Is there just that one, wee one, that gets to ya?

[gizzysgrandma]

There is one in Gizzy's litter (16 days old now) that is just toooooo cute. She has me wrapped around her little paw. She is the smallest and quietest of the 4 black ones, but dayum....dayum dayum!...she is such a little sweetheart!

She loves to be held. She loves to be cuddled. All of them like to be cuddled and played with, but she will just leave everything the minute she sees my presence or hears my voice. She comes running, even if she falls behind the others, she will still forge ahead and try to climb right up in my lap and onto my hand. Then she just flops back and stares at me and wriggles for me to rub her little belly. She is the only one that loves to be picked up off the floor.

Today she was reaching up with her little paws and grabbing at my face and nose and reaching her little mouth up to my lips and my face. She looks me square in the eye and never ever cries.

Gosh! This is HARD. I want to keep her but I also want to give her to a really really good home!

 

[huggles]

ohmy how precious. she sounds like such a little sweetheart

wouldnt your home be a really really good home?

 

[gizzysgrandma]

My home would be a very good home, but I'm in a lot of financial hardships right now, so I don't think I can even afford shots or anything. I have a pet that I take really good care of. I get him all his shots and heartworm and flea and tick stuff. With another pet, I would have to do all that too plus get her spayed.

It's very difficult to even think of right now. I'm unemployed, I have a mortgage and food to buy for 2 teenage sons, so....anyway, whatever the case, it kind of suprises me that I got attached so to one of the kitties. I'm not a real big "cat person" (I like dogs), but she is just sooooo sweet and so cute.

I have even rescued some kitties in my past and had no problem giving them up to good homes, but this one?...WOW....she is precious!!!

 

[huggles]

well I have no doubt that you will be able to find her a wonderful home - maybe you can ask them to email you updated photos and such? Its great that your considering the fact that you dont think you would be able to financially afford it as others sometimes 'worry about that later' so to speak.

ahhhhh and those cats always know how to worm their way into your heart!!

 

[momof3rugratz]

ooooooo grandma you know you want to keep me pawese..,,

 

[gizzysgrandma]

My mother lives in an elderly apartment community where the residents LOVE their little pets. They are allowed to have one small dog or one cat. I go over and visit a lot and I notice all these little old ladies drive around on their 3-wheel bicycles with their pets in a basket, and they all talk about their pets like they are their babies.

It is really wonderful, so I am going to ask my mother if she knows of any elderly people at her community that are looking for a sweetheart kitten to adopt. I adopted a cat out to one of the residents about a year ago and every time I go to visit, I see that the old lady who adopted him is still treating him like a little King of the Castle. It is truly sweet to see how well these older people will take care of an animal even when they are living on a fixed income. They get them spayed and neutered and get their shots (I don't know how they afford it!)

So, I'm thinking this might be the best thing for little "precious" (she is absolutely adorable), but there's still a little part of me that wants to keep her for myself, which I know won't work out. I want this little girl to go to a really special place.

 

[gizzysgrandma]

Originally Posted by momof3rugratz

ooooooo grandma you know you want to keep me pawese..,,

You stop that now!

grrrrr!!

 

[momof3rugratz]

But I love u pawess keep me..

 

[gizzysgrandma]

She does love me! She loves me sooooo much!!!

Dayum, this is HARD!

enuffayou!

 

[missymotus]

Oh I don't envy you, we were able to keep all 5 of Missy's kittens. It would be great if you could place her with someone you could visit.

 

[gizzysgrandma]

I agree.

I personally do not like animals that require an indoor toilet, even if they are extremely CUTE and like to curl on your lap when they are grown.

Maybe if I taught her to go outside to do her restroom business.....?? Would she learn?

 

[missymotus]

Well, my sister's cat are outdoors mostly but will come inside for hours, they meow at the door when they have to go outside to do their business.

 

[callista]

Wellll... outdoor cats *are* in danger from a lot of stuff (cars, wild animals, big feral toms)... so I wouldn't recommend letting them out. Cats can be put on leashes (and harnesses; not collars) like dogs; but I think it would take some training to teach them to ask to go out when they need to go. Some cats mightn't pick it up... they're more independent than dogs... it really depends.

You could put the litter box somewhere where it wouldn't be too annoying to you, though--a mud room, maybe, or the basement or garage (but if it's garage, make sure there's no poisonous stuff around that the cat could lick).

As it is--those little old ladies sound just right for your kitten. I just hope that they make provisions for their pets in their wills... often times a cat can outlive someone who gets the cat when they're 70 or 80... It's a delicate issue to bring up, sure; but I think with tact you might be able to do so.

 

[momof3rugratz]

sorry I just love cats

 

[charmed654321]

Seems like you have a dilemma and the kitten chose you. That's exactly what happened with me and Rocky Rockette. From the momeht she opened her eyes, if she heard me coming she'd stretch herself up to look for me over the edge of the box and call for me. She would always want to be with me more than her mom, or siblings. I decided she would stay the day I came back from putting my Fuzz to sleep. I sat down on the sofa and started to cry. R&R ran over, up my body and started to lick the tears off my cheeks. That was it.

As far as gonig outside, I agree with those who think it's a bad idea. Read through the health topics about all the things that happened to outdoor cats from cars, other animals, poisons. It's a tough call, and unless you live in a rural area (and even then, there are bugs and parasites and other animals) you are putting your animal in a lot of danger by letting them go outside.

There are many options to a plain old litterbox. There is something like littermaid that cleans itself up immediately, there is the clumping litter (once the kitten is a few months old) that is so simple to clean out the mess from. There are covered dome litter boxes, and if you search the web, there are many who actually have been able to train their cats to use the toilet with a little patience and time.

I would suggest you reconsider offering the cats to your mother's elderly friends. Adopting a kitten is normally at least a 15-year commitment. The chances of a kitten that age, who is adopted by an elderly person, ending up in a shelter to be euthanized or being given to readopt when they're older (which you know has a very little chance of happening) is almost certain.

Most adoption people will tell you that they recommend more elderly people adopt older adult cats. I am 52 now. I know that Rocky and Little Big Man will be the last kittens I will take responsibility for. After that, if I am lucky enough to still be around and healthy, I will go by my own advice an only plan to adopt older cats.

What I would strongly suggest is calling a local no-kill rescue group and asking them to take the kittens. They will give the kittens the shots and make sure they get spayed and neutered before they even find them homes. And they investigate the potential homes thoroughly.

As far as keeping her yourself, you might call a local Petsmart and Petco. They have programs where they offer days they will give low-cost innoculations (I've heard of them giving it for as little as $10, and they can help you find low-cost spay neuter. The rescue groups can also sometimes kick in with vet bills someone can't afford. They've helped me in the past. There are also websites that will actually help people with emergency vet bills like operations in difficult times. So it's something to think about.

Go to www.petfinder.com and in the upper right hand corner should be a link to shelters and rescues. Click there and then put in your state and you should be able to find them. Also as I said, Petco and Petsmart can help you there too.

 

[catsallover]

There is a group around here that offers low cost spay/neuters for people over a certain age, and I think there are groups that help with shots, etc., too. These groups would rather help someone keep their animal than have to find another home through the shelters, rescues, etc.-if you really want her, you could check.

I had a bottle baby litter about 8 yrs ago, and one of the cream male kittens (Dewey-you know, and Lewey, Hewey

) who would climb my bathrobe every morning while I was making coffee, to be tucked in the front of it and ride around until I fed them. (Don't tell my 4 cats I still have/have now

)but he was my favorite cat ever, and I, too, couldn't keep him (3 grown cats, 1 dog and us in a 14 x 52 ft mobile home

). I just said my prayers for a good home and a lady called who wanted a kitten for her daughter for Christmas. So I got to keep him an extra month after his brothers had homes, and the day before Christmas she came back to get him. He went to a part of town I still can't afford to live in, and went in a car I can't afford (probably still

) to a really nice family who called to tell me how great he was doing and how much her daughter loved him, and that when she got home from school, his feet never hit the floor- exactly how he liked it! And I can say that, even though I miss him, I couldn't be happier for him!