Week 4 With the Foster Kittens: Seven Weeks Old and Part of the Family

Taboo

 Seven-week-old foster kittens are so fun!

They're mostly responsible enough now that they can have free range of the house while we're up and awake. Old habits die HARD, though, so there are a few pee spots here and there that I just can't seem to make less tempting--any and all advice is welcome, please!

Anchovy

Taboo

My favorite kitten is still the one that's sleeping on my lap and purring, but dangling a bootlace is now my second-favorite kitten-related activity. The other day I spent a full twenty minutes pulling the bootlace around for them (and I timed it because I was waiting for two teenagers to freaking GET READY TO LEAVE THE HOUSE ALREADY I SWEAR TO GOD YOU DIDN'T TAKE THIS LONG TO GET READY TO GO WHEN YOU WERE TWO AND FOUR!!!!!) and they were still racing back and forth for it when I stopped... although they did all collapse immediately into slumber once the game was over. 

Spots does not want anything to do with us these days unless we are literally outside, but Jones is even more on top of us--

--and even chases and wrestles with the more adventurous kittens. To be honest, it IS a little difficult to ascertain if he's playing or low-key trying to murder them (or both!), but it's terrific kitten socialization, at least!

Socks

from left to right: Socks, Athena, Anchovy, Taboo, and Pickle

The babies found themselves in the mirror last week and I didn't catch it on video, dang it, but this week they found their first sunbeams!

Athena and Socks

Taboo

I love watching each of their personalities develop. It's not safe to send them to their forever families until they're speutered, but it's kind of a bummer that they are being so adorable and sweet and charming and personable, and at seven weeks they're so hearty and easy to take care of (at least in multiples fewer than five!), but their families don't get to enjoy them. 

Socks

Pickle

Taboo

Athena

I really hope they all get adopted within minutes when they finally head back to the shelter in a couple of weeks, both for that and because my heart will physically hurt knowing that they're in a containment area instead of a comfy, loving home...

Athena

... especially Athena, who is my own personal little darling, and it is going to sting when I give her back. I just keep telling myself that everybody wants a kitten, and if I really want to adopt I should take a senior cat, but also I don't want to adopt, because when the kids are both in college I want to travel more. 

But then Athena climbs up into my lap and falls asleep, purring happily to herself, and I forget again. I should make signs and post them around the house at my eyeline!

Here's our foster kitten glow-up so far:

• Four Weeks Old
• Five Weeks Old
• Six Weeks Old