Amazement

As any of you who have read our blog recently know, our cat Rosie was expecting kittens.

As of Thursday evening, this is how she looked.  Such a sweet and forbearing thing to put up with being hauled around the house by the kids.

 We had been keeping close watch on Rosie with hopes that kittens would soon make their appearance, and yesterday was the big day.  I was home, and she had kept quite close to me all day.  I'm told that most mother cats are very private about having their kittens, but she seemed to want my company.  Yesterday afternoon, she laid on the living room floor in a different position, and I could tell that the big moment was near.  I took her down the basement, and she hopped right into a box filled with newspaper shreds that she would previously have nothing to do with.  She lay there calmly and purred as I stroked her.  I left her be, and when I returned 10 minutes later, a slimy little calico kitten was with her.  I brought Dane down to take a peek, but he wasn't too impressed by the wet mousy-looking creature.  I stayed there and watched her have a little black kitten within a few minutes.  I could swear Rosie purred right through its delivery and then calmly went about cleaning the kitten up. Another hour and a half passed before an orange kitten arrived.  We had been invited to our friends' for the evening, so we left, and returned to find one more orange kitten.  They are all thriving and precious. 

 I am so in love.  Oh, I think the kittens are nice, but I'm really talking about this sweet momma.  She wasn't my favorite of the kittens last summer, but she has now won me over.  From her patience with letting me feel her squirming kittens in utero, to her allowing me to witness their birth, I have developed this amazing bond with her.  She loves her kittens and has purred constantly since their birth.  She will not leave them to eat or drink, but waits for food to be placed near her.  I tried to get her out of the box for a moment to eat, but she was so distraught by their crying that she hopped back in without taking a bite.  She is patient while we all sit and admire these squirming little miracles.  If all goes as planned, she will never have kittens again, but she will always hold a very special place in my heart.

So far, we are not sure which are males or females, so names are pending.  I'm sure this won't be our last kitten post!