June 15, 2006
I gave the kittens baths today. Except for Peetski (Tiny, the runt), they were not impressed. Peetski thought he was in heaven. This means I should have started giving them baths earlier, when they were young enough to accept it as an extension of the usual mothering. Darn. They'll only be six weeks old tomorrow.
Afterwords they slept sprawled out in complete abandon. Just like human babies when you give them a bath before bedtime. Sweet.
All of the kittens are adorable. But Peetski, the runt and Hatsipas, the second born have a special bond with me already. All the tabbies are curious above all. The two black ones are the most scaredy-cat-ish.
Hatsipas got his name (Half Stripe) because it looks like someone who was painting the kittens made a mistake. They had all the kittens in a line and painted three black and three with stripes. They turned them all over and painted two black, got distracted, and painted all the rest with stripes on their bellies. So Hatsipas looks black from above and tabby when he lies on his back. He was the first to find a teat after they were all born. He's a go-getter.
Peetski wasn't eating and just slept all the time. I decided he was close to death. When I picked him up, thinking I'd have to make sure the kids didn't find him dead--he became a fighter. He must have sensed my thoughts and decided HE wasn't going to die. Since then he's been a pioneer among kittens.
The weather has been pleasant enough (not to invite the evil eye;)) that I haven't even been tempted to go into the pool for about a week. Except for one night when we went in briefly. Today we went in and it was just heaven. Ah! Water!
Afterwords they slept sprawled out in complete abandon. Just like human babies when you give them a bath before bedtime. Sweet.
All of the kittens are adorable. But Peetski, the runt and Hatsipas, the second born have a special bond with me already. All the tabbies are curious above all. The two black ones are the most scaredy-cat-ish.
Hatsipas got his name (Half Stripe) because it looks like someone who was painting the kittens made a mistake. They had all the kittens in a line and painted three black and three with stripes. They turned them all over and painted two black, got distracted, and painted all the rest with stripes on their bellies. So Hatsipas looks black from above and tabby when he lies on his back. He was the first to find a teat after they were all born. He's a go-getter.
Peetski wasn't eating and just slept all the time. I decided he was close to death. When I picked him up, thinking I'd have to make sure the kids didn't find him dead--he became a fighter. He must have sensed my thoughts and decided HE wasn't going to die. Since then he's been a pioneer among kittens.
The weather has been pleasant enough (not to invite the evil eye;)) that I haven't even been tempted to go into the pool for about a week. Except for one night when we went in briefly. Today we went in and it was just heaven. Ah! Water!