3 Weeks Old

I think the Jones foster kittens are 3 weeks old today. The little boy above is the one who looks like his mom and has no tail.

This is also a little boy, and he has a tail.

See, the flap is down and now they roam a bit.

January wants me to pick her up. She likes to snuggle up close.

I can't say enough good things about Miss Dora, the mom. She is a very good mother and spends all of her time with the foster kittens. She talks to them if they "mew" too much while she is eating. She has never minded that we hold her babies while she eats. She certainly appreciates getting some attention too. I wonder if she belonged to someone at some point because she is very tame.

Today, I prepared a shallow pan of dry kitten food with added water. A website I visited suggested offering them solid food in this manner although the website also said that the foster kittens would wear it more than they would eat it. So true! Many of the kittens walked/slid through the pan. A few kittens actually took a lick but weren't much interested. Miss Dora, however, really liked this concoction!

I got them some toys today too - just in case they were ready to chase a jingle ball or wrestle a mouse. No such luck, but I've got them whenever they are ready.

Getting Active

The foster kittens are learning that they can lick and use their claws and wrestle! Sometimes, I even catch one chewing on another one's ear! The kitten above is saying, "Get off me!"

I have to say that it has been a little difficult to photograph them. To get really good shots, I'd have to lay on my stomach on the floor. Also, just when I'm getting ready to snap the picture, they turn their heads.

Everyone's eyes are open, and you can tell that the world is more in focus for them now. Just a few days ago, the kittens were still staggering around on little shaky legs. But today, I noticed that everyone gets around really well.

Today is the first day that I have permanently opened the flap on their box to let them roam freely. Earlier, the flap kept them safely inside their box so that they didn't stray too far away (and cry pitifully for their mom) or accidentally fall in the water bowl. But today, I decided that they need to start exploring their surroundings and exercise their leg muscles more. I've snuck into the garage a few times to see what they were up to and found that they prefer to be in the box if Miss Dora, their mom, is in there too.

Meet the Jones Family

Like the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, all of our foster kittens will have first and last names. It's my pleasure to introduce you to the Jones family. Miss Dora Jones is the mom. I think the above kitten is a boy (I'm not an expert yet when trying to figure this out, and wouldn't you know that the kittens cry pitifully when I look). The little boy above does not have a first name yet. He looks the most like his mom, and he doesn't have a tail. This little boy has one black eyebrow whiskers and one white eyebrow whiskers. Cute!

I believe this foster kitten is also a boy. He has more white than his mom, and he does have a tail. His little ears are not standing up in true triangular form yet. He doesn't have a first name yet.

What a sweet face! This little one is a girl, and her name is January Jones. I wasn't striving to name her after an actress (one that I don't know a lot about), but I LOVE the name. January has no tail.

This little girl is one of the smallest kittens, but she is healthy and thriving. She is solid black and has a tail. She doesn't have a first name yet either.

This is another one of the smallest foster kittens that is solid black with a tail (I think it's a girl). My daughter says the two black kittens are twins. However, I can tell them apart. One of the black kittens has some long, light colored hairs on her legs.

My husband gets to name one of the foster kittens (if he can take the job seriously), I will name 2 (I've already named January), and my daughter gets to name 2. We're carefully watching their personalities, as they develop, to help us discover their names.

Living Arrangements

As I said before, the foster kittens arrived at the shelter in this box, and I brought them home in it. They like it!
Because I have other indoor cats of my own, the shelter suggested that I keep the foster cats separate since the foster kittens have not been vaccinated yet.
I put the kittens in our downstairs garage which stays a comfortable temperature (not hot, not cold). My husband constructed an area in one corner of the garage which will keep the kittens contained once they begin scampering about. Technically, the walls could contain Miss Dora too, but she already knows that she can jump over which is okay with us. This contained area is quite roomy, but I couldn't show the whole area in this picture. The top flap of the box kept getting in our way when we wanted to get in some quality "kitten watching" so my husband used one of his numerous bungee cords to hold the flap back.

The foster kittens are sleeping in a heap while Miss Dora is eating. Blanket is now clean. They are 3-4 days old here.

Important info!!!! See the tabby there? There is no tail! Miss Dora, the mom, is a bobtail, and two of her kittens also have no tail.

The foster kittens are starting to open their eyes. The kitten above looks a lot like Miss Dora. The kittens are about a week old here.

Close up! At this age, whether their eyes are open or not, they know how to nurse - the instinct is there, but as the human foster mom, it can be difficult to watch them searching and searching for a spot to eat. Even though I know they will get settled eventually and that they are not going to starve, I have a huge urge to help them find a spot.

After Miss Dora eats, she gets back in the box, and the kittens start nursing - that is our cue to slip out and leave them in peace. We strive to provide Miss Dora a non-stressful environment.

First Day

Meet Miss Dora, the mother of 5 foster kittens. The animal shelter had already named her. She and her babies were brought to the shelter in this box with these blankets. The box is quite large and I think I'll use it for future foster kittens that are really small. I'll describe their other living arrangements later.
When I finally brought the foster kittens home, they were only 2 days old, and they were all nursing well.

There are 5 kittens - the kitten above is the only one this color. Two kittens are black and two other kittens are black and white. At this point, I didn't know boys from girls.

Miss Dora is out of the box having a can of food. I make dry kitten food available to Miss Dora at all times, and I feed her two cans of food a day (once in the morning and once in the evening). She looks forward to seeing me coming! Nursing cats need lots of calories so that they can make plenty of milk for their babies.

Yes, the blanket they arrived in was dirty, but it has since been washed several times. And I have another quilt that I swap out while the other blankets are in the wash.

Right now the foster kittens either sleep or nurse. Their eyes are not open yet. Miss Dora is a wonderful mom. She only leaves the box to use the litter pan or to eat.

Why We Foster

Our family loves cats, and we have several of our own. I truly learned about fostering kittens when I discovered the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee blog. I was fascinated by the pictures and stories of these kittens, and I thought it was a great idea - showcase the kittens with cute pictures, feature their unique personalities, give them catchy names - all of this helps the kittens get adopted.

I went to my local humane society last year and offered to foster kittens. I was surprised to find a lackluster response. Maybe I wasn't speaking to the right person, but I let it drop.

This year, a friend recommended that I volunteer with the Unicoi Animal Shelter. This is not the county I live in, but I was really motivated to get started. I contacted them, and their response was more warm, friendly, and agreeable. They already had foster kittens for me to take. Unfortunately, we were getting ready to leave on vacation so I agreed to call them as soon as I got back in town.

After vacation, I did call, and they were fresh out of kittens that needed to be fostered! :(

But I did get a call within a few days that there was a mother with 5 kittens that were only 1 day old. My daughter and I were extremely excited. My husband got involved and created a space just for them. The kittens are now just a little over 2 weeks old, and now, this blog has been born.

I hope you enjoy.

The foster kittens featured here will eventually be available for adoption from the Unicoi County Animal Shelter in Erwin, Tennessee.