Smoggy's Friends: Robert, Colin, Flicker & Pearl

It was in October 2008 that the eighth session of foster kittens arrived, this time with a difference -- mum came too! It was my first hands-on experience with a mother cat and her babies. I went in to pick up two kittens and instead came home with a mum and four babies, two boys and two girls. I had been given a choice of the two little ones, who were truly adorable, or this touching little scene. I had never seen newborn babies in the flesh before so my eyes welled with tears and my throat got all dry and I said yes to five new fosters. I named the boys Colin and Robert, the girls Flicker and Pearl, and the mum Audrey.

Audrey was a stray and about six months old, which was sad as she was already having kittens when she was still baby herself. We had a few sleepless nights getting her settled in, but eventually she started to feel safe and she was such a gorgeous mum. Colin was a little black and white boy who became quite the character and enjoyed chin rubs. :D Pearl, the biggest and fluffiest of them all, was a funny tortie girl who always liked to have a chat anytime. Robert was a little lion and such a cutie. He was a bit of a mummy's boy too, not that there's anything wrong with that! And Flicker was the littlest gal on the block, always in there trying to get a feed but just never getting quite enough. Still, she gave everyone else a run for their money. And for a stray kitty, mum Audrey adjusted very well to being an indoor mum and loved pats and kisses and became very, very smoochy. She was such a doll!

After Audrey "graduated" and went back to the shelter, it was just me and the four little kitties for a little while longer. And what a journey we had. Seeing them grow from tiny little handfuls to big, burly kittens... that was a joy. And it was very hard to say goodbye to them when we took them back in. But happily they were all adopted, even Audrey!

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