I'm Sorry, There's More Sadness

 I'm very sorry to say this, but I've got some more sad news to report.

Not all that long ago, I shared with you that we lost one of our former IBK, Virgil Pettibone.  Just a few days before I got these news I had received an email from Victoria, mom to both Henry (formerly Carmine) and Agnes Pettibone.

She reported that Henry been dropping weight, so they took them into the vet to have him checked out. Things were pointing towards cancer, but at that time they were waiting for a report from the lab to confirm this.  Sadly, soon after, cancer was confirmed.  

They had hoped that Henry would have some good days left in him, but I'm afraid he did not, and he declined quickly.  They said goodbye to their boy last week.

Henry was a very dear cat and was absolutely adored by his parents, Victoria and Ian. This loss is huge for them, and I know their hearts are aching right now.   Having spent time with Henry during his kittenhood, we know how special he was.   We are so deeply sorry and saddened, Vic and Ian.  

It is very strange that that these two young brothers would pass within a couple of weeks of each other.  The vets feel it's a just coincidence because their illnesses are not related, but to be safe, advised all the Pettibone adopters to take their cats in for blood work and tests.  I haven't heard from Rosalie and Renatta's dad yet, but everything came back good for Alvie and Agnes. Thank goodness.


Pettibone families, you are deep in our thoughts right now.  We're so sorry for the loss and worry you have experienced.   We love you and your kittens,  and more than anything, hope this is the end of the sad news for a very long time.

XOXOXO




I took this photo the day the Pettibones moved in with us.  Here they are napping on Sue.  We knew from the start that they were special ones.

Here's Henry conspiring with brothers Alvie and Virgil.



Here's their first meeting with Bean.




And here's the whole beautiful family.





What a special lot.

If there is something awaiting us on the other side,  I do hope these two special fellows are reunited there.

Hello, Pettibones!

If you've been following the IBKC for awhile, there's no doubt you remember the Pettibones. They were dear, sweet things and the litter was such a lovely mix of colors and personalities.

Agnes and Henry (formerly Carmine) were adopted by Victoria and Ian.  We've stayed in contact over the years,  and I can see these kittens are their pride and joy.

Here's little Agnes.



And here's little Henry.  Please note his tiny mohawk.




Here's a little bit about the Agnes of today.

Agnes such a sweetheart. When she's not napping, she's busy watching shadows, bird watching and chasing her brother at high speeds around the house. She is mostly shy when there are visitors but she always comes out to flirt with some of her favorite boyfriends. She is a very chatty girl, who enjoys playing games for cats on the iPad, offering up her belly for pets and we think she can tell time, especially around breakfast and dinner time. She loves giving a good hand bath and still doles out little vampire bites.



And here's  is a little bit about Henry.

 Henry has three settings; mischievous, love bug and sound asleep. All three are done with gusto. He lives to jump high in the air and catch (yes, catch) ping pong and sparkle balls. He enjoys enticing his sister into a game of chase and loves being playfully naughty. Henry loves to show off, banking off the furniture or pulling a Scooby-Doo (bunching up an area rug during a spazz-out). He still makes chirping noises when walking around and he puts us to bed and wakes us up every day with head bonks and purrs. He is always in the middle of everything. He is lovely! 



 Thank you for sharing, Victoria!  What a great update! Clearly, these kittens are lovely and well-loved.





To keep this ball rolling, please pop on over to our FUNdraising page, and make a tax-deductible donation to help cats and kittens find fabulous homes, just like Agnes and Henry did!  

Once we bring in another $500, I'll be back with another alumni update!

Bottomless Basket of Kittens

I bought this pink basket for Charlene when she was just a tiny tot. She slept in it for her first year, then outgrew it. Now, it belongs to the kittens.

Every single litter we've had has curled up in this basket. Oh, the memories it holds.
(and thank goodness it's machine washable)

Here's a little sampling of the cuteness this basket has contained.

1000? Really???

I can hardly believe it, but this is my 1000th post on the IBKC. I thought about doing a big retrospective, and began sifting through the pictures. I ended up organizing all my kitten pics on Flickr. If you go there, you'll see it's all tidied up and organized by litter. You can click on any litter, and watch a little slide show if you like.

I was thinking about the pictures and kitten moments, and kept coming back to this image.



I took this picture of The Pettibones with my back towards them, shooting into the vanity mirror. They weren't posed. They all just happened to be hanging out together, sitting calmly, quietly, sweetly, and watching me. I don't think they were aware that I was photographing them. They were just being their lovely, lovely little selves.

It's just a tiny moment, but when I look at these kittens in this picture, I feel so happy to be the one they are watching. They make me feel so lucky.

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

I feel equally lucky to have you as a part of our lives too. I look forward to sharing the next litter, and the next 1000 posts with you.

Thank you for always being there.

Much love,, Laurie xoxo

Link to the Past: Who are These Pettibones

On August 15, The IBKC Blog will be celebrating it's 2 year anniversary. In honor of this occasion, I thought we could take a trip down memory lane and re-visit a few posts from the early days.

Our first link to the past, is a Pettibone post. The day the Pettibones moved in was a magical one. It took them just a few seconds to adjust to their new surroundings. Never before, or since, have we had a litter settle so quickly.

Here's a picture from their very first day. You can read the complete post by clicking here.

Pettibone AND Davenport Cards Have Arrived! Hooray!!

Take a look up there in the right hand corner of the blog,,, see that,,yep,, that's right,,the brand-spanking-new sets of Davenport and Pettibone cards have arrived !!

The Pettibone Portrait Pack is a set of eight cards and includes a glamor shot of each of the glorious Pettibone kittens as well as two additional group shots.

The Darling Davenport set has a portrait of each kitten plus a bonus image of the tabby twins, Edward and Cecily.

Stop on by the IBKC Etsy Shop to take a gander and maybe pick up a set or two. A portion of each sale goes to the Tacoma/Pierce County Humane Society. It also helps buy kitty litter for The Livermores.

Click here to check them out.

Pettibone Family Portrait

Of course Agnes is perched on the pillow.

Parting Ways with Two More Pettibones

Dear little Agnes and big boy Carmine left yesterday afternoon for their new homes. Yes! They are staying together!!!! Their new parents are good, good people and they are going to provide a wonderful life for these precious two.

You will all be thrilled to know that Agnes and Carmine (now know as Henry) have their own blog, so you'll be able to watch them continue to grow! AND you'll be able to follow Rosalie and Renatta, they have their own blog as well!

Click here to visit Renatta and Rosalie's blog.
Click here to visit Agnes and Henry's blog.

In other adoption news,,both Hiram and Mary Liza Fairchild have found their homes as well. Mary Liza has been adopted by Sue's sister. We're all happy she'll be staying in the family. She'll have a playful big brother to keep her company.

Hiram found a really awesome set of parents and he'll have a couple of slightly older siblings to play with. It sounds like his new home is pretty much kitty heaven on earth. Lucky boy!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the final moments with the Agnes and Carmine. After they were tucked into their carrier, Alvie and Virgil scaled the side of it to say goodbye.

Bye-bye babies, we will miss you and your loving ways. It has been such a pleasure knowing you.

The Goodbye Girls

Sigh. We're a tad blue around here this morning. Last night Rosalie and Renatta were picked up by their new parents. It's always hard to say goodbye to the kittens, but with this litter, it's especially difficult. I've said it before, but there is just something really special about this litter. They are just the warmest, lovey-doviest kittens I've ever met. Every single one of them.

I'm so thrilled that Rosalie and Renatta will be staying together. They are moving in a with fabulous set of parents and will have Phyllis, from the Original Six Pack of Cats, as their big sister.

I can promise you that we'll be getting lots of updates and pictures of the girls.

Before their parents arrived last night, Rosalie, Renatta and their siblings all were winding down and hanging out in their bedroom. I love it when they're in this state: kind of sleepy and extra lovely. I managed to get a few last pictures of all of them before we said goodbye. I took most of these pictures shooting into the mirror so the images are of their reflections. I don't think they really knew they were being photographed. Not that they ham it up for the camera, but they seem a little more relaxed for these shots.










So who's next? Well, Carmine and Agnes are scheduled to depart on Friday. Oh geeze, that's tomorrow. I'm not ready, people.

Didn't these kittens just get here?

Sigh.

It's That Time Already !

It seems like the Pettibones just moved in, so it's hard to believe they are big enough for their "surgery". Everyone is well over the two pound minimum. Rosalie hit three pounds this week.

This morning, four Pettibones will be going into the HS vet to have their itty bitty bits removed. Two more will go in tomorrow.

On surgery day, the kitties can't eat breakfast. Right now, they are still tucked away in their bedroom and I'm hesitant to open the door. Once you do, the tiny kitten herd charges into the kitchen to look for their breakfast. When they discover there is no breakfast waiting for them, there will be a chorus of cries that won't end. They'll will follow me around, waaaaaaaaah waaaaaaaaah, circle my feet, waaaaaaaah waaaaaaaah, climb my pyjamma pants, waaaaaah waaaaaaaah waaaaaaah. It's painful to hear. It's painful to witness.

It's time to pack up four Pettibones and shuttle them over to the vet. I'll let you know how everything went when they are home this afternoon.

I'm sorry kitties, it must be done.

Do Your Own Thing

Virgil Petttibone is a independent spirit.

I Love How She Loves Them

One Sleepy Sunday