We aren’t quite ready to say what is under those crate halves, but we will say that Winter was unexpectedly underneath the one half when I picked it up to cover the spot…

…as her signature proves.

Neko came in with her mother and siblings a few weeks ago. For whatever reason, she’s about 1/3 the size of her sister, but she’s healthy and feisty. Most people seem afraid to even touch her, for fear she’ll break like a glass ornament. Her sister is super-pretty but no one seems interested in her either… I am not sure if they don’t want to break up the two sisters, or are worried Neko is sick and Amelia might come down with whatever she has, or if it’s simply a matter of there being hundreds of kittens being born right now and not enough homes for them all.

Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be able to give either of these girls — or their very sweet mom — a home. If you know of anyone who has cats (or dogs) that aren’t spayed and neutered, please let them know there are programs to help with this. Here in Henderson County, it’s free for low income households and Community Partnership for Pets has low-cost vouchers for everyone else. Mst areas also have programs for trapping and neutering ferals. Imagine – if everyone fixed their pets, the cycle of death could be ended within just a couple of years.

Joy has a weakness for silver tabbies – we both do – and the other kitten had been a smoke tabby, which I also have a fondness for… so yeah, it was probably a good thing the lady left with the little four week old kittens.

Except a few days later, she brought them back.

They really were too young to be alone, and the little smoke male wasn’t doing real well, so they came to our house for a few days for some extra care…

They were SOOO beautiful, and the little silver girl reminded us of our Nipsy. I think the only thing that managed to keep us from temptation was the fact that there were two of them, and we neither wanted two more cats, nor wanted to see them separated.

They had a great time at our house, and we had a great time with them. We named them Harry (for Harry Potter) and Saphire — Saffy for short.

They went from nervous, twitchy little semi wild little things (I called them ‘exploding dandelions’ because of the way they’d puff out, pop up in the air, and hiss when startled) to very cuddy little kittens, in just those few short days. It was very hard to take them back to the shelter. But we did.

About a week later, they were adopted out. Joy had some serious reservations about the person that adopted them, but we tried to ease our worries with the fact that at least they went together. And it seemed like maybe it wasn’t such a bad home after all — they came in to be spayed and neutered a couple of months later, and seemed healthy and happy. Maybe it had worked out for the best.

Last week Harry and Saffy were picked up as strays five miles from the address their owner had given when adopting them. He didn’t call the shelter looking for them. He didn’t return the message left on his voice mail that they were at the shelter. They were starving, emaciated, dehydrated, and covered in fleas.

In spite of all that, they were still the wonderful, sweet cats they’d been, and even more beautiful. They were completely devoted, leaning on each other and grooming. Again we had to resist the urge to bring them home and keep them safe — now even more than before it was just not an option, since we now have Calvin and Winter is, as we’ve mentioned before, very aggressive to other cats. The shelter is so full of cats right now, and we worried what would happen to them if they weren’t adopted before space ran out.

We’re relieved to say that Blue Ridge Humane Society came and took a bunch of cats last week, including Harry and Saffy. It’s not a permanent home yet, but it’s safety for them and they’ll get more exposure to potential adopters there. After all they’ve been through, they really deserve a great home and hopefully the chance to stay together. If anyone reading this might be looking to adopt two great cats, or knows someone who would be, please contact Blue Ridge Humane Society.

If they come through those shelter doors a fourth time, then we’re just going to have to buy a bigger house.

Simon loves his little brother… sometimes.

Cricket was the first to throw her hat in the ring; she erupted with a case of ‘gurgle-gut’ on Thursday evening, an affliction that involves losing her appetite, noises coming from her innards that can be heard from a mile away, and nasty colitis-y diarrhea. No dice, Cricket, that’s why they make Pepto Bismol.

Next there was Lindsy’s collapsing back legs, brought on by her pacing incessantly for hours outside. But after resting a while she was once again able to walk, more or less. Her health situation is getting pretty bad but she still seems mostly happy.

No, our bet for “who is getting rushed to the vet?” would have been either Calvin or Paddy, both of whom got to spend a lot of time in the yard and encountered bees for the first time in their lives.  Paddy was particularly drawn to the carpenter bees, enormous bumblebees that mocked him by hovering just in front of his face. Calvin didn’t discriminate. He attacked anything that flew low enough. We joked that his Indian name would be “Dances With Bees” but by Sunday had changed that to “Stung Forty Times.” He is one stubborn little dude.

We did get through the weekend without an emergency bill. And think that Calvin only got stung once.

Isn’t it the second one you actually react to, if you are allergic?

Anyway, here are a few highlights and the full album can be found in the gallery. There’s even a few rare pics of the critterweb humans.

Simon appreciating the chilly day from the comfort of a lap.

The mini roses all survived the winter and are getting leaves already.

Cricket also subscribes to the ’sunbathing is better on a lap’ ideal.

Last year’s parsley, still going strong.

Unbeknown to her, the huntress (Winter is on far right of pic) is also the hunted.

A photo op goes awry.

Lindsy, Chris, Simon, and Paddy

When I was taking this, I wondered if Joy was having a creepy sensation of being spied on?

Calvin had a great time outside.

There are  21 more pictures in the full album.