Finally! A Family Portrait!

These Clovers are a wiggly lot, which has made photographing them a challenge. I had almost given up the dream of getting them all to pose for a family portrait, but then our friend Sarah over for a visit. She has exceptional kitten wrangling skills and she was able to corral the Clovers just long enough for a picture.

So here you go, a Clover family portrait. From left to right: Trixie, Myron and Ramona Clover.




Adorable individually, but even cuter as a unit!

Trixie Has A Ball

Trixie is a big fan of these little rainbow pompoms. She gets quite possessive of them and if her siblings get too close while she's playing with one, she get's all growly and fierce. It's pretty ridiculous hearing these sounds coming from such a sweet and tiny kitten.

I guess they're a whole lot of fun for her because what you're about to watch in this video is a pretty common sight around here: ball in mouth, belly-up,  paws flailing, kitten joy.

Myron's Magical Coat

Myron has always looked a little messy. When we first met him, as I'm sure you all recall, he and his siblings were all learning to eat so his rumpled suit was often covered with his last meal. He had many wipe downs, half baths and full baths, but always seemed  a little greasy.  It looked like his hair was clumped together, revealing much of his white skin beneath.

Upon close examination this weekend, we realized it wasn't white skin, it was white fur.  While the tips of of his hair are solid black, the undercoat is white! They call this coloring "black smoke".

Take a close look - you can see it best when his hair is parted.





It's getting more defined as he grows bigger, and now when you watch him move about, you can see the white ripple, and he almost has an iridescence to his coat.

We've had many colors of kittens over the years, but is a first for us.

Myron, your coat is magnificent!

Those Clovers!

I think they may have gotten cuter over the weekend.

See for yourself...


Ramona







Trixie











Myron

Pretty girls, Pretty flowers, Peaceful Three-Day Weekend

Trackball Hog

I bought this new trackball for the kittens, right?  I thought it would be great for them because it's smaller, lighter, and easier for their tiny paws to play with.  They do play with it a little, but only on that rare moment when it's not being used by Wylla, the trackball hog.

And because Wylla is kind of obsessed with the toy, she's getting pretty dang good at it, and she's developed some new tricks and moves.

See for yourself...

A Larger World for the Little Clovers

Freedom! The Clovers were released from quarantine and their kitten house, and now they have access to the living room, dining room and kitchen. They've really been excited about their expanded world and have been exploring every single square inch of it with noses to the ground and tails in the air.

They're not out and about all the time - I tuck them away for naps, mealtime and overnight, too. Sometimes they're mingling with the big cats, sometimes it's just the three of them roaming about.

Now that they're free, we've been able to spend a lot more quality time with them. It's been so nice getting a better glimpse at their personalities and getting to know them all a little better.

They are such dear things, these Clovers.

The Case of Trixie Clover's Missing Whiskers

It seems as though Miss Trixie's whiskers have gone missing!





An investigation is underway and two suspects are currently in custody.

Trackball Lessons with Coach Wylla

I bought a junior-sized trackball at the pet store last night for our little Clovers. I was excited to share it with them, so the second I got home I brought it into their room and took it out of the package.  I brought Coach Wylla in too so she could show them how the game is played.

Over the next hour they were all focused  on the new toy and  played together,  trying hard to master the art of trackball. I took many short movies during the lesson, and I put the best bits together so you guys can see the progression.

It goes from Wylla saying "Come on kittens, you can do it, give it a try!" to "OK, let me show you how it's done". A couple of kittens get bopped, and in the end, they figure it all out.

 OH, and at the VERY end, Trixie nearly fell off the table because I was distracted by all the cuteness that was happening. Don't worry, I grabbed her before she plummeted to the ground. I swear Wylla tried to warn her at 3:26!

 I think you're going to enjoy this, friends. Our Wylla is quite the little teacher. I think this lesson makes my top ten all-time favorite IBKC moments list. Maybe even the top five. It was so fun to witness - I wish you all could have been there!

 

Meeting and Greeting

Yesterday, I let Wylla come in an introduce herself to our little Clovers. The babies were a little a hissy at first when this giant beast darkened their doorway, but during Wylla's second visit, they were brave and bumped noses with her.

 

 By visit three, everything was awesome and they played together and even shared toys.  I do have to remind Wylla on occasion that she is giant and they are tiny, and that the kittens must be handled with gentle paws.

Even though quarantine is up, I think I'll wait a bit before I let them roam around the main floor. They're pretty tiny still and seem completely happy in their quarters.  We'll give them a few more days in the kitten house, and then we'll spring them.

Wylla and Charlene are welcome to visit them anytime we are.





So you're probably wondering who was who in Friday's post.
From top to bottom: Ramona, Myron and Trixie!  Congrats to all who guessed correct!

Counting Down the Days!

Just a few more days and quarantine will be over. Wylla and Charlene are very curious about who's on the other side of the door, so when I go inside to visit the kittens, they always wait outside the room with hopes of catching a glimpse.

The Clovers had a stretch of diarrhea, but after a round of drugs and sub-q fluids, that seems to be resolved. They're growing at a pretty good pace and bellies are getting very round. Everyone is over the one pound mark now - Myron was the last to cross over. They'll be visiting the shelter soon for their first round of vaccines, and when we return from their appointment, we'll let them meet the big cats.

I look forward to seeing them bounce about the house.

SO, now that you've seen a few photos and clips of the kittens, can you tell who's who?  I know Trixie is easy to identify, but how about Myron and Ramona?  Take a guess - who is who? Leave your answer in the comments, please!

Doing the Cornelius Shuffle

Way back in 2007, we hosted a dear little kitten named Cornelius Bouvier. He was quite a little character, and was an excellent little sidewinder.  Because of his sidewinding skills, we dubbed that move "The Cornelius Shuffle".

I felt pretty lucky when I witnessed Ramona and Myron break into the Shuffle this morning. Of all the absurdly cute things kittens do, this truly is my favorite!

Myron Ulysses Clover's Teeny Tiny Tongue

That itty bitty bit you're showing sure is cute.  As is the rest of you, little man.

Why So Messy?

How can such tiny kittens be such huge messes?

Just watch them eat!

This was yesterday's breakfast. During the day, I feed them every four hours, but at night they now go six hours between their midnight snack and breakfast. They're always a little extra eager to eat in the morning - other meals are slightly less messy!  

Bless These Messes

You'll get the hang of it soon, wee Clovers.  Just keep trying, OK?

About Those Clovers...

 I don't know their backstory, but I do know these three little Clovers came into the shelter on Friday looking a little scrawny and sickly. One of the doctors took them home over the weekend to keep an eye on them, and they returned with her on Monday looking much better.

I can't quite tell how old these three are. Judging by their size and weight, they seem about three weeks, but developmentally they seem more like four.

They've all transitioned to solid foods and have absolutely no interest in taking a bottle. Each meal is met with great enthusiasm, they seem nearly manic, and no scrap is left behind. No one stays focused on their own dish. they climb over their siblings to push them out of the way to sample from the other bowls. Every meal is a an eating competition.

And when they're done eating, oh my, they are a mess. Myron is the worst. He manages to get covered literally from head to toe with kitten food, and always needs a little more scrubbing than his sisters do.  The girls usually require a face wash and a wipe-down from elbows to paws.  I look forward to the end of this phase.

Their bellies are nice and round,  and they're all gaining weight. So far, everyone seems healthy and we hope that will continue.

You can see a little bit of their personalities taking shape. Trixie and Ramona are definitely the most outgoing. Myron is the quietest, but by no means shy. Everyone purrs. All are sweet and always happy spending time with us humans.

Charlene and Wylla know they're in the house  and seem eager to meet them. That, of course, will have to wait until quarantine is up in two weeks.

And Trixie Makes Three

Teeny tuxedo Trixie Clover completes our wee set.

This adorable thing is quite the cry baby, but she's only making noise because she wants to be with us. Open the cage door and her screams quickly turn to purrs.

Say Hi to the Tiny Guy!

Myron Ulysses Clover just had a good breakfast.  He's just learning to eat solid foods, hasn't QUITE mastered them yet, so a very large percentage of what's put onto his plate ends up all over his little body. After the meal he had a thorough wipe-down and he's all swaddled to dry off and warm up.

You see, he wanted to be all clean and shiny so he could make a very good first impression when he met all of you.

Eight Ounces of Adorableness

Please say hello to teeny-tiny Ramona Clover.

Happy Birthday, Kitten Whisperer!

Today, one of my very favorite people in the world is celebrating his birthday. Yep, it's my Pa, AKA the Kitten Whisperer.

In honor of this day, I though I would put together a little Kitten Whisperer retrospective so we can all look back at years of Dave and kitten adorableness.


Here he is with wee Wylla.













Snuggling with the Loudermilk boys.




Doing a crossword with Kenneth Wiggins.



More fun with more Wiggins.





 Napping with ALL the Wiggins.



With the adorable Biscuit Suprenant.



She LOVED Dad.





Walter Finch draped over his shoulder.



Wearing Finch Brother epaulettes.



With tiny Arthur Mussleman.



With a few more Musslemans.



With wee Willamena Bouvier perched on his shoulder!



And with a young Bean (and a hiding Willamena).



And this one, sigh, giving a smooch to Willamena.





 Happy birthday, dear Father!  I hope you have a wonderful day!  Love you!!!!!!!