Ugh... tugging at my heart. Kittens are terrible

fastnoc

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I have no strong ties to my fosters. With one exception. The kitten Aby has really started tugging on me.

She's always been the most outgoing kitten in the litter, but she's stepped that up a bit.

When I had them in the box and put a guard up so they couldn't get out, she was the only one to figure out how to get over it. Out of seven kittens! Not only did she figure it out, she did it eight times i think. Until I opened it and enclosed the whole closet for them. (it's a walk in).

When i go into the pen, she immediately runs up to me and climbs into my lap. All the other kittens just kind of look around. When she falls off she climbs right back up.

So I pick her up and she'll curl into a ball and lay in my hand. I put my hand down tot he carpet and she won't crawl off. Clearly she wants to stay there.

Today I picked her out of the pen and figured i'd hold her while I watched a little tv on my bed. She started doing the cutest little rooting around and playing on my chest. Every once in awhile she'd gently paw at my goatie. It was SO sweet.

Then she tucked back into a ball and fell asleep. She woke up cold, probably because she's used to sleeping in a kitten pile. So i put my hand over her back and she instantly lays her head on my chest and fades back off to sleep.

I swear there has been a connection with this little girl. I don't know whether it's to me, or if it's just the good nature of her. I want to let her go to a young girl in a home because i know she'd be loved, but I don't know that she's not just connected to me, and i'd be giving that away.

Time will tell, but of all seven she is leaps and bounds more affectionate to me than the others.


HUGE Full size pic.
 

gayef

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Ummm, maybe I am overstepping my boundaries here, but ... could you not keep this little sweetie? It sounds like she has chosen you to be her person.

As an aside, was this the same kitten you had trouble getting the eye to open fully?
 
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fastnoc

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Originally Posted by -_aj_-

awwww sounds like she has chosen you doesnt it, shes a pretty little thing
yeah it does sound like that.


Originally Posted by gayef

Ummm, maybe I am overstepping my boundaries here, but ... could you not keep this little sweetie? It sounds like she has chosen you to be her person.

As an aside, was this the same kitten you had trouble getting the eye to open fully?
Well, you obviously aren't overstepping your bounds, I asked the question
. I could keep her sure, but I've already got two cats and I don't want to become that crazy cat lady on the simpsons. I just don't know what to do yet. She's so sweet it just seems like a shame to give that away.

and yes she was the one with the eye that wouldn't open.
 

gayef

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Glad I didn't overstep ... my personal opinion is that you need to keep her. You will find a way to make it work out, I feel certain of it. Three cats most certainly does not make you a crazy cat lady (cuz I think you are a guy right?) ... if it did, with my four and the several who visit my male at various times a year, I would have already gotten that designation! *smile*
 

abbycats

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Awww She is a keeper!!! She has chosen you! Things are just meant to be!
 

fifi1puss

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HEY! I have three cats!!
Fortunately I am no "lady"
Just kidding.


Anyway, that kitten is the CUTEST little thing I have seen. Look at the weird ears! I love it!!

It's true, I think she has chosen you.
Lucky you! If you keep her you will have so much fun. My first cat choose me and I had him since he was 6 weeks old (he was a stray). We had such a special bond. To this day it warms my heart.
 

marianjela

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Oh I'm in love with her adorable little face and those ears that frame it so well


It does sound like she is forming a nice bond with you
I hate it when they do that


Good luck with whatever you decide! I know it's tough letting go, and sure enough the next litter to come along will have a snugly little bugger in it too. I think that's the hardest part - knowing where to draw the line. I'm no help with this question...
but good luck!!!
 

*pepper*

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I REALLY think you should keep her and having 3 cats is really not that different to having 2 in my opinion
You would hate to regret later on giving her up!
 

nanner

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My opinion.....I think you're a goner.
She obviously has chosen you, and that's really special. One cat I ended up having for almost 17 years chose me. Out of all the cats I've had, that's the only time that happened. She was a theatre kitten, at a theatre where I was doing a show one summer. There were lots of kittens, and lots of actors, but she just marched into my room and jumped onto the bed and sought me out the entire time I was there.

I ended up adopting her at the end of the season. I had left already, and one of the other actors called me and said, "Do you want this kitty? I'll bring her back down to NY if you do." How could I say no?!
 

mschauer

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Originally Posted by fastnoc

I could keep her sure, but I've already got two cats and I don't want to become that crazy cat lady on the simpsons. I just don't know what to do yet. She's so sweet it just seems like a shame to give that away.
You only have 2 cats! What a slacker!


No, really, what you do is set an absolute limit on the number of cats you can keep. When you hit twice that number you know to stop! Well, that's how it happened with me anyway.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by gemlady

Awww, look at that face saying "Keep me, Daddy. Keep me..."
i think she's chosen you for her human! any way you can keep her?
 

theimp98

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the whole reason why i dont think i could never foster cats or dogs, I would never want to let them go..

if you can afford it, i would vote keep her
 

gayef

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You know, this so reminds me of many of my previous kitten buyers and their stories. It never ceased to amaze me how kittens would choose their people. There are three instances of it happening that are remarkable IMO ... in the first litter from Lexus and Tonka, there was a little gorgeous blue point boy. He was so timid and shy around people and I feared that no one would desire him as their own ... until I got a call from a lovely woman who told me of her love of Siamese and her family's desire to share their home with one. I asked about the other family members and learned that they had a then-two year old daughter. I admitted that I was concerned about how a toddler might mishandle a kitten and asked her to allow me to meet her daughter to see for myself how she behaved around active, young kittens. When this lady brought her daughter to my home, the little girl walked into my kitchen at just about the same time as the blue point boy came around the corner to see her. The little girl squealed as though only two year old girls can and said, "I haven't seen YOU for the longest time!!!" and the kitten ran into her arms, purring, kneading and loving every minute of the loving attention. Those two were connected and no one can ever convince me they weren't.

Another instance was in the third litter ... a man contacted me looking for a blue point boy. I have to say that I was so excited to hear from him because until that time, no one had expressed any interest at all in the kitten I now call George. I thought that this would be perfect for my little Georgeous and anticipated this man's visit with a lot of joy. The day came, the man walked into my home and George acted like a total freak. He hissed, he growled, he puffed up all Halloween kitty and was just NOT the kitten I had come to know and love. But the blue point girl was doing everything but back flips to get this man's attention. Once she got it, she had him from hello and Grace (as she is now known) lives in the lap of loving luxury.

Third case ... a very distraught woman called me to see if I had a Seal Point male kitten available. At that time, I did not but was planning a breeding between Tonka and Lexus within the next few weeks. I told her that if she was willing to wait, there may be a chance for her to have a seal point male. I called her the day I allowed Lex and Tonk to breed and told her that I would update her all along the way. The delivery day came and to my delight, there was a very hefty, robust, beautiful baby Seal Point boy (although I wasn't certain he was seal until later when his color came in, but in my gut, I just knew). I called this lady, told her of the birth and we made arrangements for her and her husband to visit when the babies were at the age of 7 weeks. When that time came, they walked into my home, the other kittens scattered to the four winds not to be found again, but the Seal Point boy walked boldly up to this woman's husband, crawled into the palm of his hand and stayed there until they needed to leave for home. This kitten, now known as Duke, is a cherished member of one of my best friends in the world, Beth. We became friends because of this kitten and have remained friends for all of the other reasons we found as we got to know each other better.

While I am lengthy at getting to the point, here it is ... sometimes, these cats, these enigmatic creatures we love so much, know better than we do. And that should be respected.

Keep this baby and love her as she deserves to be loved.
 

theimp98

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have to agree, My first cat picked me. She went nuts everytime i stopped in at the APL, ( i used to take gf kid to the apl on weekends so she could walk the dogs)

i thought i was buying her as gift for the gf, but she did that same Halloween Cat thing at the gf. ( which fit it was the day before halloween anyway)

sometimes the cats do pic us, Like i said if you can afford another kitty. Keep her.
 

booktigger

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The main thing you need to consider is that if you keep this kitten, will it prevent you from fostering in the future? If yes, then you have to decide between keeping this one, or helping countless cats. If not, then there is no problem, but you do have to be prepared for this happening again if you continue to foster, every now and then one will tug at you more, and what will you do next time? - my rule is that they have to be over the age of 10 and my cats accept them to stay. If neither of those apply, they are rehomed regardless of how much I might like to keep them. I also deliberately keep numbers of my own cats down to accomodate fosters, both long and short term, as I prefer to be a fosterer than an owner.
 
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fastnoc

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Wow those are great stories Gayef!

Here's some clarification. I don't feel that bad about having three cats. But here's where I'm concerned.

I decided to do fostering for the concern of the stray/feral cats around here. Not to pick myself out a new kitten. My main concern was that this first set I need to prove to myself I'm not going to get attached and keep any, so I can feel good about moving on and doing this again. If I take one of these kittens I've proven to myself that I don't have that discipline and thus shouldn't foster anymore families.

The second issue. I am only leasing right now. I haven't bought a home here yet, and with the market I'm inclined to wait at least another year to evaluate the condition of the economy. This condo isn't big. It's only about 1300 square feet. I got it small on purpose to save money. I only pay a little over 1400 per month here. So while I will have a home sooner or later, I'm not ready yet, and I'm not sure it's a good idea to keep more cats. I paid a $600 deposit to be able to keep small animals, but the rule is I'm to let the office know when I add more. I don't think they'd complain at three, but when does the limit hit?

I'm just undecided.
 

kalikat

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She's very cute & if she's bonded with you so strongly, how can you bare to part with her. I've had Blossom since she was 3 w/o & because our vet, who has a cat adoption agency, couldn't hand raise her, I did. They told me to bring her back at 8 weeks. I couldn't bare to part with her after spending so much time with & training her. And she wasn't even that attached to us. As she gets older she spends a lot of time with me & is slowly letting me pet her although she won't stay on my lap. She's with me right now.
I say go for it.
 
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