Look Who's Here!

And we're thrilled to have her back!

Sometimes adoption placements just don't work out. Garnet is back with us and happy to be home. This move is for the best. Her purr motor has yet to turn off since her arrival. We're going to spend the next few days loving on her and putting together a plan to find her the best placement possible the next time around. 

We will be keeping her here through Thanksgiving for rest and recuperation while she finishes a course of antibiotics and puts a bit of meat back on her bones. She will be available to the right home at the beginning of December. If you've always been a Garnet lover, and perhaps regretted not making a move on bringing this little splotch-head into your home, this may be your chance.  We can start a conversation at teenytinytabbies (at) gmail (dot) com.

Mae's not certain she approves of her new roommate yet

She looks rather appalled at the very thought of it, doesn't she?

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If you're in the New York/New Jersey area and looking for a friend, look no further than Gail's beautiful baby boys. Three months old and ready for a home. Such a variety pack that there's bound to be a color and personality to suit your needs. Contact me at the above e-mail address for more information and I'll pass your message along to Gail.

**Uncle Bitters not included.

Lazy Days... NOT!

At least Max is getting some rest while I've been AWOL.

"Well, DUH... Max is a kitten. What did you expect? Now go away and let the kitten sleep."

I know I've been missing in action, and you'll have to excuse me because I'll probably be missing a bit more during the next couple of weeks. 

It's good news. My pet business unexpectedly exploded with new customers last weekend... plural... and lots of them. So, in addition to working 24-hours-per-week at my office job, I've been working several hours per day at my business plus raising three kids and a Maxie and a Mae (and did I mention that I'm taking an online course at the moment?)

My body is exhausted. My head is crammed full with tons of literally useless facts. I've got at least another week of the same condition before things will begin to calm down. Just in time for the holidays!

More good news: My class is almost over. My office job is almost over too. I'm getting so much business that I've decided to hand in my notice and let go of the safety net. I've just got to make it a bit longer.

You're really not missing much here right now anyway. My cats are cute and Mae is a doll, but we're not doing much that's newsworthy at the moment. It's a lot quieter around here without a crew of marauding kittens (which is good for me, because I don't know how I could possibly handle it all right now). 

I won't disappear completely, but I won't be here every day for a while either. If you're on Facebook, you'll catch a status update from time to time. If you're not on Facebook, I apologize for my absence but one sentence updates are easier to flash out there than entire blog posts. I hope you understand.

In the meantime, if you wouldn't mind sending me all of your extra energy... I've got 2 days of parent teacher conferences to get through later this week (for 3 kids at 3 separate schools in 3 distinctly different municipalities... my brain hurts trying to figure out the logistics of it all).

And don't worry...

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And just in case you need kittens to get you through,

I present to you...

Gail's foster kittens!

Clockwise from top left: Washburn, Jayne, Captain Malcolm Reynolds, and Shepard (with Uncle Bitters)

If you live in the New York/New Jersey area and are looking for a kitten to call your own, Gail has four fabulous babies to consider. They are three months old, full of personality, and ready to make your home their home.

Or your hoodie their home, or something like that.

For more information about these sweet babies, send a message to teenytinytabbies AT gmail DOT com and I'll pass it along to Gail. 

**Uncle Bitters is very sweet, very handsome, and very unavailable, thank you very much  ;)

Tails from the Adoption Event

Sigh... It is frustrating enough to come home from adoption events with the same number of kittens with which you left in the morning. It is frustrating enough to be presented with adoption applications, but said applications do not represent qualified adopters. But really? REALLY? Some of the things I see and hear while trying to adopt out a kitten is enough to make me shake my head hard enough to rattle my brain. My eyes might freeze permanently into the rolled position.

I know none of you would ever commit the following transgressions (at least, I think you wouldn't). But, just in case, here are a few things you may wish to avoid during your next visit to an adoption event.

1. Sticking your hand in a cage and touching a kitten while loudly telling an adoption counselor that you don't like cats.

2. Placing an "order" for a kitten: "Do you happen to have any medium-hair, silver coat, not-tabbies with blue eyes who will be a non-shedding lap cat? No? Can you see if you can find one for me? No? Will you keep my phone number and call me if you ever see one?"

3. Grabbing a kitten, announcing your true and abiding love before ever truly "meeting" it, and start gushing about the backyard playhouse that your husband just finished building for your daughter... the one you are now furnishing and accessorizing... the one that needs a kitten to live in to make it "just like a real house".

4. Trying to give back the cat you adopted last year when it was a kitten because it got big and simultaneously expecting that you will be allowed to adopt another kitten to take its place.

But this one takes the cake...

5. Dumping animals in the parking lot during an adoption event because you are tired of taking care of them. Specifically, these animals:

Two very sweet, very scared, very hungry guinea pig brothers who were unceremoniously dumped because they were "too much trouble".

The wonderfully caring staff at PetSmart sprung into action. They brought the boys inside, shoveled out the disaster area of their cage and then made the decision to condemn the facilities anyway. They provided a new dwelling, fresh bedding, water bottles, food (pellets and fresh) and tucked them away in a room behind the fish tank display while a plan was hatched.

These boys are now in foster with one of our fabulous kitten foster mamas. We're not quite sure what the next step is, but if you are local and a lover of guinea pigs and in the market for a pair of beautiful boys... I know where to find them. They are just over one year old, very bonded to each other, and will be requiring a home together.

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I'll be back to the kitten program tomorrow. We'll pick up where we left off... with an adoption story and the pursuit of three more. Be sure to tune in during the week. We've got a lot of very important stuff coming up that you won't want to miss.

A Gift For You

How did I not notice this before????

The ever-astute Connie (otherwise known as the fabulous author of Tails From The Foster Kittens) pointed out that Garnet's awesome orange belly spots are the in the shape of a heart.

Can't unsee it now, can you? I know that I can't. Garnet is saving up her love and her heart for a very special still-unknown family. We're lucky she's letting us get a sneak peek at it. Consider it her gift to you.

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We have another gift in today's post. Last month, I received an amazing gift from my dear friend Wendy. Wendy's husband and my husband were stationed in Germany at the same time in the late 1990s. We lived in the same stairwell apartment building on Ramstein Air Base. Our sons were born four days apart from each other. (I may or may not still be carrying a grudge that her son was born on my due date and I had to wait for an extra four days, but that's an entirely different story).

Wendy has a love of sewing, while her husband is a fantastic woodworker. They have left military life behind and have a great little business on the side. This little project started as a bed for American Girl dolls:

But then her cat completely took over.

I showed Wendy a photo of what our original foster kitty Tommy used to do in the authentic American Girl doll beds.

An idea was born and the prototype arrived in my house as a very special gift last month.

It's now a cat bed, complete with cat-themed bedding and catnip pillows.

To say they love it would be an understatement.

Why, yes... I was singing "No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed" when I took this photo. Why do you ask?

I'm pretty sure this is the last time a pillow was ever on that bed.

Belle has redecorated again.

Wendy's fabulous creation is available in her Etsy story by following this link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/154013659/cat-or-toy-dog-farm-style-bed?ref=shop_home_active  They build the beds as they are ordered, so you know that your kitty's bed will be made especially for them :)

If you are interested in one of these fabulous creations, Wendy is offering a discount for you lucky Whiskers In The Window readers. Use the code CATBEDRESCUE for $10 off through August 31st.

Also, she will make a donation to her local rescue for every bed sold. It's a win-win-win situation. Wendy builds her business. You get a fabulous cat bed. Shelter kitties benefit. Hooray!!

Drum Roll Please

Bum Bum Bah Bum!

It's time to play the music.

It's time to light the lights.

It's time to meet the kitties on the kitty show tonight.

Bum Bum Bah Bum.

It's time to put on make-up.

It's time to dress up right.

It's time to raise the curtain on the kitty show tonight.

To introduce our big news...

Is what we're here to do...

So it really makes Chuck happy to break the news to you.

Da Da Dum...

Da Da Da Da DAH!

WAIT!!!! It's not time yet!!!

Sorry. We here in Teeny Tiny Tabby Town are keeping our secret for a few more days. Tune in Saturday evening for the conclusion of our announcement. You won't be sorry.

I'll give you a teeny tiny hint. It would fit in a breadbox. 

The Watchers

Miss Garnet Mayweather has requested a postponement in her special day on the blog. She's feeling a bit hissy and uncooperative at the moment. While we work on improving her disposition, Teeny Tiny Tabby Town presents...

The Watchers

I always feel like...

Somebody's watching me-e-e-e-e-eeeeeeeee!

And I have no privacy...

Oh-oh-oh...

Who's watching me?

"Upstairs Mama" is becoming more and more "On the Stairs Mama" as the weeks progress. She sits on the stairs and watches through the banister spindles. On one very important morning, her feet touched the first floor. She marched all the way to the kitchen and demanded her breakfast along with the chorus of other cats in the house. And then she ran back upstairs to show me her empty bowl. Progress comes in small steps (and stairs, apparently) but I don't expect to be calling her "Downstairs Mama" any time soon.

Someone else is feeling a tad bit on display.

"Perhaps if he didn't hide in the clear box, he would have more privacy...

Poor little fluff brained kitten."

But the kitten doesn't have any box but clear, so...

They always feel like...

Somebody's watching them ;)

I'll see what I can do to bring you a weekend edition starring Garnet. As soon as I can convince her that I'm not always watching her, that is.

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Available for Adoption

Meet Myles.

Myles is a foster cat who lives in my vet clinic. He lived there as a kitten before being adopted into what he thought was his forever home. Through no fault of his own, Myles is back at the vet clinic looking for a forever, forever home this time. 

He tends to get overlooked because it's kitten season, and kittens get adopted faster than adult cats. But Myles is a spectacular young fellow who deserves a home of his very own. 

Myles is one-year-old... playful, rambunctious, and a kitten in his own mind. He loves playing with the kittens in the clinic. He's well-adjusted and tolerant of the many dogs that come in and out through the door. He's also pretty darn tolerant of my playing with his toes while he was trying to sleep. 

Myles is currently living in Macomb Township, Michigan. If you would like more information on Myles or how to contact his caretakers, you can e-mail me at teenytinytabbies AT gmail DOT com. I'd be happy to put you in touch.

A Sneak Peek

Are you ready? Would you like a sneak peek at who is moving into the front room in a few more days? 

Guess who's coming to dinner!

And they move too!! I'm having trouble uploading the videos for some reason, so you can find them here at this YouTube link and this link too. The videos were taken through a window and a window screen to keep from spooking the midgets (remember, they're feral!). We appear to have one orange boy and two torbie girls. This is the first look I've had at them, but it appears that we have not one but TWO Ruby Juniors! Ruby Junior #1 has an orange splotch on her head, while Ruby Junior #2 has the wide orange shading stripe down her side. GAH!

Aren't they incredible? They will be with us soon, very soon. We'll  talk more about babies and names tomorrow. 

Wordplay on Wednesday

First the news for which you have been anxiously awaiting: We have babies! Kind of. Rather, what I should say is that our next foster kittens have entered the world. They have been born, but are not yet here in Teeny Tiny Tabby Town. I should explain...

A very good friend of mine cares for a feral colony of kitties. Within this colony is a drop-dead gorgeous female cat. Twice a year for the past few years, this cat brings a litter of babies to my friend's backyard and leaves the kittens behind once they are old enough to be weaned. My friend has always fostered the babies, socializing and caring for them until they can go up for adoption. A very pregnant Mama disappeared from the feeding area for a day recently. She returned much smaller and incredibly hungry. It's clear that our babies have arrived.

This year, however, my friend is extra busy with work and the incredibly large number of fosters that she already has. This is where we come in. Mama will raise her babies in a terrific insulated shelter for the next 4 weeks (give or take) as she normally does. When she brings the kittens to the backyard, we get to bring them home and play with them here for a couple of months. Until then, we live in the knowledge that our babies are out there. We just don't know how many there are, what they look like, how many boys or girls there are. See? It's a big guessing game until now.

We DO know one very important thing, though. They will be phenomenally, astronomically, amazingly beautiful. For example....

This was Mama's last litter when they were adopted shortly before Christmas.

She always produces puff balls. I think that's one thing we can count on.

Can you stand it?

The plan, as it has been for each and every litter so far, is to trap Mama so she can be spayed. She has proven amazingly adept so far at avoiding the trap. We're hoping that this time around will be a bit more successful.

So we will have about a month before we hear the pitter patter of baby kitten feet again here in Teeny Tiny Tabby Town. The timing isn't ideal for you, but it is perfect for me. Spring soccer season began this week. Between two soccer players and the insane camping schedule that the scouts break out in April, I am on a dead run for the next 6 weeks. Besides, I still have someone that needs a home.

Another fluffy Mama deserves my attention first.

And...

I've been keeping this a little bit hushed while I figure out the dynamics. Truth is that I don't have them 100% figured out yet still. But... I'm going back to work. More than that, I'm starting my own business. I'm listening to that little voice inside my head and following my heart and taking a great big leap.

Step one is that I'm starting my own pet services business... pet sitting, dog walking, transportation to the vet and the groomer. You name it, I'll probably include it. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be starting the legal process... the name, the insurance, the bonding, the website, the advertising. My goal is to be up and running by summer (and by the time the babies move in here). 

It's perfect for me. I get to set my own schedule to be here for the kids. I get to hang out with animals all day. I get to keep fostering. I get to (hopefully) find a way to finance step two.

Step two is that I'm taking photography classes in the hope that within a year, I will be adding animal photography to the business. And if that works out, photography of people in the year after that.

And now for the time when I need your help... I always thought I would name my business after the blog. "Whiskers in the Window" works perfectly for the blog and a pet business. BUT, there is already a "Whiskers in the Window" pet sitting service in the county next door to mine. I realize that legally I could still use it. But I'm not really interested in getting into the confusion and potential wrangling it might create. So I'm looking for something else, and I'm stuck.

I thought about keeping "Whiskers in the Window" as the legal name of the umbrella company (See? I'm already planning to be a great success!) and using the word "Whiskers" as part of the pet service name. I considered "The Whisker Watch" or "Whiskers While You Work" (both, according to the Googler, being used elsewhere in the country but not close enough to matter). I thought about various combinations of "Whiskers" and "Wags", but after weeks of wondering my brain refuses to play nice and come up with a name. HALP!

If  you think of a truly fabulous name (and again, I would prefer something with the word "Whiskers" in it but it's not mandatory), let me know either here in the comments or through an e-mail to teenytinytabbies AT gmail DOT com. If we choose your name, then you get to choose our names... kitten names. A whole family full of foster kitten names. You'll get naming rights to the Monroes when they arrive. There's just one restriction. You can't use a family name. My maiden name is Monroe and I will absolutely positively not name a kitten after a family member. Their heads are big enough as it is. 

But we can discuss that later. For today... let's wiggle those whiskers and put our thinking caps on. I truly would appreciate any help that you wonderfully creative people can give me.

And in the meantime... while we're waiting for babies... we still have Ruby for lots of fun and pictures.

One More Friend

We're home after a lovely visit to the mountains with the family. I've been introducing you to my new friends all week long, but have been holding someone back to lead us into the weekend.

Meet Riley...

Those of you who know me, or who have been paying attention, know that I am from the state of Michigan. Those of you who have been around long enough also know that I am a proud alumna of Michigan State University. On Easter Sunday, Riley treated me by wearing his lovely jersey...

Riley is apparently supporting the University of Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Riley's lucky jersey has worked for them so far, seeing as they have advanced to this weekend's Final Four tournament.

For Riley (and only Riley), I will allow this jersey on my blog. I might consider being happy for the team and its fans. But don't try leaving a "Go Blue" in the comments. My patience and grace can only be stretched so far.

As we like to say in our house, "Yellow and blue make green." GO GREEN! Even if they aren't still in the tournament... 

And Riley will be receiving a new and improved jersey in the mail as soon as I can find one in his size.