Happy Birthday, Bootsie and Chester!

    Today marks the birthday of my kitties Bootsie and Chester, as well as their litter-mates Priscilla, Mandy, Sprinkles, and one who I'm not sure had a name before we gave it away.

      I can't believe it's been such a long time-March 26, 1991. Literally a lifetime ago!  They have been gone for a few years now, having lived to be almost 16 years old. But they live on in my heart, and I will always fondly remember their antics. I still love them, and miss them very much. But I won't go into the sad parts, this story is about the week they came to live with me.

       I was anxiously awaiting the birth of these kittens! The mother cat, Willamina, was a feral cat that started hanging around our yard a few months earlier. She was a striking black and white cat, her face very distinctively marked.  It took a long time to gain her trust, and it didn't happen fully until after the kittens were born.  I had started feeding her, and gradually, she ran away less and less.  In the beginning, Bigfoot would not let her in the yard. He was extremely territorial, even with the ladies. But she wouldn't give up and eventually, she and Biggie were inseparable. It was adorable the way they did everything together like they were dating. She idolized him. But again, this is a full-length story meant for another day, so back to the kittens!

     It was a drizzling cool Sunday morning, when I went outside. Willie (short for Willamina) came to greet me, and she was skinny! That meant there were kittens around somewhere, and I had to discreetly track them down.  Throughout the morning, I tried to keep an eye on where she went, and finally, I found the hiding place...under the rabbit hutch!  We had a nice bunny in the backyard (Lilly, a white bunny my cousin's family needed to find a home for, came to live with us a few years before.)

       This was like Christmas morning for me--how many kittens were there? She was huge, so I figured there had to be at least four. Would any of them look like Bigfoot, the cat our vet assured us was "sterile" because of his double paws? How many would be black and white? I couldn't wait to find out. I had nobody to share my good news with-Dad was working and Mom was at church.  I must have called my grandmother, though I don't have a specific memory of it.  

           My memory is a little sketchy--I think it was the same morning when Willie moved the kittens from under the hutch to another less desirable place-next to the cellar window, I don't know what you call it, but it's an area with a brick wall around it, like a little room. Only trouble was, it started to rain, and the babies were not protected! Willie, what is wrong with you? Get in there and keep those kittens dry!

     She went off somewhere, and I got an umbrella to cover them. But it wasn't working.  I took matters into my own hands, and rescued the kittens to a clothes basket lined with warm towels. In the house they went, into the sun porch. I transferred them into a brand new plastic litter box with domed cover. A perfect house for a litter of kittens.

     When Willie finally came back, she was upset that her kittens were gone. She came to the door and I kept telling her "you have to come in the house". That is something she had never done before, she was still pretty wild. But I left the door open for a few minutes, and when she knew she had to come in for her kittens' sake, she did. 

       Here are some pictures-before and after they were born. I have to abbreviate the story, I guess I could start another whole blog about my pets. In brief, Bootsie and Chester were the two kittens we kept. They joined Bigfoot, Blackie and Grace, and Willamina.

     Chester was known as Chet-he loved to eat, was a real ham.  Bootsie was kind of skittish at times, was more serious that Chet. Together they were dubbed "The Tiger Boys". I miss holding them on my lap, and listening to them purr.  Our days of having a cat are on hold until Cindy is gone. I can wait, I have plenty of happy memories to hold me over.

Here is Willamina drinking some evaporated milk. I gave her a lot of extra food and milk while she was expecting! She shared it with Bigfoot. 

Can you see how chubby her tummy was? I loved the markings on her face, and on her hind leg.

Aren't they precious? Chester is the one at top left, Bootsie is on the right, only his head showing.

Is she contented or what? This is a litter box converted into nursery.

That's Bootsie in the back. Two of the other kittens were gray & white, one looked just like her Mom, we named her Priscilla.

Bootsie mewing! On this day, we had them in a box in the front yard. My grandmother came over to see them later that day. 

A couple of weeks later. That's Chet on the left, Prissy is the black silhouette, and Bootsie balancing on the edge.

Three little kittens at play!

Bootsie was always looking for a free meal! Mom doesn't seem to mind!

Chester and Bootsie-Brothers in Arms.

Guys, I will never forget you!
Love, Karin