Weeks 5 and 6 with the Foster Kittens: Happy Little Chonkies Find Their Forever Homes

Five baby kittens lived their best baby lives in our family, and in their last week with us, Syd sat them down for their official kitten portraits.

Here is Athena, the best and most superior of all kittens:

This is Socks, the bravest of cats, who wakes up from every nap and chooses violence anew:

This is Taboo, who spends much of his time staring directly into the soul of the human nearest him:

This is Jones, come to see what the fuss is and accidentally get a rainbow caught in his fur:

This is Anchovy who, bless him, never knows what's going on and always looks vaguely baffled and specifically startled:

This is Pickle, who doesn't always prefer pets from her humans but enjoys being the one who grooms them, instead:

Here's the hardworking photographer, who arranged this studio session to take marketing photos for the shelter and keepsakes for us (as well as to complete a step of the Girl Scout Ambassador Photographer badge!):

I love how her photos show all the sweetest, brightest personality traits of each of our babies:

We kept this litter until they were nine weeks old, and from the time they were seven weeks old on, every moment with them was just pure magic. They were old enough and responsible enough to have the run of the house, and they took advantage of it, claiming most of our giant bean bag for their tiny selves:

I do not know why kittens always feel the need to climb straight up to my shoulders and perch there precariously, but it is my favorite kitten thing:

The kittens were even here long enough to join in with some of our favorite Halloween traditions. Here they are helping me make ambrosia for our Edward Scissorhands family movie night:

So, we either kept this litter of fosters too long and I accidentally got attached, or I still have a lot of grief over Gracie that I haven't processed (or why not both?!?), because wow. I am BEREFT without these five messy, feisty, expensive, time-consuming, stressful foster kittens in my life and on my lap!

Like, spontaneously bursting into tears bereft. Listening to my secret Spotify playlist that's all sad songs about kids growing up too quickly bereft. Thank goodness that all the foster kittens were adopted within three days, and my absolute best darling, Athena, was adopted the same day, or I honestly do not know if I could have stopped myself from driving back to the shelter and adopting them for real bereft. 

The kids have been visibly as surprised at my reaction as I am, because I'm always the one coaching them through the foster returns, talking about the amazing families who will cherish each of our babies and how loved and lucky they're all going to be, etc. Now it's the kids who find themselves cheerfully theorizing that I bet right now Athena is eating wet cat food and purring while somebody pets her and watches her adoringly, or right now Anchovy is sitting there with his usual baffled expression on his face while someone coos at him and takes one hundred photos. 

Ugh, I don't even know, you guys. I might have to deep clean the kids' bathroom and then chase the high with another litter of foster kittens. It's seriously that bad.

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