Worth Every Bit of Trouble

Shortly after losing our cat Cairo this past April, D and I took in three two-week-old foster kittens and their mom, "Mama", in the hopes that they would fill the empty void in our home and that we could do a little bit of good.  Mama was a stray in a cat colony from a community about fifteen minutes North of our home, where she was fed and well-taken-care of by a coworker of my husband's.  When she gave birth we were going through the last bit of chemo with our cat and couldn't help, but we got to them before they were two weeks old and took them in for about eight weeks.  With a lot of luck, we found homes for two of the kittens and kept the third, Buda.  Mama cat went back to her cat colony fully vaccinated and spayed, and is doing well.

Anyway, it's been so good to watch the little ones grow.  Their very first few days, they started out so, so small!

 

And as time went by, they started growing up.

And playing!

And it was only a matter of time before they started coming out of their nesting box and exploring the world around them.  Mama was always so patient with them, despite those little claws and teeth!

It was just so wonderful to watch the development of their very individual personalities.  Budapest was always the dominant kitten and very curious.  Paka, our little gray male, was observant, cautious, and a lover.  Fili, the gray female, was always the trouble maker and such a tease.

Anyway, since we're lucky enough to know our adopters and have remained quite close with them, I've been blessed enough to watch these kittens continue their development.  Last night was the first visit in awhile, and boy was I surprised to see my former "babies"!  

Paka Maka Laka Nalu Koa, eight months

Miss Filomena, eight months

Paka eyeball!

Look at those whiskers!

Paka living the good life - as it should be! 

Fili's white toes match Budapest's white toes!

Every single moment with these cats has been eye-opening.  It's been a huge hassle, a big expense, and sometimes difficult, but seeing them grow up happy, healthy, and chunky is a wonderful feeling.  It is my hope that they lead full, happy lives.  I feel honored to have played a small part in that!  If this is what fostering is about - the giving of a piece of my heart to someone else in the form of a tiny fuzzlet - I'm in it for life.

And one pic of Budapest and D, for good measure.  Our pain-in-the-butt little pursecat.