A few more photos:

At left, the new home of Moira and family.


At right are Francis and Opal on their first day of human contact--I believe they are 4 days old here.  Note my thick gloves in the background, which I have to wear whenever I am dealing with Moira.


April is National Pet Adoption Month. Just a reminder.

  First Week of May 2003--Updates

Here is Atlas after the first vet appointment.  Guess I lose on guessing cat gender--Atlas is a she.  The vet estimated that she is 11 months old, giving her a birthday of June, 2002.  We were thrilled to learn that she tested negative for everything, including FIV.  Atlas is now recovering in the same carrier as Moses and is doing better every day.  She still hisses and tries to make herself disappear--it is amazing what a big, regal cat she is when she is relaxed--but has not made any other attempts at aggressive behavior.  She is simply very scared.  I am amazed at how much she looks like Ping, and oddly, now her fur has the same downy texture as Tungston's.

Here is Moses--what a doll.  We were right about her--she is a she and was, as I guessed, pregnant.  She has recovered very quickly and has even seemed to forgive me for the shots and surgery.  Like Atlas, she is 11 months old and probably her sibling. Like Atlas she tested negative for everything, including FIV.  After she has recovered for a week or so, we will introduce her to Tungston and Ping and see how they like the idea of having  younger sister.

Here Mark is holding Pippin on his 3-week birthday.  In order to socialize the kittens, I have begun taking them out for daily play sessions.  Opal was the first out and loved having more room to explore.  Pippin was next, then Agnes (who is simply too dark to get a good web shot of so far).  I have yet to get Francis.  The touching thing is that once the kittens have come out they are anxious to see me again and have even starting coming to the front of the cage when I come into the room.  Moira has had surprises up her sleeve as well.  Though she still puts up a big protest for the first few minutes, she gradually has begun letting me reach in with the glove, though there is a clear perimeter that I must maintain.  When the kittens leave that perimeter, they are free to touch.  When I put them back in the cage, Moira is so gentle that I have even been able to return them with my bare hands.  Slowly but surely...