Well, "leader kitty" has become "Blaze" courtesy of my friend, Robin. It was time she had a name and its appropriate. She just cannot be picked up.
The boys, Freckles and Brownie, are doing very well and getting positively plump. Both have tried suckling my fingers which likely means that they're pretty comfortable and have taken to me as a mother-subsitute.
Lucy and Nero (definitely a boy) are thoroughly friendly and rambunctious. It's really bugging them being enclosed in small space. This evening, I opened up the door and fed all four and just left it open while I retreated to a corner of the boxed-in area. Me and my ball of string that is.
After about 20 minutes all the kittens but Gandalf were playing with the ball and Blaze even got close enough to sniff my fingers a couple of times. I didn't have too much hope of Gandalf participating but she started to play a bit after 30 minutes, reaching under the door and swatting at her siblings. This I must regard as a very good sign.
I really only have another week of socializing time with them before I must head off on vacation. Actually some eleven days. The woman who helped me rescue them will take Brownie and Freckles for my vacation but I must find a home for the other four - or several homes before I leave.
My worry is having to split them up. Nero and Lucy would manage well, but Blaze and Gandalf - particularly Gandalf - would be seriously traumatized I think.
I have Gandalf eating better of late, simply by feeding her separately from the others. She is smaller, more depressed and looks to be weaker than the others. I worry enough that I might take her to the vet for a checkup.
All that said, I should be mightily encouraged that she is starting to eat properly and actually played today. I just worry that socializing her might be a weeks-long rather than days-long project.
Posted by artandscience at August 18, 2006 08:40 PM