Calling All Gray Kitty Fans!

I know we've got a lot of gray kitty fans in the crowd (like Dan N, for example) so we put together a little gray kitty pack of postcards and they're now listed in the IBKC Shop!

Featured in this set are a floofy Langston Von Tussle, wide-eyed Lucille Plunkett, itty-bitty Hazel Swift,  a very plush Thelma Lyttelton, Fielding Mittenfloss with his corduroy cheeks, and very velvety Forrest and Pearl Mae Petrie!

If gray kitties make you weak, this set is for you!

The postcards are a nicely weighted stock with rounded corners and a lovely satin matte finish. On the back of the card there's a tiny photo of the featured kitten and their name too, so you know who is who. They're sold in a set of six cards (one of each design) and you can purchase them with or without envelopes.

We always offer a little bonus whenever we launch new design, so while supplies last, we'll be giving away a "Kisses the Kitten" postcard with each pack cards that your purchase.

 

We've also added more Sparkle Balls in the shop! We've restocked our usual color packs, added some Jumbo Packs of Sparkle Balls, and just in time for Saint Patrick's Day, we've listed some green and gold Charlene O'Butterbean Sparkle Balls for Lucky Cats and Kittens. We've got a very limited supply of the St Patty's day packs,  so please act fast if you want to pick some up for your cats!




To check out all of these new IBKC products and the many other new sets we launched last month, please visit our online store HERE.  Thanks!

So Long Lucille, It's Been a Ball!

 Magdalena and Greg were looking for a kitten. They recently said goodbye to Greg's cat of sixteen years, who passed suddenly of heart failure, and they, especially their dog, were missing having a cat in their life. My pal Mackenzie pointed them in our direction, and I got a message from Greg expressing an interest in Lucille.

We hadn't started our meet and greets yet, and there were a couple of people in line ahead of him, so I told him I would love for them to meet the kittens, but couldn't guarantee she would be available.

As it turned out, Lucille wasn't picked by the first two in line, so she WAS available for Magdalena and Greg! SEE! It always works out!!

But wait, it gets better!

Magdalena and Greg are friends with Monica, who adopted Ellie, and only live a few blocks away. They have visits planned for the kitty sisters!!!!!!!

You got a great little kitten, Magdalena and Greg! But I know you already know that. We wish you all a long and happy life together.  You're awfully nice folks, and I know you love your critters deeply. Lucille is so lucky to land in your home!  Do send us photos, please. I know we're all curious to see how floofy she gets as she grows!

Dancing Bears

The morning sun drew the longhaired Plunketts to the window. They sat and warmed themselves for a bit, then something spurred a little slow-motion scrap between the two.  Paws were raised and these two little bears had a clumsy dance on the windowsill until a man walking a dog passed by our house and caught their attention.  Once he was out of sight, they climbed down the stack of books, and to the floor, to join their siblings in a sunbeam.

Shortest to Longest, Smallest to Biggest

I'm not sure how much floof actually weighs, but it seems that the floofier the Plunkett, the more the Plunkett weighs.

Here they are in order of weight (smallest to largest) and coat length (shortest to longest).

Of course they're all equally adorable.

From top to bottom: Ellie, Ernest, Vancie and Lucille.

In Love with a Rug

I keep the kittens out of our guest room, but the other morning while I was carrying a laundry basket into the room, Ernest dashed past me and slipped inside.

When his toes touched the fuzzy rug at the foot of the bed, he stopped in his tracks, dropped, and started rolling around in a complete state of bliss.  Many biscuits were made and purrs were purred.

Seeing the joy this rug brought this boy, I decided to bring the rug out to the living room for all to enjoy.

It's a huge hit with all, but Ernest loves the rug the most.


 

A Little Lucille

She thought a little dose of her kitten cuteness might make your Monday morning better.

Did it work?

Family Portrait Time!

Finally! All four Plunketts sat still long enough for me to snap a couple of quick family portraits!

From left to right:
Ellie, Ernest, Lucille and Vancie.

It's shocking that much cuteness can be contained in one little basket.

Springing them Soon!

They just fit right in with the other tchotchkes, don't they?

That's Ellie in the first few pictures. The hairs in her ears are getting a little whiter now, which is making it much easier to tell she and Ernest apart.









And then there's Lucille.  As she gets bigger, she seems to be getting rounder.  By the time she's ready to leave our nest, she maybe be a perfect ball.









These cuties moved in two weeks ago today, so quarantine is is officially up.  Though they are ready to come out, I'm not ready for them to come out. Once a year, I do flowers for a very big event, and I need to get that party behind me before I spring them.

The big cats are dying to meet them, so today I'll let them go in for a visit.  On Wednesday the kittens will be introduced to the bigger world!  Hooray! It will be fun having them bounce around the house!

Frightful Weather and Friendly Kittens

 Oh, the weather outside was frightful, and possibly the wettest, windiest Halloween I've ever witnessed here in Tacoma.

Opal and Ellis stopped by early in the day for a treat -- to spend some time with our little Plunketts

Because we're still in the quarantine phase, the kittens really haven't had a lot of visitors, especially not little ones, so I wasn't sure how they would react to our guests. I thought maybe they would scamper away when we all entered their room, but they were all curious and said hello.

Opal and Ellis are such experienced kitten handlers, and the kittens felt comfortable in their hands.

Ernest was especially happy to be held in the arms of Ellis, who was dressed in a furry werwolf costume.











Our trick-or-treater count was low this year, I think the weather kept kids off of the street, it was a quiet night and we have a LOT of leftover candy.

Wylla enjoyed what activity we had outside, and though it was quiet, it was more exciting than the average evening,  so she perched in the window and watched.

Four Little Ghosts

I brought the Haunted House into the kitten room so our little Plunketts could have some Halloween fun.  They've been really enjoying it, and all morning long, I've heard the jingle ball in the doorway jingling away. They're very excited having something new in their quarters to explore.

Here's a little clip of the cute Plunkett ghosts haunting the house. That's Ellie "The Belly" on the roof.

 

We've had lots of Halloween fun over the years, so throughout the day, I'll be sharing some of our spooky posts on Twitter and Facebook, too.

Settling In, Pairing Off

 When our kittens move in, they spend their first few days in the wire kennel. It's a huge one, designed for XXL dogs, so they've got plenty of room for their bed, littler box, food and water bowls, and there's plenty of space to romp, too.  We start them off in the cage because we want their world to be small and cozy, and help them feel safe as they as they adjust to their new surroundings.

The Plunketts did their time in lock-up, and now they're free to bounce about their room during the day. When it's time for the humans to go to bed, the kittens get tucked away, too, and spend their night behind bars.

Until yesterday, this system seem to be working just fine. They were happy to have the run of the room, and that seemed to be enough. But then they realized there something waiting for them on the other side of the door.  And her name is Wylla.

Wylla has been camped out by the door, and when I'm in the room with the kittens, she cries to be let in.  Her cries have captured their curiosity, and now as I come and go, they all try to do the same.  They want to meet that cat who's calling for them!

Not yet kittens! We've still got five days left in quarantine!!

Even though this seems to be a very healthy lot, we still need to wait it out.

I put a baby gate in the doorway so they can't just dart out of the room as I come in. They can easily scale the gate, but I can get over the gate and into the room faster than they can get over the gate and out of the room.

Socially, they're all doing pretty well. Though sometimes they scamper when we try to scoop them, but once caught, they're all very happy to be held and are very generous with their purrs. Ernest is the most outgoing of the bunch, and seems to enjoy us humans the most.

They seem to have formed two teams, the Longhairs and the Shorthairs, and they pair off for wrestling and napping. Of course that could all change tomorrow -- kittens can be quite fickle that way! But today, the Longhairs are enjoying the pleasure of each other's company.