Welcome Cuddles' Snugglers
Hello, Kitten Academicians!
Although a little late, allow us to introduce Cuddles and her Snugglers!
On the morning of March 19th, while taking Holiday for her spay, Aristokatz received a phone call from a homeowner wanting help with a stray cat who had just given birth in their garage. We didn’t get too much information on the momcat, but the homeowners did let us know that she would rub on ankles but did not tolerate being petted or picked up. Sure enough, she had given birth to four healthy kittens in a bag full of leaves and was definitely showing some really protective mom instincts.
Given her protective nature at the time, we needed to get creative to collect them all safely. Ultimately, we decided to grab the three nearest kittens, place them in the back of the carrier, and wait patiently for her to check on them. After a little bit of time she did just that, and the door was closed behind her. The fourth kitten was then retrieved and placed in the carrier, which then went into the car and back to the Academy!
Upon arriving at the Academy, the carrier was placed in Mr. A’s office bathroom and set up to be their home base. Under normal circumstances, momcats would typically go into a larger room, but she's really not our typical momcat. Given the description of her temperament provided by the homeowner and a few attempts to hide kittens, we deemed the bathroom to be the safest starting location for her. In those first few days, we worked really hard to very slowly push her boundaries tiny bits at a time while keeping her stress level as low as possible. This has worked out well so far, and we’re happy with her progress to this point. She’s still a little spicy at times, but we’re more confident now in understanding her body language and communication style. We want to be clear that she’s not aggressive by any means; her way of communicating is just slightly different than that of the average momcat we’re used to seeing around here. She enjoys attention and pettings, but wants it to happen in accordance with her terms & conditions.
Cheatsheet created by is.a.momo on our discord
A day before their relocation to the second annex, DJ gave them all names! Momcat Cuddles and her kittens: Cashmere, Pajamas, Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow! To us, it appears that Cashmere and Marshmallow are boys while Pajamas and Hot Chocolate are girls. Cashmere and Pajamas also look quite similar, but they do have slightly different white spots on their chests and bellies, which allow us to tell them apart. Pajamas also has a little bit of white on her back toes.
Cuddles and her Snugglers are now living in the second annex and doing great! The kittens are gaining exceptionally well, Cuddles is eating well, and overall everyone is happy.
Now, how about a few photos?
