Pregnant Kitty!!

Okay, I've waited two weeks to say it - just so I could be sure - but now it's a definite. The cat is pregnant....we're going to have KITTENS!!!!

Look at that baby bump!

We are all looking forward to the arrival of the kittens. Seriously, though, she couldn't have picked worse timing for this. Sly is crawling all over the place these days. He WILL perpetually try to disturb the kittens in their "nest". I know he could destroy a kitten in about two seconds with one of his pincer-like grasps. Likewise, a bunch of pouncing, bounding kittens who don't know how to control their claws have the potential to really rip up my baby's face/arms/etc. It's going to be a battle to keep them all apart from each other.

Then there's the intricate system of baby gates we've set up around the house. Right now, it's perfect. The cats are able to go anywhere in the house, or outside of the house (due to cat-sized holes or slits cut in each gates). Sly is blocked from leaving out the front or back door, as well as from going down the basement stairs, and from going either up OR down the regular staircase unsupervised. But what about kittens? They will be able to fit through all the catholes, obviously. But I don't want them wandering outside, or falling down the basement stairs. Oy. Our house is simply not big enough to designate separate zones for baby, kittens, and cats.

And then there's the fact that we're going away for TEN DAYS at the end of July/early August. Who's going to watch the kittens?!?! Sure, my mom will be able to stop over from time to time to give them food, and change the litter box. But that's not going to be enough. I worry that without a lot of human interaction, the kittens will become wild. I don't mean to sound silly, but it's true - I have experience with litters of kittens from when I was younger, and I saw the great effect that regular human attention has in turning a frisky and wild kitten into a wonderful and friendly pet (my mom called it "breaking their spirits"). Plus, with two adult cats and who knows how many kittens using the litter box - that thing is going to need to be scooped OFTEN!

It all just stresses me out too much when I think about it. So instead of worrying about all those things, I'm just going to think about the impending arrival of the little fuzzy balls of love.

KITTENS!!

Ready to pop!