I Smelt It - But, Who Dealt It?

We now return to KITT-FM, where it's all kittens, all the time. And now, broadcasting live from our studios in Purrbank, Cat-ifornia - heeeeere's your hostess, Mother Catresa!

Hi folks!

I thought that I was giving my two kittens back this week, and that this post would be a sentimental tear-jerker about loving, losing and letting go with Brita, the gray and white "smitten kitten" I've bonded with so much. But, because Babe still needs to gain weight, Brita got to come back home with her sis for another week or so, while Babe - who also needs more socialization - fattens up. Yippee! I think God knew that I wasn't yet ready to give up my baby girl, who has been such a source of comfort, love and affection during a stressful time for me.

Meanwhile, Blythe and Basia, the tuxedoes, got adopted into good families on Sunday. Hooray!

So, since the drama has been delayed for awhile - now, it's back to the wild comedy for which Mother Catresa's Chronicle is known.

I want to share with you an amusing pattern I've observed at the shelter during kitten adoptions. As I have shared before, a common malady of kittenhood is malodorous gas - seriously! Whew! It's provided some unpleasant nose-tickling, but also delightful funny-bone-tickling, for me. You've just gotta have a sense of humor about these things - life is dull otherwise! You've been warned: read on for more, if you can stand it.

Well, kitten farts tend to be the silent but violent types. So, in a social situation, it can create some embarrassing moments for the foster moms and adoption counselors. The kitten will slyly cut one, and since there's no sound to pinpoint the origin, there's just a mysterious odor - and, naturally, the people in the room wonder who is responsible. Surely, not that tiny little kitten, right? Oh yes, it was! We know that, but the visitors don't. People get paranoid that the visitors think they, not the frisky felines, are floating the smelly air biscuits.

So, to tactfully address the aroma, staff members and volunteers often simply say, "Um, I think he/she needs to use the litter box."

The other day, I overheard such a remark during a kitten shower at the shelter, when Basia was being Little Miss Grumpy McGassy. I couldn't stop giggling about it for the rest of the day, and it's still making me chuckle.

Does anyone else get how funny that is?

What? No? You're not laughing?

Well, I guess you just had to be there.

Until next time, I remain,

Mother Catresa
Patron Saint of Homeless Felines
(and the "smitten kitten")

She Loves Me Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

We now return to KITT-FM, where it's all kittens, all the time. And now, broadcasting live from our studios in Purrbank, Cat-ifornia - heeeeeere's your hostess, Mother Catresa!

Hi folks!

I love all of my kittens, and most of them eventually end up loving me. Every once in awhile, though, I get a furry baby who just seems to be crazy about me, falls hard, and can't get enough of me. I, in turn, lap up the attention like the kitty would with tuna juice from a can, and I can't help falling especially in love.

In this litter, that kitten is Brita - the grey and white baby who was so emaciated and not eating well when I first brought her and her littermates home on Mother's Day. The poor girl has had a tough time, and seemed so weak when I got her, compared to her more rambunctious littermates. But even then, she sought me out like I was her own four-legged mother, and she wanted to do nothing but lie gently and quietly on my chest and snuggle. Brita is like my shadow. I have to watch my every move, so I don't accidentally squash her. If I am lying down on my side, for instance, I have to stretch my hand behind me, to make sure she isn't lurking behind my butt before I roll over. And she usually is somewhere within a three-inch radius of my body, if she's not actually on top of it.

Now, I am happy to report that Brita has gained weight, is eating like a champ, purring loudly, and romping around like a regular, happy kitten. Meanwhile, her black and white tuxedo sisters - Blythe and Basia - went in for their spay surgery this week, and are out on the adoption floor. Brita and Babe, her black sister, are not quite big enough yet to be spayed, but I am bringing them both in to Animal Friends on Sunday for a kitten shower. An adopoter can pre-adopt either kitten, then pick them up when the kitties are ready. The two I have may have gained the tiny amount of weight needed in the past week to go ahead and have the surgery.

Gosh, kittens like Brita - the ones I bond the most deeply with - are the hardest to give up. I am going to spend lots of time with the babies this weekend. And I'm going to cry when it's time.

It feels so good when an animal loves you that much - in fact, Brita starts purring just by looking at me, as soon as I walk in the room. It's so sweet and touching. She is a smitten kitten indeed, and so am I.

Now, if only I could find a two-legged primate who would fall in love with me like that!

Until next time, I remain,

Mother Catresa
Patron Saint of Homeless Felines
(and the "smitten kitten")