Non-stop calls on kittens. The local rescue group confessed to me that they have 117 kittens in foster homes! That’s just nuts. These babies lost their mom this morning and the gentleman said he called everyone, but when he told them the kittens were feral, he was turned down repeatedly.

Yes, I took them and they are cute although I wish they were any other color but black and mackerel tabbies. I have them out in the nesting box right now. I am waiting for a home for Huggles to come through, then I will move the babies into the bedroom. Mom was pure black and not yet a year old. Same old story-different day-

Here they are, I have no idea what sex they are. I have de-flead and de-wormed them with caution- they are formidable hissers and strikers at the moment. There are five of them- two black and three mackerel tabbies

I have put a carrier inside the nesting box to give them a cave to hide in. I covered the top with a towel to make it darker being careful not to cut off all their air. I moved the nesting box into the bedroom and they are cautious with me as long as I keep my distance from them. They are eating canned kitten food- thank the good Lord, I had a little on-hand right now. The adult food is much to rich for them to eat right now. I do have dry kitten chow which they are also eating. I am not putting water in with them- they make a mess when they are this age and you give them water. As long as they are eating wet food- water isn’t an issue. One Mackeral tabby just sits and trembles when he/she sees me. I am pretty much leaving them alone except for feeding times- feeding four times a day. They have plain clay litter in the litter pans which are nothing more than those throw-away aluminum baking pans you get at the grocery store for a few cents on a dollar. I like those as beginning pans because they have low sides and you get four of them. Kittens such as these are used to mom being the clean-up crew and they will poop wherever they are. The more pans you can leave out for them to use, the better the clean up will start to be.

The babies are caked with mud and bark- they came out of shed that stores firewood. But, I am just leaving them alone for now. Let them acclimate to their new surroundings, get used to not having mom around, then I will take them out and use some Crisco lard to remove the sap on their fur then brush them gently if they will tolerate it. I don’t want to bathe them right now- they had access to clumping litter before arriving here and they have it all between their pads, on the back of the legs etc., putting water on these little one will cause that litter to set as strong as concrete and I will never get it out of their fur.

Huggles is not thrilled with her new roommates and she has taken to sleeping under our dresser now. She will come out when I am in the room and go over and growl at them. Tonight, when the temperature starts to drop, I will cover the nesting box with a blanket to keep them calm and warmer. There is a pet heating pad under the carrier as well to provide warmth.