babies, but when we arrived, they were just fine. I spent a few minutes petting them and reassuring them that everything was going to be okay, and it was a nice goodbye. A few of the staff members stopped by and looked at them - and of course LOVED them (I mean, if your heart doesn't melt at the sight of four kittens, then you're definitely a dark wizard).

Then the foster coordinator came out and we talked about each of them. And of course, me being the doting mother that I am, I had to let her know just how wonderful these little guys were to have around the house. We also talked about Little foot and her inability to gain weight and what that meant - does she need further fostering? And then came the awkward moment always dreaded by the creepy cat lady - the discussion about getting new babies.

So after handing off the kittays, the ASPCA foster coordinator said she'd call about Little foot in a few days. Well, I've heard this before (cough, cough - ladies, you know what i'm talking about), so I asked her if the vet was around to look at Little foot now to determine if she was in good enough health to come home with me TONIGHT. The two seconds that passed while she processed what I'd just said were the longest moments of my life!

During these few seconds, I couldn't help but think about how nuts I have become since starting the foster program, and how I know this woman think i'm absolutely insane and obsessed with cats. And just when I started to consider taking a few days off from fostering, a big smile came over her face and she said that she'd take Little foot in to see the vet right then. YEA!

That's when the nerves set-in...is Little foot sick? Does she have a terminal illness that we don't know about? Why isn't she gaining weight? Am I a bad parent? I started to ponder the idea that Little foot might not be coming home with me after all.

Well, a few minutes later, the vet brought her out. Yes, the really, really hot vet that I want to marry and have 100 kittens with! And of course, I looked like all hell, but at that moment I didn't even care - I just wanted to know about Little foot.

The good news is that she's fine! The bad news is that she's lost weight since I've had her, which makes me really sad. We made a treatment plan for her that includes high caloric food and supplements, and of course, lots of TLC.

When we got home, it was so quiet and sad to not have Heff, Cheetah face and Googly eyes running around. I imagine the feelings are similar to when a child leaves to go to college. The apartment felt so empty and I know Little foot was very confused about where her siblings had gone. However, she had no problems climbing up onto Mommy and taking a long nappy while I watched my Thursday night tv.

So, there you have it - it's just Little foot now. I believe she is secretly happy to be alone and not have to share me, but we'll see how she survives her first day alone in the apartment without her siblings.

My plan worked, the others are gone! It's just me now, muahahaha

Sweet dreams

I was a little sad last night as I got ready for bed - knowing that it was my last night with the babies. When I got into bed, Little foot followed right behind me, I know, SHOCKER. But then the greatest thing happened, the other three jumped onto the bed and climbed onto me! Within a few minutes, I had four purring kittens on my chest and legs! The best part was that I didn't even force them onto my bed! They actually climbed up on their own!

It was almost as if they knew that this was their final night with me and they were saying thank you. We all quickly fell asleep and I can't remember the last time I went to bed so happy.

I'll miss these little guys, but as always, it's their time to move on.

24 hours and counting

Well, the babies are going back to the ASPCA tomorrow (insert sad face). It's been so much fun having sixteen little feet running around. I swear, I have the best job in the entire world - now if only I could receive a paycheck with this gig, then I'd be set!

I'm confident that they'll find their forever homes very quickly because they're so darn cute!

If you're interested in any of these little guys - let me know!

My little boo-boo's

Little foot is the kitten I've always wanted. She follows me everywhere and demands that I hold her 24/7 - and if I don't, she sits at my feet and cries. It breaks my heart when she wants to be held and I am busy cleaning or doing something that won't allow me to hold her. Thus, I invented the kitten bjorn. You simply tie around your neck and place tiny kitten inside and BAM - hands free kittay holder.

Oh, hewo. My name is Cheetah face and I am the cutest, most beautiful kittay in the entire world.

Haha - Cheetah face is so adorable and I can't help but think that she has some type of Cheetah in her blood. I really hope her forever family keeps her foster name bc "Cheetah face" is the most appropriate, duh.

Go Phillies! Googly eyes loves to watch baseball. I think she is the most intelligent of the bunch bc she has also discovered the mirror and thinks there's another kittay inside.

Little foot is not pleased that Mommy is taking pictures instead of holding her. 'Scuse me, wys yu knots huldin mi?

Trick or Treat

Winda the Ewok

Buzzzzzzz

Thumper!

Expecto Patronum!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Sisterly love

Little foot bathing Cheetah face

The kids are all sleeping right now, so I have a minute to blog about them.

Well, I made the decision to let them have full roam of the apartment, even at night, which has been interesting. Last night I woke up to find four babies in my bed - all in a different place and stretched out to capacity. They took up about 90% of the bed and I was forced to remain in the same position for the remainder of the night.

Little foot insists on sleeping as close to my face as possible, which has been interesting. I'll awake and she'll be on my shoulder. Other times she's on my back or legs - as long as she's touching mommy, she's a happy camper. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty much the greatest thing ever to have four little angels sleeping with you!

Oh man, they're starting to wake up...that means mommy needs to make them a snack!

The results are in...

With 75% of the votes - Holly (googly eyes) is going to be a bumblebee!

With 35.3% of the votes - Heff is going to be Harry Potter!

With 52.9% of the votes - Kendra (smushy face) is going to be an Ewok!

With 29.4% of the votes - Bridget (cheetah face) is going to be a bunny!

Thank you to all who voted!!!

Stay tuned - mommy will be making their costumes this week

Halloween costumes

The babies need halloween costumes!

Please click on the link below to vote on your favorite costume idea for the kittays!

Take the survey!

In other news, the babies are doing great. They are such a joy and I've had so much fun with them this week. They've discovered the plants and love to play in the dirt. Even when they are all dirty and tracking dirt around the apartment, I just can't get mad at them - they are so freakin cute!

It's really great to see how much they care about each other too. If one has climbed too high and lets out a cry, they will all coming running to make sure everything is okay. They all sleep together, knead and clean each other, and just run around like the happiest little things.

Cute story - little foot (Kendra) is very attached to mommy and demands attention 24/7. Well, this morning, I get into the shower and I hear crying, so I pull back the shower curtain to see her sitting on the rug in the bathroom just waiting for me to get out. She continued to cry, and after several attempts to climb onto the ledge of the tub, which was pretty much the cutest thing ever, I placed her there myself, where she sat until mommy was done showering. I know I can't play favorites, but oh man, she is so tiny and cute, eeeeeeek.

I'm the luckiest mommy in the world!

Oh, to be a kitteh

Morning yoga

Mid-morning nap

LUNCH!!!

Afternoon nappy

Just hanging around

Oh, hewo

Me + kittens + biggest loser (the tv show) = heaven on earth

The babies have a pretty consistent routine of play, eat and sleep. They'll chase each other around for a good thirty minutes, then sleep for a solid hour, wake-up, eat a little bit, and then repeat. I must say, watching them nap is the most adorable thing ever.

I was twenty minutes late to work this morning thanks to my furry friends. How am I supposed to leave four little babies at home alone? I put them down for their morning nappy, said goodbye at least ten times, and then made myself leave. Oh, to be a stay at home mom.

Meet the babies!

Nickname: Cheetah

Nickname: Little foot & Smushy face

Nickname: Googly eyes

Nickname: brudher (brother)

Foster kittays #9,10,11 & 12

I might be the happiest mommy alive! Oh, man. I can't even explain how much fun these little babies have been in the past 24 hours.

Googly eyes (Holly) is the leader of the pack and she keeps everyone in check. Behind her in line is Cheetah face (Bridget), who is a stunning resemblance to a baby cheetah. Then comes Brudher (Heff) who definitely gets thrown around by his sister's. And finally is Little foot (Kendra), who is the smallest of the group. She is so tiny (about 10oz.) and prefers to follow mommy around the house instead of getting into mischief with her siblings.

I already have about 100 pictures. They are so cute - I can't help myself from capturing every moment.

UPDATE: Sunday was sad. When I took Lt. Dan back to the ASPCA it was cold and rainy. When we arrived, the nicest nurse was there, who had been on-call the day Lt. Dan originally came to the ASPCA. She was so excited to see his improvement and thought it would be a good idea to put him in a cage with another kitten while awaiting adoption. This made me feel better about leaving him behind, but it was still hard. I will wait a few days before calling to check on him. I know he'll find his forever home very soon. Love him.

Heff & the Girls

They're here! More later...

Spooooky

Booooo

I know many of you think that I have lost my mind with this cat blog (cough, cough...my MOM), and while I do not disagree, I would like to use today's entry to defend myself with the following link that shows just how crazy some cat people are.

Thank you, Chewy, for sending this along to me...even though your email subject was "omg...it's your twin".

Instructions for Taking Care of My Babies (cats) this Weekend

The Lt.'s Final Days...

Well, it's official - the Lt. is ready for adoption! I'll be taking him back to the ASPCA on Sunday.

While I am very sad to see him go, I know that he needs to find his forever home and start his new life. He's come such a long way in the past three weeks...from the little kitten that wouldn't let you hold him (or even find him for that matter) to a cheerful and energetic snug bug! I've had so much fun with him and I cannot wait until he is adopted.

We still have three more days together though, so mommy will be sure to spoil him a little extra!

And I know what you are all wondering - will the creepy cat lady be getting any new kittay's??!!!?? The answer is YES - four wittle kittens who are underweight and need some fattening-up. Oh man, four...that's a lot, but I'd like to accept this challenge.

Da Bird

Boo-boo playing with his fav new toy

This weekend Lt. Dan got a bunch of new toys, thanks to my dear friend, Allegra. His absolute favorite toy is "da bird" which is nothing more than a clump of feathers, attached to a string, on the end of a stick. No joke, the Lt. played with da bird ALL DAY on Sunday. Literally, from the minute it came out of the bag until he was too tired to keep playing. It was so much fun to watch him leap in the air and attack the feathers.

By 7pm, he was so tired that he fell asleep right next to it. Mommy scooped him right up at this point and we took the best nap on the couch while watching football. He fell asleep on my chest with his tongue sticking out - it was the cutest thing in the entire world.

It's started to hit me that my time with the Lt. is winding down, and while that makes me very sad, I know it's time for him to find his forever home. I just hope that someone will open up their heart to this little guy. I realize that I continue to say this, but he is seriously the sweetest, most affectionate cat that I've fostered. So if you know someone who wants the most snuggly baby, let me know!

Play date!

Oliver & Lt. Dan

Oh, what a day it has been!

This morning I took the Lt. to see the doc at the ASPCA and mommy was quite smitten over the vet (he is very cute). After his assessment, the vet told me that Lt. Dan looks great and I have "done a great job with him". His sneezing has stopped and he is healthy as can be. It was such a great compliment to receive and really reaffirmed my hard work over the past two weeks.

Then the Lt. met with the animal behaviorist and she recommended using human baby food as a reward for not hissing. I am now supposed to spend 10-30 minutes a day approaching him from various angles and rooms, and each time I am supposed to give him a dollop of baby food to associate human presence with something positive. Apparently, baby food is the creme de la creme of kitty treats - who would have known? Anyway, I hope this exercise helps with his hissing. While it has gotten a lot better, he still needs a little work before going to adoption.

After we got home and Lt. Dan took a cat nap, my friend Jen brought over her seven month kittay, Oliver, who she adopted from the ASPCA in June. I was a little nervous about how they would get along, but it was great! The Lt. went right up to Ollie and they slowly got to know each other, and before we knew it - they were chasing each other and playing. It was so fun to watch them, and to see that the Lt. was comfortable with another cat.

When Jen & Ollie left, the Lt. endlessly searched the apartment for his new friend. He looked everywhere and was very vocal during the process - it made mommy so sad! I made sure to tell the Lt. that Ollie would come over again soon...maybe even for a sleepover.

This has made me aware that I think the Lt. needs a forever home with another cat. I believe this will assist him with his socialization and adjustment.

He's so tired and sleeping right here next to me. What a great day it has been for the two of us.

Kitty spotlight

Translation: Excuse me, mom? Can you bake me cookies?

Translation: Mom said yes to cookies!

Meet Sidney!

Parents: Meena & Nathan

Adoption date: 2007

Place of origin: Wayne County Humane Society

Nicknames: Chubz, Chubz McTubz

Favorite pastimes: Eating & playing fetch with her toy mice

Sidney's mom wrote to us and shared their story,

"She's a 12 year old orange tabby that is a very sweet, affectionate little lady who loves to snuggle on our laps and sleeps with us every night. She loves to be around people and she loves to eat. When we adopted her, she was a mere 6.5 pounds and suffering from an upper respiratory infection. It was touch and go for a few days, and the vet said she would need lots of TLC. We nursed her back to health, and Mommy overfed her in her zealous efforts to be a good nurse. As a result, she reached an all time high weight of 11.5 pounds within a month and a half--oops! We feed her all organic reduced fat wet food along with some dry food. Innova and Evo are the brands. She's down to a svelte 10.1 pounds now."

HOW SWEET - I hope the three of you live a long and happy life together!

If you'd like your kittai to be highlighted in CCL's weekly kitty spotlight, send me an email at creepycatladynyc@gmail.com, and include a picture, along with anything you'd like to share about your kitteh(s).