Say Hello to a New Furry Family

I've become something like a foster mom recently.....a foster mom to a few furkids that is...a family of three who has moved in to my street recently! ;)  The mommy cat comes to my house (almost on daily basis) for food since I started feeding her (sometimes accompanied by her kittens) as I felt she needed the nourishment to provide milk for her two offsprings.

This cat family actually lives across the street in one of my neighbour's house as I've seen them running in and out of that house (the same house that a little fluffball once thought he found a forever home).  So, one day, I asked the neighbours if the cats belong to them and the man of the house said no.  He said he feeds the mommy cat occasionally and when the cat gave birth to kittens in the house (and he didn't chase them away), she and her litter continued to stay there.  This is not a foreever home for this family and, lately, I've seen the family taking refuge in other houses on our street.

Initially, the mommy cat was unapproachable as she'd run away whenever I come near (the kitties too).  But, after giving her food a couple of times, she seemed to have warmed up to me...but the kittens weren't as trusting (initially).  So, I had to admire them...and their cuteness from afar.

They're very playful at this age and I use to see them playing around outside the neighbour's house under the watchful eyes of their mommy, of course.  I soon came to realise that the two kittens are really good looking felines.

The white kitten is female if I'm correct...and she has gorgeous blue eyes not seen in many cats.  That's why she's beautiful with a nicely striped brownish tail and an almost white-coloured body (that turned slightly light beige as she grew).

The ginger-coloured kitten, on the other hand is male if I'm not mistaken as he's bigger in size with a squarer face + he's ginger-coloured.  I learned this from Google...that male ginger cats are more common than female ginger cats (odds are roughly three males to one female).  It seems the 'ginger gene' that produces the orange colour in cats is from the X chromosone in which female cats have two whereas male cats need only one to become ginger.  Remember the stray ginger male cat I named Sniffles from before who got adopted?

If I don't already have my adorable Cookie, I'd probably adopt one, maybe even both these kittens myself coz I've bumped into many kittens before in my lifetime but none were as pretty as these two (not even Sniffles or the other little furball who came calling).

Then again, I think it's also difficult to adopt a kitten in the same neighbourhood where the mother roams without taking in the mother as well coz as soon as the kitten you adopt is let out of the house, it might find its mother and follow her back (+ it sounds rather cruel to take in just the kittens and not the mother).  But I also know that adopting more than one may be too much to handle for some...both physically (in terms of time and effort) and financially. >_<

Just look at those mesmerising blue eyes!  This one is a little fiesty, she bit my finger when I tried to pick her up before she wriggled free.  Although there's no pain coz she has baby teeth, I could still feel her fangs.

His extra fluffy fur and perfectly formed bushy tail makes him extra cute.  This one is a bit of a scaredy cat, he won't come near (unless his mommy comes along).

How not to fall in love with these two?  The mother is a very young cat herself...almost kitten-like in behaviour (I believe this is her first litter) as I've seen her jumping around and playing with her kittens like she's a sibling instead of their mother.

Now I have to buy even more food (the cheaper kind, of course) to feed this family of three.  Luckily, I've seen another two neighbours a few doors down that also feed the cats so the cost of feeding with them is split among us.

I wish someone would adopt these two kittens so that they can have a forever home that'll love and take care of them coz eventually when they grow up, they'll wander off to find their own territory (especially the male kitten) away from the mother.

And some time later, another pregnant cat (top of photo) joined in the fun too.  Alamak, now I have four cats to feed...and if this soon-to-be mother brings her kittens here as well, I don't know how many more mouths I have to feed...yikes! >.<

Unfortunately, there are more stray cats and kittens looking for forever homes than there are providers of such homes.....and that's the sad truth. T_T

But even sadder....is that many pet owners who do end up adopting some of these strays themselves don't bother to fix their pets which eventually leads to even more unwanted strays.  One case in point is my neighbour's cat, Cowboy, who obviously have not been neutered (look at the size of his ball-ball).

He has come of age now (aka sexually mature/active) and have been spotted chasing after the two females on my street (especially the mommy cat)...haiz.  He's such a nuisance, he's even chasing the kittens (maybe to scare them away from their mother or wean them off her milk in an attempt to get the mommy cat on heat again).  What's worse than a pet lover doing a good deed by adopting a stray...is a pet lover not fixing his/her adopted stray! >_<  Then again, I've seen Cowboy spending a lot of his time roaming outside lately...and the fact that he's now collarless (or bandana-less), I suspect his owner don't care about him anymore and has let him loose. :'(

The sad truth is.....let's face it....looks does matter!  But hope is bright for these two furkids to be adopted by some kind-hearted souls (the mama cat, probably not so much).

They have what we call adoptable colours + they're really adorable, these two, don't you think? ^_~  I first saw them during the MCO in April, so they're probably about 5 months old now (perfect age for adoption).

In the meantime, I'll do what I can....and that is shared responsibility of feeding them.  Hopefully, they'll find forever homes one day.