My baby is getting adopted!!! (pic heavy)

[Lisa0825]

My baby is getting adopted!!! :cry:

My first assignment as a foster kitty mommy was “the basket babies,” a litter of 5 bottle-fed mostly black kittens… some with brown undercoats or little white hairs on their paws and bellies.





The first one to be adopted was the littlest one, Bijou, who almost didn’t make it. She now lives with one of our volunteers.



Next, a sweet young couple took home Skeeter. He was a perfect mix of frisky and affectionate, and the first to learn to conquer the cat tree!



Next a young woman asked to adopt two siblings, because she feels they need to have a playmate to be truly happy. She took Baloo and Khan and renamed them Hershey and Cocoa probably because in the sun, they look like dark chocolate. These two were the largest of the litter, and they spent 90% of their waking hours wrestling.



So, the last basket baby left was Leander, who I call Leo, and he has been my favorite from day 1. As a baby kitty, he was less interested in playing with his siblings and more interested in snuggling or playing with me. For the few days that he was the only kitty, he thought I was his personal playtoy!



Leo is a little lush, always trying to sneak a sip of my drink when I turn my head!



Then I picked up Jennings, a 4 month old kitty who was always looking for attention at Whiskerville. When anyone walked by his crate, he would reach out and grab a sleeve! At first, Jennings had a size advantage over Leo and Leo would get a little overwhelmed with the wrestling.



But soon, Jennings matured and became a quieter, gentler kitty, and Leo became a rowdy adolescent, and now Leo gives Jennings hell! :rofl:

I had to evacuate with the boys when Hurricane Rita struck, and the boys really bonded on that trip.



Leander, practically grown up… such a sweet and beautiful boy he is!



So, Little Leo will be going to his new home on Friday December 30th, and I will miss him so much… the others were so much easier because they passed through my life so quickly. But this little guy is going to be hard to let go of.

But there are lots of other kitties wanting some time in my home now, so Jennings won’t be alone for even a day. I just hope Leo will be as happy with his new mommy as he has been here. :cry:

[demnan]

1. You're good people

I'm sure he'll carry a place for you in his heart, just as you'll carry a place in yours for him. :hug:

[Lisa0825]

3. I just hope he'll be happy there.

I feel so protective of him, but I know we have so many kitties to place that when one gets a permanent home, I have to let him go. I wonder if she'll allow visitation rights?LOL! :hug:

[amerikat]

13. love leo

i am a leo if i could have one more i would pic one but hey i will loose my HAPPY home

good luck
robin

[Patiod]

2. That 2nd picture looks like Kitty Jonestown

and a big pat on the back for making sure all these little black kitties find a home -- I read somewhere that black cats are harder to place (in spite of their sweet dispositions)

[Lisa0825]

4. LOL! No Kool Aid involved!

That was the view I woke up to every morning for the first 3 weeks. It was my third attempt to open reach for the camera and ge a shot before anyone woke up.

I was surprised that in this day and age, enough people are still superstitious enough to not want black cats! I LOVE black kitties, but they are harder to get good pics of!

[ET Awful]

5. What great pics!

That Leander is definitely a handsome fella, and I love the last pic of him and Jennings together.

Leo will be just as happy, you just need to convince his new mommy to get him a playmate in the not too distant future :P

[Lisa0825]

6. OOPS! can't edit... last pic is JENNINGS grown-up, not Leo:-)

The shelter founder says the new mommy is wonderful, but she is only allowed one pet in her apartment. She is plunking down a $400 non-refundable deposit to get him, so she must really want him. I just hope he won't be lonely without a playmate.

Jennings has a cute little mask on his face just like your Althea :loveya:

[Eurobabe]

7. Awww, I feel for you...

We adopted two ginger boyz this summer, and both have gone to my daughters. Moe lives with Larry in Pittsburgh:



And Flummi now lives in Philly...he was mine for 6 months and I miss him terribly. I feel your joy and sorrow.

[sadinred]

8. you love them so much and become so attached, it's

hard on you. BUT, it's that very love that gets them ready for the world and their permanent families!!!! Makes their little hearts strong!

Good work Lisa0825!
beautiful pics too!

[roguevalley]

9. oh sweet lord in heaven. what a pile of babes. you have incredible

strength to give them away. I adore kitties.

[Grateful for Hope]

10. I agree it does require incredible strength

and a very special person to be able to love and then give away.

:yourock:

[BrklynLiberal]

11. I could not have said it better. That is exactly what I was thinking.

I don't know if I could have let Leo go when it finally came down to it.. :hug:

[Lisa0825]

12. Well, the day hasn't come yet....

I hope I don't cry in front of everyone when it happens! I'm glad I'll be picking up more babies at the same time, both for my own sake and so Jennings won't be loney.

[Lisa0825]

14. Thanks everyone.

I passed Leo to his new Mommy yesterday. I thought I'd be OK and not cry, but I did :cry: But his new mommy was really sweet and gave me a big hug and thanked me for taking such good care of him. She emailed me an update today and said he is settling in just fine and already giving her lots of love and attention. She lives near where I work and said I could come visit him.

Jennings is missing his buddy, but I will be picking up two new kitties over the next couple weeks, or possibly three. Ihope he'll bond with them as closely as he did with Leo.

Oh, Leo's mom decided to rename him Magic. I think that's a cute name for a sleek black kitty with gold and green eyes :loveya:

[Lorien]

15. So glad that he's settled in to a wonderful new home

it IS really hard to let the ones that you've had awhile go. I've had about five like that, and only one of the "adoptive parents' has kept in touch. Still, it's rewarding to know that you contributed to what will hopefully be a long and loving relationship. Pets can add so much to our lives, especially now, as people are so much more removed from one another.

Don't forget to post picks of your new batch when they come in!

[Lisa0825]

16. I was so happy when I me her and liked her.

She was so nice and grateful, and really needed a companion. My biggest worry was that Leo would not get enough attention, but I know she'll spoil him. I will definitley post pics when I get them. I had a choice between 2 and 4, and decided it would be an easier transition for Jennings if I got the two to start with.

I just love the little boy, and hope he'll be happy as can be.

[BrklynLiberal]

17. Magic is a beautiful name, and it seems to imply something wonderful

about how his new owner feels about him.
PLEASE keep us posted!!!!