And the Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down

No worries... We're getting along just swimmingly right now. The leak in the upstairs bathroom has finally been repaired and I am thrilled to announce that it no longer rains in the laundry room. 

The kitchen bathroom, however, felt just a little left out and decided to flood the floor and run down the hallway while I was running errands on Wednesday. (Just a suggestion... if your kids are old enough to stay home alone, but you haven't yet taught them how to shut off the water running to the toilet.... teach them now. You'll thank me later). Thankfully, the water was clean... plentiful, but clean. The children, in their fabulous attempt to "help" used every single towel in the house to soak up the flood. The floor had been dried and the last soaking wet towel washed when the monsoon weather that hit Michigan crept into the basement last night. While relatively minor and quickly resolved, my time for blogging has been washed away with the tides.

Ruby had great blogging plans for today. She will continue her project and have it waiting here for you on Monday morning. In the meantime, I leave you a link to one of my all time favorite posts (which just so happens to also be water related).

Have a great weekend everyone.

A Home for Mama

First... I want to offer a great big "thank you" to everyone who helped with naming suggestions for the new business. I absolutely love them! The tough part will be choosing only one from the fantastic list you provided. I'm in the narrowing down process and should have an announcement by Monday. Thanks again!

Second... Before I transition to a new business and a new group of baby foster kittens, I have one job left to do: GET MAMA CLARICE A HOME.

Mama Madison is absolutely the kindest, gentlest, sweetest, most patient and loving cat ever to grace Teeny Tiny Tabby Town... and she's gorgeous to boot. I wanted to run another "Mama Special" but after lots of writing and rewriting, I've decided that I really couldn't say it any better than I did in a post about a month ago. So, with my apologies for the repeat, I am copying that post here today. Please, please, PLEASE share with anyone who may need this sweet soul in their life.

Ruby will make it up to you tomorrow :)

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WANTED: A loving forever home for the sweetest, most gentle, patient and kind mama cat that has ever walked the earth where she will be loved, cherished, spoiled, and treasured for the rest of her life.

Did I mention that she's drop-dead gorgeous too?

Mama Madison came to our southeast Michigan rescue in January along with her 4 bouncing baby kittens. After raising some of the most fantastically friendly, outgoing, brave, loving, and brilliant kittens that I have ever met, Mama said goodbye to her babies as they all left for their forever homes over the past week. Her work done, it is now Mama's turn to find a spectacular home of her very own.

Mama Clarice is an incredibly beautiful long-haired silver tabby. Her tabby markings are more pronounced on her face, where she has white tabby stripes that frame her eyes.

Her tremendous tail plume and fluffy pants are a gorgeous addition to her muted stripes on her body and legs.

Mama's extra-long white whiskers are wild, crazy, and curly... a distinctive accessory for this special lady cat.

Mama Clarice is immensely beautiful and intensely kissable from the tip of her nose to...

The bottom of her tippy toes :)

And just in case you missed those amazing toes the first time...

Don't you want to reach out and touch that toe fluff through your computer screen? If Mama Clarice lived in YOUR house, she'd let you touch them almost any time you want.

Beyond her obvious beauty, Mama Clarice has an amazing personality and beautifully gentle soul.

Three-year-old Mama is quiet and patient. She lived in my house for more than two weeks before I ever heard her voice. The only time she uses it is to express a gentle reminder that her bowl might be empty. I have never seen or felt one of her claws. She has yet to hiss, growl, or spit... even with a menagerie of permanent residents outside the glass French doors to her room watching her every move with her four precious babies. She shows mild interest in playtime and adventuring outside her foster room door, but truthfully... she really only wants you for your love.

Good photos of Mama are somewhat difficult to get because she is truly only concerned with two things... getting enough to eat and loving you (but mostly the second one). She greets me immediately at the door looking for love and affection. Mama performs the most complicated of figure 8 maneuvers by rubbing my legs as  I walk. She purrs unreservedly and showers every visitor with attention. 

It doesn't take much more than a chin rub to make our Mama as happy as can be. 

She is quite simply...

Remarkable.

"Why did you stop?"

She loves you already and is waiting for you to bring her home.

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A Special Home for Our Mama Cat

Our Mama has tested positive for FIV antibodies and will require a special home, one that takes the time to understand her diagnosis and is willing to provide the proper environment for her.

Because of these test results, Mama's ideal forever home may be one where she would be the only cat. She would get along well with any other animals, but for her safety it would probably best if she was a singleton or even placed into a home with another FIV+ cat as a companion. This is NOT because of a danger to other cats. On the contrary, this is simply to protect the health of our Mama Clarice.

FIV is not easily spread from one cat to another. It is usually spread either through biting, some other violent act, or through birth. There is much anecdotal evidence that FIV+ cats can live for years with other cats without spreading the virus. FIV+ cats, though, because of the suppression of their natural immune systems are more susceptible to the germs and illnesses of other cats... meaning they catch colds and other diseases more easily than others and, once caught, they have a much more difficult time fighting off the infection and returning to health. 

Our mama has already successfully, and rather easily and quickly, fought off an upper respiratory infection while in our care. She is exceptionally healthy and strong. FIV+ cats, when living in their own little protected bubble, can conceivably live a normal lifespan... well over ten years. The key is protection, a clean environment, and good nutrition. There is no reason to believe that she cannot live happily and without health crises for many years to come.

It should be noted that cats who have been vaccinated for FIV will test positive for the FIV antibodies afterward. Given the fact that we know nothing about her history prior to being dumped at the shelter with her babies, it is entirely possible that Mama is simply a vaccinated kitty. But we must be careful in her placement regardless.

For more information about FIV in cats, please consult the following resources:

Crash's Landing & Big Sid's Sanctuary, a rescue in Grand Rapids, Michigan dedicated to rescuing and placing FIV and Feline Leukemia cats   http://www.crashslanding.org/FivAndFelv.html

Veterinary Partner, an online pet health library   http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1313&S=2&SourceID=42

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine   http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fiv.html

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So here's the part where I call you ALL into action...

Option #1:

**If you have room for a deserving Mama cat in your life, if you can provide the kind of home we're looking for, if you are willing to give our girl the life of pampered luxury that she so richly deserves, please contact me for more information. You can reach me through several avenues... 

1. Stop by the Whiskers in the Window Facebook page and leave me a private message (using the button directly below the cover photo). 

2. Send me an e-mail to teenytinytabbies (at) gmail (dot) com.

3. Leave me a message in the comments below and let me know how to contact you.

Option #2:

**If you do not have the appropriate home for Mama, if you're too far away, if you have too many cats, if it's just not the right time, you can STILL HELP!!!!

1. Comment below if you have any additional information about FIV... personal experience, recommendations for research and resources other than what I've listed above, encouragement for anyone who is considering bringing Mama or any other FIV+ cat into their homes.

2. Share, share, SHARE, SHARE our blog post. Share it on Facebook. Share it on your blog. Share it with your neighbors. Share it with your friends and family. Share it today, tomorrow, and the day after because you never ever know when the right eyes may be reading. 

I nearly said "Share it until the cows come home" but that would just be ridiculous. How about "Share it until Mama goes home"? Yes... Share it until Mama goes home. Pretty, pretty please.

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Mama Clarice currently lives in southeast Michigan (suburban Detroit, to be more exact). While I would love to see her end up close by, I also realize that the realities of Mama's situation make it a bit more difficult in finding that perfect home. If you are out of the area but in love with Mama anyway, we might be able to arrange something.

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.

Ruby Tuesday

New weekly segment starts today. I'll let Ruby explain...

"See, the way is works is... I'm Ruby and this is Tuesday.

So you get pictures of Ruby on Tuesday. Get it? Ruby Tuesday?

That Lady is a real original thinker, isn't she?"

I meant to bring you more, but the horrifying events in Boston distracted me from my work last night. We'll have Ruby Tuesday up and running in full force next week. 

In the meantime, I'll substitute pictures with answers.

Go ahead. Ask Ruby anything you like.

She'll answer as soon as she wakes up from her nap.

Happy Monday!

"MONDAY???? WHERE???"

"Ruby doesn't like Monday and you can't make her! She snarls in Monday's general direction!"

"Dude... Mondays bum Charlie out."

"Nope... Norm's not doing Monday."

"If Simba refuses to acknowledge the Monday then the Monday does not exist.

Simba will be here until Tuesday."

"You can DO that?"

"Ruby left a wake up call for Tuesday. Back off until then please."

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It's been a crazy five or six days with the house in total chaos due to the bathroom repairs. Who knew that destruction and construction in one teeny tiny room could create so much dust throughout an ENTIRE house??? I will be spending the next day or two finding my belongings underneath the fine layer of grout dust. The kids are helping by drawing smiley faces on everything and the kits are leaving tracks on all of the horizontal surfaces. At least it's not raining in the laundry room any more.

I'll dust off my camera and bring you a new weekly segment tomorrow (and some news on Wednesday)

The Sister Of All Updates!

You all know how much I love updates. Imagine my joy when I opened my e-mail the other day and found an update (complete with pictures) of one of the most strikingly gorgeous and amazingly mysterious kittens that we have ever hosted here in Teeny Tiny Tabby Town.

Remember in September? When the house was overrun with fosters? We had five of the Adams kittens in the foster room. Henry, Tika, and Abby were on a sneezy sabbatical from Petco upstairs in the family room. And in the kids' bathroom? A tortie mama kept her teeny tiny babies in the linen closet. Remember these faces?

From left to right: Willie Rae, Florence, Clay, Lionel, and Roxie Jefferson

(Oh good golly to I ever have a thing for the one on the left!)

Mother Jefferson gave us quite the variety pack...

3 tabbies and 2 Siamese points.

We watched them grow from 3 days old until they started off to their forever homes at 10 weeks.

Clay morphed from a grumpy, toothless little man to...

a most adorable, if bitey, little midget who...

started developing his flame points on his way out the door.

But this update isn't about him.

Florence grew from a teeny tiny moppet into...

a fearless explorer and...

the beauty queen that everyone clamored for once her photo hit Petfinder.

But this update isn't about her either.

Little Lionel worried his way through the baby stages before...

loosening up and learning to become the life of the party who...

was ready to head off on his own and take a big bite out of what the world had to offer.

But this update isn't about him either.

Willie Rae, our tabby girl with the big orange angel kiss on her forehead...

looked toward a bright future and found her way into a spectacular family.

But this update isn't about her either because, let's face it...

Every day is a Willie Rae update around here.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner... Ruby's here to stay, Suckers!"

She's still crowing about her victory several months later :)

So if this update isn't about Clay,

and it's not about Florence,

and it's not about Lionel,

or Willie Rae...

This update MUST be about...

"ME!!!!!! Just get to it already, Lady!"

Itty Bitty Roxie, the seal point Siamese otherwise known as...

Roxie Blue Eyes, or...

Roxie Roker the Sister Poker left us within minutes of her arrival at adoption hours in November.

Would you recognize her now?

Look at little Miss Lynx Point... striped face, legs, and tail (with an orange tip on the end!)

Didn't we always know she would be simply stunning?

Roxie's mom wrote: "I have been meaning to send you some photos of  Roxie for a while, but time just flies by. Not sure if the photos do her justice. Roxie is gorgeous, with aqua to blue eyes that change color depending on the lighting, and she has tips of orange on her feet and tail. The one photo of her standing on the bookcase shows all her stripes. After a couple of try-outs for other names, Roxie just stuck. She is now affectionately Roxinator, Roxie-roo, Roxi-million and the list goes on. We are all absolutely in love iwth her! Having lived with our old cat for so many years before she passed away in the fall, we forgot the crazy antics of a young kitten; galloping full speed from the family room, using Mike's shoulder as a springboard to jump up and slide across the kitchen island and then down to go galloping to the living room is a common occurrence. So is running at break neck speed up the stairs and across the landing. She makes us laugh. Roxie loves to cuddle, lick our faces and carry her "woobie" toy around for us to throw to her (she acts more like a puppy). Her cuddling and purr is the best sleep remedy you could ever ask for."

ROO???? Aw... Roxie Rooooooo!

I do see a huge family resemblance in the facial structure, especially around the eyes.

What do you think?

Thank you so much for the incredible update! I'm so thrilled that Roxie is doing so well with her new family. Hearing these stories and seeing pictures of my babies makes everything I do worthwhile (Okay, it was worthwhile to begin with but I do consider these special updates my "tip" for good service. I may smile through the weekend.)