Doesn’t everyone?
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Despite being named Monty, he’s actually a corn snake. My daughters other snek, Akira, is a ball python, and she’s wonderful. Monty is a little speedy shit who’s always trying to slither away.
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Picked up our newest foster today. Was supposed to be a pregnant momma kitty, but when I went to pick her up yesterday they went to gather her up and said, “oh, now there’s a newborn kitten in the box with her. Come back tomorrow when she’s done delivering.”
So I did. But it’s been harrowing! I gave her a few hours to settle in, then went in the room to read (that’s how I’ve been acclimatizing new fosters to the new circumstances) and things got kind of hair raising. She growled and started racing from her carrier/bed area to underneath the chair I was sitting on in the corner of the room furthest from her area. Tail all puffed out. Then standing up to the chair arms, growling and hissing. I became afraid for my skin. Instead of calming down she seemed to get more and more agitated, but I was scared to move!
When I finally did get up and slowly leave, she got a good swipe that stung through my jeans and wool socks. As I was walking away. Yikes!
Spent a couple hours reading up on decompression and stuff for aggressive new mamas, and I think we’re doing everything right. It’ll just take some time. Learning so much through fostering, but also, not at all what I expected when I volunteered to bring home a pregnant kitty. 
Hoping to have some adorable photos within the next few weeks. Wish me luck!
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That is one seriously protective mama cat! How many babies?
So glad you got her and the babies out of the shelter ASAP. Shelters are deadly for newborns - too much stress and so many germs that their little bodies can’t handle. You’re giving them (and mama cat) the best chance for survival. If mama cat will allow it, tracking the weight of the babies to make sure everyone is gaining can help you spot a kitten who may need extra care before it becomes obvious. A kitchen scale with a bowl works great.
Do prepare yourself for the possibility of some sad endings, though. Everyone can be booping right along just fine, and then suddenly one just isn’t. Like overnight. Fading kitten syndrome is a real thing, and sometimes there isn’t even an obvious reason, unlike with the two tragic little ones from my neighbor’s current litter. Sorry to be such a downer, but sending lots of good kitten energy.
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Not a downer at all, and I appreciate the knowledge you bring. I’ve tried to prepare myself for the fading thing that can happen, as much as one really can. Just in case.
When we got her she’d had only one kitten and they thought that might be it, but I won’t really know for a couple days, I think. Because she’s so scary. Also makes me think she’s an awesome momma, so mostly leaving her to do her thing. She has food and water and cozy spots and litter, so now I’m just occasionally standing by the door talking to her, and when she growls, leaving her to her space.
Honestly, if I put myself in her place, I like to think I’d be as badass as this kitty.
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Good Human!
Good luck with the foster kitty and kittens
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i thought things were supposed to appear smaller the further away they were.
-confused of Norwich.
eta spelinns
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Something’s not right.
In my neck of the woods all the hunters say the swans need to go because they kill off the ducks and geese yet I see swans ducks and geese together all the time.
Weird that the hunters would be wrong.
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This bank of swans living in central Helsinki is almost tame. They will hiss a bit you go too close to their cygnets but usually they will just come to see if you are willing to feed them.
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Rascal seems to have been a great cat.
I showed this photo to my wife and she was amazed at the resemblance. Even the nose was similar to ours! Your cat likes to sleep by the window. Our cat too. He likes to watch life in the courtyards of neighboring buildings. So when he gets tired of this reality show, he ends up taking a little nap.
Boa tarde, bonitona! I hope she is ok!
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Fourteen months ago Bitey Kitten was a singleton winter kitten who had trouble keeping warm. Her foster dad, a retired engineer, rigged a controller to dial down the power on a mini crockpot to make a kitten warmer. She loved her kitten crockpot, and it was a sad day when she outgrew it, though it has gone on to keep other tiny kittens warm.
Today he brought Bitey Cat her own controller for a full-sized crockpot, and she totally remembers! 
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That is adorable, and it made me think of something practical:
There are mini heating pads for reptile/snake tanks. They keep a nice temperature that isn’t too high. I think for fostering little ones who need the extra heat, this would be a good solution.
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He has a couple of the pet safe heating pads that he uses for the normal litters. Bitey Kitten was by herself and had such a thin short hair coat that the flat pads didn’t keep her warm enough. She needed warmth to surround her, so the kitten crockpot came to be.
He brought the controller box over this evening, and Bitey Cat gave the setup the stink eye for a couple minutes before the lightbulb came on. Then she stepped in and nestled down, and all is right with the world.
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