Cheaper by the Dozen

Kittens, that is.

Got the call Sunday afternoon, in the middle of cooking dinner before going to babysit. It was a friend of someone who has a friend that works with a spay/neuter group, but that doesn't do adoptions.

"Hi, this is Linda, my friend Kay from the spay group told me she met you at the vet's office and that you bottle feed kittens."

So, my reputation precedeth me. What've you got?

"We found four kittens, their eyes are still closed, and we think they haven't eaten since their mama was run over on Thursday."

That doesn't sound too good, kittens that young don't usually survive 3 days with no food. They might not be able to make it.

"Well, they really are very lively, poking around for food and crying. All we know is the guy said he picked the mama cat, or what we think was the mama, off the road on Thursday, and we didn't hear them crying until today. Kay says she'll help find homes for them, and if I have to I'll bottle raise them, but she told me you would know what to do."

Okay, i'll take them, and ask my rescue to give me numbers for them. If not, i'll get in touch with Kay and see what she can do.

After that, it was all over but the feeding. Linda came about 20 minutes later, with Ike, and four kittens in a bucket. They had used old underwear and two very threadbare towels in the bottom, and told me i could keep it all. If i've had little ones that wouldn't settle down without my scent, i've put my shirt in there with them, but never old underwear. Oh, well, whatever you have on hand, i guess.

These are a lively bunch. They certainly do not seem to have gone days without food, they would be in much worse condition. It is more likely that the cat run over wasn't the mama. Really, though, we won't ever know. Funny, too, we have a black, a tabby, and two grays -- exactly like the other litter of four. Linda already knows which one she wants to adopt back when they are ready. She wants a bottle raised so it will be very friendly and snuggly, and most bottle raised are that.

One dozen kittens. Four old enough to use the box and within a week of starting to lick formula out of a bowl. One of those (Maximus) attempting to escape the confines of the kitchen at every possible moment. Four going to be old enough to be litter trained by the end of the week. Four just starting out.

Full house, and it's working out.


In honor of National Humor Month:

The reason talk is cheap is because supply exceeds demand.


One day Pierre went to Boudreaux's house and Boudreaux was working on a jigsaw puzzle.
A year later, Pierre again visits Boudreaux and Boudreaux is still working on the puzzle.
Another year after that, Pierre went to Boudreaux's to go fishing with him.
Boudreaux comes out of the house and says "Mais Pierre, I'm so proud of myself, I finally finished dat puzzle and it only took me two years!"
Pierre says "Mais, Boudreaux, I don't tink dat it should take you dat long!"
Boudreaux says "Mais, Pierre, I tink I did perty good when it says rite dere on the box -- 'Jigsaw Puzzle - 500 pieces - 6 to 12 years'!"


Today is

Barbershop Quartet Day

Dandelion Day

Eight Track Tape Day -- do you remember those?

Festival of Unmeditated Play -- just go out there and have fun, like kids do

International "Louie Louie" Day -- a song that caused such a stir it deserves a day

Juan Santamaria Day -- Costa Rica

National Cheese Fondue Day

St. Stanislaus' Day (patron of Poland)

World Parkinson's Disease Day

Yasurai Matsuri -- Imamiya Jinja, Kyoto, Japan (festival to prevent ill health)


Birthdays Today:

Joss Stone, 1987
Vincent Gallo, 1961
Meshach Taylor, 1947
Louise Lasser, 1939
Joel Grey, 1932
Ethel Kennedy, 1928
Oleg Cassini, 1913


Today in History:

William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain, 1689
The last execution for witchcraft in Germany takes place, 1775
President Abraham Lincoln makes his last public speech, urging a spirit of conciliation during reconstruction, 1865
The Shogunate is abolished in Japan, 1868
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is organized, 1876
Ellis Island is designated as an immigration station, 1890
Spain cedes Puerto Rico to the United States, 1899
Albert Einstein announces his Special Theory of Relativity, 1905
The International Labour Organization is founded, 1919
The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found in Arbroath Abbey where Scottish nationalist students had taken it from Westminster Abbey, 1951
Britain agrees to Singaporean self-rule, 1957
Apollo 13 is launched, 1970
The Apple I is created, 1976
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is deposed, 1979
The London Agreement is secretly signed between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein of Jordan, 1987
Australia beats American Samoa in a 31-0 win, the biggest ever in an international match of football, 2001