Foster kittens!

This month I’m fostering four five-week-old kittens from Dekalb County Animal Services through Perfect Pets Rescue. They needed to be taken out of the shelter quickly before they could contract any illnesses given their incredibly young immune systems. I’ll be fostering them until they’re ready to be vaccinated and spayed/neutered, after which they can be transported/adopted.

I have fostered dogs and puppies before, but I’ve never had a single cat or kitten in my home for longer than a couple hours. I thought it would be fun, but I had no idea I would love it THIS much! I am addicted!! They are absolute bundles of joy to have in the house (our sweet dogs are being very sweet to them too) and I can’t get enough. I’m amazed at how, even at such a young age, they already have distinct personalities. I’m so enthralled with these little babies I hope you’ll indulge me as I describe each one. (If it gets to be too much, just skip this and go straight to the photos!)

Oreo is the spunkiest and the only one of the three who hisses at the dogs when they try to sniff him (“him” is a guess – the shelter didn’t have a chance to identify their sexes, and I don’t know enough about cats to figure this out yet so I’m guessing for all of them for now) and is outgoing and full of energy. Strangely, as curious as he is, he doesn’t like toys of any kind! He and Cookie are the two with white paws, but Oreo has a little black spot on his front right paw.

Cookie is SO messy! His three siblings have learned to groom themselves but he is just not getting this down. No matter how often I wipe him down, his entire face is covered in food (I saw him standing in the food bowl with all four paws in it at one point) – even the backs of his ears are crusty with food! He’s also covered in dirty litter which is kinda gross (again, even with all my washcloth attempts) – hopefully he’ll pick up on the grooming thing soon! He and Oreo love to tussle.

Pudding is the all-black one of the group and very inquisitive. She was the first to play with toys and always the first to climb a new obstacle. She swats at the collars on the dogs’ tags and is always watching them quietly, watching their wagging tails. She’s just as playful and rambunctious as Cookie and Oreo, so the three of them run circles around each other!

Brownie is my favorite – she seems to be the runt of the litter and is all black with a little patch of white on her neck. Whenever I sit down to play with them, she is the first to crawl in my lap and loves to nuzzle between my knees. She is the lowest energy of the three – I’m keeping an eye on her; hopefully she’s not developing something – but still gently plays before she falls asleep, sometimes sitting up! Funnily, she purrs the most rarely of all three, and often it’s when the dogs are near.

Right now they are teeny-tiny – about the size of my hand. If you want to follow their progress, I will be posting videos on this YouTube channel, and in this Facebook album. I’m sure I’ll be sneaking in a few on the Leesia Teh Photography Facebook page too, so come join us there if you haven’t already!

And now, without further ado – here they are!

March 23, 2012 - 7:36 pm

LeeAnn - OMG. I want one (or four)!! My favorite is Cookie!! Incredible pictures and thank you so much for fostering them!

March 23, 2012 - 1:58 pm

admin - @Laine – My husband is a staunch non-cat person, so I’m afraid this is definitely temporary. @Byrdi – Thanks for reading all of my blathering! I love that one too – these babies are so sweet with each other.

March 23, 2012 - 1:57 pm

admin - Thanks Brenda! Someone will be in touch shortly.

March 22, 2012 - 9:46 pm

Brenda Knowles - I am very interested in one or two of these kittens. Please contact me with adoption info.

March 22, 2012 - 4:59 pm

Julie - OMG I can’t stand how adorable they are! Someone just posted that someone found a mom and some kittens and they are looking for a foster home – I already sent an email 🙂 I love kittens!!

March 22, 2012 - 3:35 am

Liz - Just LOVE! These are so beautiful!!!!

March 21, 2012 - 8:11 pm

Shauna (Fido & Wino) - Oh my goodness- too adorable!

March 21, 2012 - 7:41 pm

Marjorie Dawson - Thank you for a lovely report and for the delightful pictures. The kittens are gorgeous and perfect models!

March 21, 2012 - 7:10 pm

Laine Sweezey - Oh, good Lord! Like the Wicked Witch of the West, I’m melting, melting!! Y’ever notice that although there can certainly be ugly human babies, there is no such thing as an ugly kitten or puppy. So, Leesia, you’re going to give them up to new owners, right?????

March 21, 2012 - 7:05 pm

Joni - So glad you are enjoying fostering these cute kitties! Hope they all find great homes as soon as they are available. Marvelous photos!

March 21, 2012 - 6:57 pm

Byrdi - OMK! Oh my kittens! These pictures are ADORABLE! And I love reading your descriptions of their personalities! I’m betting Pudding is going to get her a doggie tail soon! 🙂

My favorite picture above it the one of the two kits – one grooming the the other…I think it might be Oreo grooming Brownie??!!? It’s the before the black heel. LOVE IT BEST! Although they are all wonderful!

It’s going to be fun growing up with them through you!

March 21, 2012 - 5:26 pm

Anonymous - Triple Eeeeeeeekkk!!!!!

New collars!

This isn’t a product review blog, but I am so in love with Becks’ and Ellie’s new collars I had to share! They were custom made through a local business, The Mod Dog, and they couldn’t be more perfect. Ellie slipped her collar while on a walk a few weeks ago (luckily it wasn’t on a busy street, and she came right back after briefly relishing in her newfound freedom while her mom had a heart attack!), which was the impetus to switching from the flat buckle collar to the martingale.

Not only are they adorable and practical, they seem a lot more comfortable for Becks and Ellie because they can be worn looser, and for the 20 hours of the day they’re napping, they no longer have a buckle pushing into their necks.

And Sienna is not to be left out – she was actually the first to get a Mod Dog collar last year (which some of you noticed when she debuted on the cover of the West Paw catalog!), which I also love.

I hope you can see the details below – the furry coats The Twins sport in the winter gave me a particular challenge – I might have to try again later when they have their summer cuts. But Sienna’s collar has penguins, Ellie’s elephants, and Becko-Bob’s dinosaurs!

Thank you, Kari, for another beautiful job! These make me smile every day. ♥

March 22, 2012 - 7:26 pm

rachel - aww no comments about the new collars…

i like ’em! i think i like sienna’s best actually…

Finn

Finn is an 11-week-old Golden Retriever puppy who is every bit as cute as you’d expect, and probably more! He’s all puppy teeth and fluff, alternately chewing everything within reach and flopping over for belly rubs. Since he’s the third puppy in his family, his parents are old pros so he was very well-mannered for his age and already knows how to sit. I couldn’t get enough of this little guy!

He joins big brothers Ed and Rudy:

April 23, 2012 - 8:19 pm

Madison - This makes me wanna have a golden… Your an amazing photographer! Next thing you know you’ll be world wide ;)))

March 20, 2012 - 5:37 pm

rachel - SO ADORABLE!

March 13, 2012 - 2:55 pm

Laura - LOVE!! My favorite is the one of all three. How did you get them to do that?!? SO adorable. Miss seeing you but love your work!

March 7, 2012 - 8:39 am

Beth - Oh my gosh, totally adorable and beautiful. I am so happy to have found your site!

March 6, 2012 - 8:08 pm

Laine Sweezey - As always, your work is simply astounding. The shot of all three Goldens together is beautiful, and the puppy with the broom shots are precious. I am envious of your clients; what lucky people to have such remarkable photos of their beloved pets!(My sweet dog is usually a fur-covered paperweight, so my own photos of him are all the same: here’s Bama lying in the dirt, here’s Bama lying in the grass . . .