That same feral mama cat, whom we feed but we have been unable to catch -- we have caught and neutered or spayed several other feral cats in the neighborhood-- just had kittens again this fall. There are three. I have managed to catch two of them.
Of those I have caught, one is a male and the other is female. The female is totally black, not a spot of white or any other color. The male, who has a personality kind of like Topo (his half brother), is a fireball. I plan to keep him. The other one we are socializing and I plan to have it spayed, get it shots and give it away to someone who would take care of it. I hope to catch the third one too, but it is hard to do.
These are the first photos of the one I plan to keep. This is Mr. Tigrotto Tartufo. All of our cats have Italian names. Literally that is tiger cub-mushroom or truffle. Rolls off the tongue better than it reads literally. I was going to name the cat Tartufo, then the wife told me what he would, in fact, be called. So I put my choice of a first name as a middle name. Topo was the same situation, where I got to give him a middle name only. His name would have translated as little mouse-volcano.
The photos below, including the lunch break, are part of the rigorous on-the job-training last weekend. This cat is also learning to get along with Nutsy, who is at this point still assistant manager and CFO of King of the House, Inc.




This kitten looks like an angel, but he is a hellion. I think he is about eight weeks old.




OMG - what adorable pictures!!! I am such a cat person, thank you so much for sharing. We have two "kitties". Skittles who will be 18 years old next spring and Skamps who will be 15 next spring. They LOVE that I work from home and they spend many hours sitting on my desk between me and my laptop, snuggling with me as I work. Perrrrrrrrfect! :)
I am going to send your bog to my daughter who is so cat deprived. She is at Columbia University and misses her kitties BAD. Living in NYC she says you see lots of folks walking their dogs, but you rarely see cats.
She is getting married next summer and has already made her future husband promise that when they get back to Seattle #1 is finding a place to call home and #2 is getting a cat and moving it in and #3 is moving in the rest of their belongings!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thank you so much for sharing!!
Geri,
I will have to post pictures of the black one too. Just not getting too attached as that one is not a keeper for us.
Howdy Steven
You and your family, sure are fine folk's. For helpen the Feral kitty cat's in your area.
Mr. Tigrotto Tartufo, sure is a fine looken guy. Glad he's a learn to get along and be friends with Nutsy.
When I was a kid, I had a kitty cat that would let my baby rabbit's nurse along side of her kittens. She would even clean them, as if they where one of her own. Never harmed one of them. Not even after they up grew up.
May you and your family have a fine and Happy Thanksgiving
Dale,
Good stories. Thanks for the thought and good Thansgiving to you.
Wow, Steve! God made kittens cute like this so guys like you would get suckered into adopting them! Love the green eyes!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Nice story...and what a sweetie!
Pat,
Trying to handle two of them is a handful.
Li,
This pair is so busy that it kept me hoppjng this Thanksgiving. Trying to socialize them takes work
Be careful. We befriended a cat that was left on our back porch along with her two kittens. Within weeks she had 5 more kittens! We had the hardest time getting rid of 7 kittens! Wish I'd known you then and you could have had them. The momma cat is still out there, though. Spayed.
Barbara,
We will be able to handle this batch. The mama is still out there and not spayed.
Cute! Thanks Steven. Happy Thanksgiving.
Maria,
Hopefully he will turn out to be as useful as his half brother was.
Steven, He is cute. I will be showing these pictures to my two young daughters. I can almost hear them going, oooooooh, he's soooo cute, right now. Followed by, can we get a kitten.
Our family has two cats. We just lost one in October. He was 17. He suddendly got very sick. He was my buddy. Would hang out in my office with me all the time. I miss him.
Love the pics and always great to have someone around the office that can't talk back
Tim,
This guy is not all that quiet.
I can just see you running through the neighborhood shouting: "Tigrotto Tartufo----Tigrotto Tartufo----Tigrotto Tartufo-----Tigrotto Tartufo-----where are you Tigrotto Tartufo. Come here Tigrotto Tartufo!"
Charles Buell,
You are a big weinie.
Steve, he is absolutely adorable. I am sooooo sorry to hear about Stromboli. Best wishes for a long and happy life/friendship/working relationship with T.T. :)
Lisa,
He is a cutie. He is also a holy terror.
I can tell he's a holy terror. Look at the mischief in those eyes -- LOL.