We Have Kittens!

This blog sort of got its start with Momma's kittens, who came to be called Sambar, Rasam and Idlihead. Sadly, they all disappeared--hopefully finding better homes--before the Central Texas heat finally dissipated last fall. Then as things began to green up in February, Momma started putting on weight, then one rainy day she was on our porch yowling her little head off, then appeared a little less heavy and, in the past two weeks, has looked down right emaciated. Given her dramatic weight loss recently, I thought perhaps she was no longer nursing and had maybe even picked up a parasite.

While I still am concerned about Momma, she did bring us a gift of trust this morning: kittens!

Yes, Chez Boeckman-Walker has once again been graced with the appearance of Momma's latest batch of kittens. And they are oh so adorable and rolly polly and playful and curious and pouncy and bouncy and Tigger-ish!

Now before you start lecturing me, Gentle Reader, on the irresponsibility of letting Momma just breed at will and letting her bring more "unwanted" kittens into the world, let me tell you this: I've been feeding Momma for more than a year now, and the closest she has ever let me get to her is maybe a foot and a half. Someone did something to her that traumatized her, and it's only been through a lot of patience and quiet, gentle movement that I've been able to get Momma to understand I'm no threat. Once she ran and hid whenever I came out to give her food. Now she only hovers a few feet away, waiting patiently for me to go back inside and lock the door. (Yes, she knows the sound of the lock because if she hears it but doesn't see me, she runs away and hides.)

Given these circumstances, there's been no way for me to nab her to take her to a vet to be fixed. And if you rant about getting a humane trap, Gentle Reader, I'll find a humane trap for you.

Okay, so now that we have that rant out of the way, how about some kitten photos!

From back to front, we have Calli (not the most original name for a calico, I grant you that), Rory Calhoun and Keeko. The boy named the last one, and I say to you now, Gentle Reader, since two of them look practically the same--a problem we had with Sambar and Rasam--Rory and Keeko will probably be interchangeable.


And here's how Rory Calhoun earned his (probably will be a her) name. Standing upright, like a little Rory Calhoun! That one's got talent!

UPDATE
When I returned home from my morning adventures around 11, our little family was where I'd left them this morning--and the exact same place where I saw Momma's kittens last year. I grabbed the camera and took some more photos because the lighting was better, although the fiberglass window screening does give the photos a bit of a '70s-style softness. Enjoy!