Kitten Update

I have bad news.  Something got into the barn last week and three of my kittens are missing.  :(  Whatever it was must have been huge.  It was able to move cinder blocks.  I've never had anything move those before.  I honestly thought nothing could get into the barn where I was keeping the kittens.  Whatever it was (my guess is coon) it ate all of their food, dumped their water, shredded the paper bowl I feed their milk in and moved a bunch of other stuff.  The momma cat's leg was ripped open and swollen to three times it's normal size, but with cleaning and antibiotics she's healing up quickly.  The two kittens that are left are the sweet gray female and my favorite, the only male.  I'm surprised because normally it's always my favorite kitten (or chicken, or goat, or whatever) that dies.  I'm so glad he's okay, but I really miss the other kittens.  The gray striped female with four white socks was the sweetest kitten and the only one that purred when I pet her.  I'm heartbroken that they are gone and mad at myself that it happened, although I had no idea anything could get in there (where they had safely been for over a month).  :(

So I let the mom and two kittens out.  I think they are safer loose because mom can protect them.  I still catch the kittens and lock them in a cage on the porch at night.  They are pretty much weaned now so they can be away from their mom overnight.  She doesn't seem to mind lol.  I really wish I'd never moved them off of the porch and out to the barn, but the mom was ruining the screen on our porch and pooping all over the place instead of in the litter box...  it sucks.  I keep beating myself up thinking they would still be alive if I hadn't moved them to the barn....

Anyway instead of dwelling on the guilt, here are some pictures of the two remaining kittens.

 Puffing up at Jackal hehe.  

 Normal kittens.

 Kittens in the presence of a dog haha.

 So cute!  Emi rubs against her kittens and then falls over on them.... it is so adorable!

 My big man hissing and acting all bad.

 Gorgeous Emi. 

 Attacking mamma's tail.  

I really need to come up with a name for him.    I've been calling him Chunk because he is so much chunkier than the females.  I've been calling the gray kitten Smokey because that's what my mom's first cat was named.  They were never meant to be permanent names, but they are going to be if I don't think of something else soon!

 She is gorgeous! I love her long face.

 New favorite picture!!  See, she lays on them all the time.  So funny.

He's hard to get pictures of because he never stops moving, but this shows his awesome markings and huge, ADORABLE, ears!

Great camouflage too.  :)

Aren't they cute??