Black Friday (Now With Even More Norman!)

"What do you mean it's not a celebration of Normie-ness?"

"I WANT A HOLIDAY!"

"We could watch tv all day,"

"And have some snacks,"

"And catch up with our Facebook and Words With Friends,"

"And play with toys,"

"And have another snack,"

"And perhaps an adult beverage too,"

"And then we could sleep it all off before we start all over again."

"We don't even have to take a bath today if we don't want to... we're family!!"

"But that's not the kind of Black Friday you were talking about, huh?"

"Norman does not think he cares for this holiday after all."

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Monte Carlo celebrated the holiday in a new home :)

 Meanwhile, we're still cleaning up the mess that our guest stars left behind.

 If you'll remember, those feathers used to be attached to the pumpkin.

Rox on the Rocks... hee hee

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We return to Petco on Saturday with Willie Rae, Mama, and Abby.  Willie Rae will be making afternoon visits as she has the past couple of weeks.  Mama and Abby will be moving into the condos with Henry and Tika.  We're really making a push to get our "teenagers" and adults adopted before the holiday season is over.  I will have an update (and lots of new pictures) on Monday.

Some marmie baby antics to tide you over through the weekend.

These are the two orange brothers of Bear the black ball of fluff.

Thanks to Jackie, their foster mom, for sharing this with us.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jackson and Ollie are still looking for a home.  Please contact either Suzanne or myself if you can help.  Their photos are on the Whiskers in the Window Facebook page.  Feel free to share if you have family or friends in SE Michigan or NW Ohio.  Let's get these boys a home for the holidays.

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The invasion of guest stars continues today while I'm busy mashing potatoes.

We here at Teeny Tiny Tabby Town wish you the happiest of holidays.

Of all the things for which I am thankful, each and every one of you is on the list.

Florence wasn't quite sure what to do with a turkey.

Clay told the turkey secrets and offered a reassuring pat on the back.

Abby was amazed at the amounts of stuffing it could hold.

Henry cleared out the pumpkins and got the table ready for dinner.

(Sigh.... do I ever miss this boy's face)

Henry killed the turkey.  Let's eat!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone.

Guest Star Harvest Celebration

Before we get started... Jackson and Ollie need a new home.  They live in SE Michigan (metro Detroit area).  Please contact Suzanne or myself if you can help... and share, share, share.

(Thanks to Robyn Anderson for making the graphic!)

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As the holiday approaches, we enlisted some guest stars to help us with the blog for the rest of the week.  The faces you see below are just a few of our bountiful harvest of kittens this year.

The Brothers Jefferson played in the leaf pile.

But they weren't sure jumping was allowed.

So Clay sat and looked pretty for the camera.

Look at how nicely his nose coordinates with the autumn leaves!

Worried Lionel worried when his toes touched the leaves.

But he put on a brave face and posed in them just for you.

Pretty girl Roxie makes a pretty picture in the leaves.

And another one...

And another one...

"Roxie is NOT showing off for the camera!!!  Don't blame Roxie for being beautiful!"

We certainly have much for which to be thankful.  

That last face may or may not be helping make the pies today... stinker.

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Little Baby Rae keeps getting braver and braver.  She's figuring out the tennis ball game with Charlie.  He rolls the ball and Willie Rae chases after it.  When she walks away, he grabs it and rolls again.  She still isn't sure if she is supposed to make friends with him, but it seems inevitable at this point.

I introduced Mama to Abby today in hopes of beginning a friendship that they will take to Petco when they move in over the weekend.  They met nose-to-nose, gave each other a friendly sniff, and let each other live in peace in the main house.  Not everyone was so pleased to see Abby arrive, though.  It was Willie Rae who hissed at her.  That girl is developing  her very own Torbie Tude.

I'm hesitant to say that Mama will get along with all cats just yet.  Simba and Norman avoid her whenever she leaves the foster room (Simba on the top bunk in the boy's room; Norman on the kitchen counter).  So I'm not sure if she accepts Abby because her protective hormones are calming down or because Abby is a smaller female.  Only time will tell.  

But if she puts one mark on my Henry in the Petco condos.... her name will be Mama Mud.

Anatomy of a Not-So-Teeny-Tiny Yawn

Starring Willie Rae

Being so beautiful can be positively exhausting.

What else has Willie Rae been up to?  Well, as the only kitten left (who needs a bit more bravery in her soul) she's been out and about in the main house as much as possible.  

She hung out in sunbeams.

She chased sparkle balls.

Sillie Rae has also spent some time getting to know Charlie.  I wouldn't say she's completely comfortable with him yet, but she does enjoy hanging out behind him and pouncing on a tail that's tapping on the floor.  Charlie made an overture to her yesterday by bringing her a tennis ball and laying it down beside her.  Since the tennis ball was bigger than Willie Rae's head, she wasn't exactly certain what to do with it so he dejectedly took it back.  But when he rolled it across the floor later, a teeny tiny kitten chased right after it... only to stop dead in her tracks because what is a teeny tiny kitten supposed to do with a tennis ball that's bigger than her head?

After playing and exploring for close to two hours, she crashed out in my lap.  I was so disappointed to spend some quiet time on the sofa, watching television with a purring kitten.

Last night we experimented and allowed both baby and her mama out of the foster room for the evening.  She and Willie Rae played and ran around the house together at high speed.  For the very first time, Mother Jefferson managed to avoid conflict with the boys (not sure if it's because they avoided her or if she just isn't as concerned about them anymore).  But Mama is still the protector. Whenever Willie Rae lost her mama, she'd call loudly and her mama came running.

Weekend Wrap-Up

When we left off on Friday, there were some unknowns going into our weekend. We were still waiting on health checks for Henry, Tika, and Abby.  We were still waiting for forever homes for Lionel and Willie Rae.  We were waiting for news from Malibu's potential adoption meet-up.  So to catch you all up....

Lionel and Willie Rae spent one last Saturday morning snuggling in the sunshine with their mama.

"Got your tail, Mama!"

When I look the shape of Mama's tail to Lionel's paw, I see an upside-down heart.

Mama loves Lionel.

Lionel loves Mama.

More on Lionel later...

Henry, Tika, Abby

The terrific tabby trio visited the vet on Friday afternoon.  I knew they were big, but holy cow!  Abby weighed in at a petite 6 pounds 1 ounce, while Tika weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces.  Henry Washington, the bruiser of the foster room, tipped the scale at 8 pounds 5 ounces... at 6 1/2 months old.  Our baby is growing to be a big, big boy.

As I suspected, Tika's ringworm is completely gone and she was cleared to return to Petco on Saturday.  Henry was given the a-ok to move out too.  Abby was a bit borderline.  She still has a watery eye and snotty nose, so we decided to keep her at home for one more week of snuggles and recuperation.  My goodness is it ever quiet upstairs right now.

Too bad we can't say the same for Petco...

It seems that someone has been working on his jumping skills while he's been away from the store.

Really, Henry?  This is how you behave right in front of Santa?????

"Uh-oh... Do you think he noticed?"

Henry scared the life out of every volunteer at Petco on Saturday afternoon by leaping to the top of the cat condos and wandering around the roof.   When it became apparent that I was too short to get him down without a ladder, I did the next best thing and pulled out the camera.  Yes, I encouraged the misbehavior by fussing over him and recording it for posterity.  You're welcome.

Tika and Henry settled in as the only residents of the cat condos and immediately began setting up house like a pair of old married people.  Henry checked the shingles (hee hee).  Tika washed the windows (by going back to her game of splashing the entire contents of the water bowl on the walls and floor).  Henry napped.  Tika nagged him by pulling on his whiskers.  And then they settled in together and purred, purred, purred.  They clearly love each other.

By the way... they both whined and fussed at me without mercy when I arrived on Sunday for adoption hours.  Apparently, they already thought they were home with me.

Malibu

Miss Malibu had an interview with potential adopters on Friday.  She was offered the position but declined the deal.  

Not sure what our girl requires in a family, but this one just didn't do it for her.

(And I love that she was given the final decision in the matter)

Lionel

Our big boy Lionel watched and waited and waited and watched for his chance at a forever family.

He hung out with the big boys for a while and checked out their toys.

(These would be the brothers of our Adams kittens, by the way.  Dark orange Cooper, Buff Peeps, Tuxie Monte Carlo, and Tabby Lincoln)

And then... his family arrived.

We couldn't have asked for a better situation for our boy.  Lionel's new mama has had a rough year.  She lost both her husband and her cat in the past year and, as she put it, she needs him.  She came along with her teenage granddaughter and picked Lionel out of this beautiful gaggle of boys to be her very own.  Our little Lionel will be spoiled and loved beyond measure.  I couldn't be happier for him.

Here's to a worry-free life for our worry-eyed boy.

Don't worry... I gave him enough good-bye hugs and kisses for all of us.

(and then some)

Willie Rae

Willie Rae worried through the weekend at Petco.  A dog rescue shares the adoption space and we had a couple of enthusiastic barkers.  Our baby girl has obviously met a dog before (and has heard him bark), but these new dogs made her feel exceptionally uncomfortable.  She hid and trembled whenever I pulled her out of her hiding spot.

This was as happy as our silly Willie Rae looked while at Petco.

We tried introducing her to the boys (well actually, this was Monte Carlo trying to introduce himself...), but she wasn't interested in making their acquaintance.

Who could blame her?  These are the same boys who stole her track ball...

and put their boy germs all over it.

And they did "boy stuff" like make blanket forts and jump out at her from underneath them.

(This would be Cooper... our undercover operative.  Our brave and friendly boy comes to Petco for the naps.  He burrows under the blankets and stays there unless we drag him out, or unless Willie Rae accidentally steps on top of him.)

Willie Rae met and enchanted more than one family over the weekend.  Even teeny tiny timid babies know how to turn on the charm when necessary.  But at the end of Sunday's session, she came home with me (and is currently terrorizing the main house while her Mama worries in the foster room).  You know me... I'm in no particular hurry to send her on her way and am just happy to have her here at home.

The more she grows into her torbie coloring, the more Willie Rae reminds me of my lost love...

 and the harder it will be to say good-bye.  I will if the right family comes along.

Or she can stay.  I'd keep them all if they needed me to (but you already know that about me).

We'll make the return trip on Saturday, along with Mama and Abby.