I've been thinking about the past year's accomplishments. I think we fostered more critters than we ever have before in one year. I know we definitely worked harder at fostering than we did ever before, hand raising seven kittens from when they were a week old is something I'll likely never have time to do again.

First the "N bunnies" hopped into our lives… mother Nelly, babies Nibbler, Nick, Nodwick, and Nubbin.

In May I got a frantic call from my niece, who had found seven kittens in a closed box in a cardboard recycling bin. She saved them from the baler and we took them in: Opal, Orlando, Orion, Othello, Oliver, Ophelia, and Oreo. Whew! They were the healthiest kittens we'd ever raised. Oreo and Orlando were adopted by relatives of ours, so we get to see them grow up, which is great!

There was a brief break and then the shelter was overrun with babies again. We opened our home and hearts to mother Penny, and her babies Polly, Peanut, Pepe, Punkin, and Puss. Polly was memorable for the white heart on her chest. Penny stayed at the shelter for a long time, but was finally adopted on Christmas Eve. Best Christmas present ever!

By this time we were pretty exhausted and thinking we'd need a break from fostering. Then I was at the shelter one Friday night working on the computers, and some kittens were brought into Health Wing. Their owner had left and taken the momma cat with her, leaving the babies to fend for themselves. They weren't quite weaned yet, although they were eating some wet food out of desperation. They were mostly getting it all over themselves as they searched through it for the milk they really wanted. How could we resist? So we met Quagmire, QD, Quincy(who had extra toes!), and Suzy Q. Unfortunately Quagmrie got sick and although an heroic effort was made by the Small Animal Clinic at the U of S, he didn't make it.

Wow, that's 22 critters. I don't think it's healthy for us to keep up that pace though, because frankly we were pretty burned out by the end of all that. Hopefully this year will be a bit less frantic!

If you are considering becoming a foster parent, please look here for more information.  It is incredibly rewarding work, there is no better thing than holding a purring kitten.

Brenda from the shelter just phoned us with the good news, Penny is going to her forever home today!  That is the best Christmas present ever!  Thanks so much to all the shelter staff who helped find her a family! Happy Holidays everyone!
 

Suzy, QD and Quincy have all been adopted! A big thanks to the Star Phoenix for their great story on Home for the Holidays, that featured a picture of QD and Suzy! 

We went to visit Penny last night.  She was full of purrs for us and really appreciated the chance to stretch her legs.  Her coat is oddly dry, and it could be due to stress.  Please don't let that stop you from adopting her, I'm sure that once she gets into a home her coat will return to its beautiful sheen!  She really deserves to have a home by Christmas, so please spread the word or if you're interested, come down to the SPCA and visit this sweet girl!

Remember, she's only $52 to adopt, and she's already been spayed!

Check out today's paper for a picture of QD and Suzy and a great story about the SPCA!  They are still up for adoption, remember the SPCA is open until 8pm on Thursdays!

Click here to read the online version

(To see the picture of our babies, click on "More images" below the photo.)

Penny, the momma cat from our last litter, is still waiting to be adopted.  She is currently at PetSmart in Saskatoon.

Leslie and I are subsidizing her adoption price because we know she is a really sweet cat, and since money is tight before Christmas, it might help someone choose her if she cost a bit less.

Penny only costs $52.06 plus the cost of her rabies shot to be adopted!  She's already been spayed, so she's ready to go!   You can see her this week at PetSmart, or next week back at the shelter.  Please consider this sweet girl if you're thinking of adopting!

Here's a video of Quincy playing with a toy!  Nothing earth shattering, but still cute.

Apparently the Riders heard of Orlando's reaction to their earlier losses and decided they had to give 110%! GO RIDERS!

Here is the reason that QD gets so covered in food.  She gives 110% at mealtime, that's for sure.

But she cleans up really cute.

Such huge paws, but he plays so gently!  We've finally gotten him interested in the "toy on a string".  He is just so mild mannered that he'd just sit there and watch his sisters play with it.   Once they were bored and wandered off though, he got right in there and played. 

Last but not least, Suzy "Big eyes" Q.

The babies are all still growing so quickly.  QD in particular seems to enjoy her food.  She likes to body surf the plate and mush her face into the soft food.  She does the same thing in the soft food bowl, so cute.

Quincy and Suzy Q rumble!

QD puts on the cute!

Those big paws of Quincy's continue to just slay me.

Suzy is just too cute and curious.

Some very nice people came to see the kittens, and they're coming again tomorrow with someone else who might be interested in adopting one of them too!  It's getting to be close to that time, only a few weeks and they'll be ready for their forever homes!

It is a bit easier to introduce kittens to Annie when there's no protective momma cat.  We decided it was time to bring Annie into the room.  Annie, of course, wasn't too worried.  The kittens were slightly taken aback.  See how poofy Suzy is here!  At this point Annie had just entered the room.

QD checks out the big new stranger.  She's so brave!

Annie looks more uncertain here than Suzy does!

Annie wants up on the futon… but oh no, there's a kitten guarding the stairs!

Annie makes it past the sentry… but now the inspectors arrive!

Hmm, this toe seems suspiciously…

… DELICIOUS!

Closer inspection is obviously needed.

QD is a bit cautious at first and hisses at Annie.

But you know about curiosity and cats…

Everything seems to be in order.

QD is a playful ball of purr!

You can really see Quincy's big paws in this shot.  He's all thumbs!

Suzy poses, while in the background QD taste tests the stairs. NOM!

I don't know how they manage to get so dirty, but it's always a challenge keeping kittens clean when they don't have a momma there to groom them.  We also need to make sure they stay clean so they get used to it and will try to keep themselves clean too.  Tonight everyone gets a bath!  We dry them off using a hair dryer set on low so that they won't get a chill. 

Oh yeah, head scritchins!

QD heads up the stairs to the futon.

They're all getting along very well and eating a lot!  They are having to learn that the futon is for sleeping and is not to be used as a big litterbox.  We leave a litterbox on the futon so that they don't have to go all the way down to the floor if they're sleeping up there and suddenly wake up needing to pee. 

Feeding them first and coming back later to snuggle and play has been working very well.  

The girls weigh 500 grams and Quincy weighs 400.  They have to be at least 900g in order to be adopted out.  They should gain that much in the next two weeks, believe it or not!  They grow so fast.