Would Anyone Like a Kitty?

We live on an acre and a half, less than five minutes from a small town, and just under fifteen minutes from the city. Our lot has blue spruce trees up one side and Norway maples up the other. We are beginning to think that this combination along with our wraparound porch makes our property scream, "Drop your unwanted cats off here!"

Saturday night, our resident cat Sylvester (a drop off eight years ago) was quite agitated. We discovered why as we were letting him out just before bed. There was a coal black kitten on our porch. No wait! There was a coal black kitten, a grey and white tabby mixed kitten, and their Mama -- also a gray Tabby-- on our porch. All were wearing flea collars, so they weren't your average barn cat and we do get a few of those around occasionally too.


On Monday and Tuesday, we thought they were gone and King Kitty had done his job of protecting his property, but they reappeared again last night. Sylvester seems resigned with the fact that there are three other kitties around and let them sit on the porch while he sat in the windowsill waiting for us to get up this morning.

We are not sure what we are going to do with all these extra furry creatures around. The kittens are very sweet and affectionate. Their mama has a sore paw and is very shy. I would love to get her in to our veteranarian, but I don't think she'll let me catch her -- yet.

Here is a bit about all the cats/kittens that have visited us over the eleven years we have lived here.

First was/is Sylvester. He joined us in October of 2001. He had a brother who was the opposite colours of him --mostly white with black markings -- and who was actually tamer than him, but he disappeared very shortly after their arrival. They were very young kittens -- too young to be barn cats. Sylvester used to be predominantly an outdoor cat, but as he has aged he has slowly switched more and more to being an indoor cat -- especially after being caught in a snowstorm this past winter and missing for a week. (I think he would like to move to Florida for the winter too).


Tom, a big orange tomcat has visited off and on over the years. We're not sure if it has been the same one, but we haven't seen him for a long time now.

Then there was Sneakers. He was a brown/black tabby who looked like he was wearing white running shoes. He was very feisty and very wild. We only ever got as close to him as a quick touch. He loved to hang on our screen though, and watch us in the kitchen.

After Sneakers, Jester arrived. He lived with us from August '07 to January 7 of this year. He was the fluffiest, softest, most affectionate, and most comical cat you could ever meet. Sadly he had an encounter with a motor vehicle in January and didn't make it home alive. (The Engineer buried him in our garden). We still miss him and his antics. He was always getting into one "situation" or another, so it is no surprise that he got himself killed. He got paint on his feet, tarred half his body when we were having exterior work done on our foundation (peanut oil and lots of baths got most of the tar out), and he was nearly killed by a dog. (Not our dog). He also loved to taunt our new puppy Snoopy even though she isn't tiny. Jester went through his nine lives very quickly, but if it was possible, I think he would say, he enjoyed every minute of it. He and Sylvester were even buddies, so we know he had a winning personality.

Now we have our three newest drop offs. Mama has been dubbed Ashes. (No photos of her yet). The grey kitten Duster, and the black one Coals (of course). We are overrun with kitties. Would anyone like one?