The Four-State Family: ~Kittens~

We promised the girls that we could get a pet after we moved to Chadron. Seeing as we finally own our own home, there are no rules against having pets!!!
The girls kept insisting that we get a cat first, despite Mike suggesting repeatedly that maybe we should get a dog first. :)

Well, it turns out that within a couple of weeks of Mike starting in Chadron, a co-worker of his just had a litter of kittens. So we knew they would be ready this summer for homes. The momma cat had 5 kittens and the lady was more than ready to rehome them since they already have lots of animals to care for.

We wanted to wait to pick them up until after our trip to MN/WI, but she really wanted to get rid of those kitties. :) But told us that she'd be happy to kitten sit while we were gone.

So on June 23rd, the girls and I went to Walmart and picked up all the things you need for a kitten. They had a blast picking things out.
Then on the 24th, we all went out to our friend's house and had supper, and pet baby goats and picked out a kitten. And then we picked out another kitten. :)

I really did intend on just getting one in the first place. But since we had to pick them up before our trip, I knew it would be alone for a week in a newer place, and my little heart couldn't bare it. :) That, and the girls wanted two, so I can use that as an excuse too. :)

Anywho.

So we got two kitties and named them Ember and Terra. (I was shooting for something fire related to please Mike.) :)
And I knew if I let Kylie name them, it would be the same things she names all of her things....Rose, Rosie, Flower, Sparkle....or something along those lines. :)
And I don't think I could handle calling them that for a good 12 years!

Here are some pictures from picking them up and then the first couple weeks at home!

Baby Goats!

Look at the cuteness!!!

Sidney loved this!

Bringing them home

Showing them where there food & water will be

The first two morning we found them hiding behind the stove, the 3rd morning

was in this little corner between the wall and dishwasher.

Then for about 5 days we found them each morning inside our pull-out couch.

Ember

Terra

Terra just went up to the girls while they were playing, laid down right

there and took a nap while the girls played.

Ember prefers the comfy things. :)

After their first bath

They like hiding in the carrier

Kylie and Terra

Sidney and Ember.....

we are still working on appropriate ways to hold the

kitties....but thankfully they tolerate Sidney well. :)

While the girls and I went on our trip back to MN/WI we ended up just taking the kittens back out to the lady's house so that she can watch them there and if she had to leave for a fire, the kittens would have their siblings and the food/water and litter boxes were all outside on the porch.

Well, it turns out that Terra looked a lot more like the other gray tabby that was in the litter and she had a heck of a time figuring out which was which. :)

So when we got back home and went to pick them up, the lady had Ember, and both gray tabbies in a crate waiting for us.

At first I was thinking, they can't be exactly a like.....well. they can be. The only difference we could tell was in their weight! And you could kind of tell one had a lighter face than the other. I went with my first instinct and we brought that tabby and Ember home.

I set the cat carrier down at the front door where it was being stored and we let them out. Ember stayed put, but the tabby made a beeline for where the food/water dishes were and just sat there looking at me until I filled them for her to eat and drink. I think that was a good sign that we had the right cat. :) Then when she finished, both cats went straight to the rocking chair that they previously always slept in. I think after that we definitely knew we had Terra. :)

And of course....more pictures since we got home.

I have 100s of pictures of them...sadly. But they are so cute!